She could feel them staring again. Their eyes on her when they thought she couldn't see them. She ignored them as usual. The only thing she focused on was putting one foot in front of the other as she ran. The clacking of the hamster wheel almost hypnotic to her ears. A thin layer of sweat on her body, she could smell herself. Her senses sharp enough, the smell told her things. What she ate, what she drank, that she was ovulating, that she was healthy. But it couldn't diagnose her heartbreak.

6 months had passed since the final battle with Ebonheart and the loss of her beloved Lily. A loss so staggering, she was ordered to get counseling She resented that. Mourning, how long it took, how she did it was her business. The councilor had her understand that it was natural to grieve but one must consider that she wasn't alone in the process and those that loved her shouldn't be pushed away. She was told to find an outlet to funnel that pain. A hobby, a task, something. She chose exercise.

Susan, the borrower girl with a heavy heart, found herself at the newly built Lilian Durmont Health and Fitness Center almost everyday. A structure Keith ordered to be built as a way to keep the borrower population physically fit while at the same time giving a kind of community and recreation. The building itself was 12 ft. by 15 ft. in are and nearly a foot tall. It housed, gyms, pools and jacuzzis, a running track, basketball and tennis courts on the lower levels. The upper ones catered to crafts, activities, and special courses. Everything geared for the day borrowers could fully integrate into human culture.

Susan would arrive in the morning and use the hamster wheel until noon. Shower, eat lunch, run the track, and then swim laps in the pool. Then after all that go home to her own home she moved into months before. Yes, Susan moved out of the mansion. Everything reminded her of Lily. Pictures, sounds, and smells. A painful thing to do but not long after that horrible day, Susan was doing her own laundry when a maid entered the room. The human sized girl politely said hi to her and tried to make small talk. Susan barely said a word. Then the giantess dropped a dirty sock right on her head. For a moment nothing came of it until the maid could hear the tiny woman sobbing. Afraid she was injured, the maid pulled it off her only to find Susan clutching it tightly. It had been Lily's sock. The smell of her lover's feet was enough to send Susan into a spiral.

Keith, Claire, and Rose tried many things to cheer her up, but nothing really came of it. And then Susan moved out. Distanced herself from everyone. They began to fear she would take her own life. And that's how she ended up being ordered to get counseling

Susan felt the coldness of the tile under her bare feet. She stood under the shower head and turned it on. The hot water washed away her sweat but not the longing in her heart. Lily used to bathe her. Fingers rubbing soap all over her body. Her favorite giantess taking great care to clean her. And when she was done, she could feel her warm breath on her body blowing away the water and moisture. She wished she could hear her just once say again that she loved her. "Let me get a snack of that yummy little pussy. Look at those cute defenseless little feet. Your butt looks cute stuck in the air like that. I can tell you're from Georgia. You taste like peaches." Standard pillow talk for them taken for granted. One of the last things Susan said to her the last time they made love was for her to eat her. A joke of course as the borrower girl was crazy with lust but now...now Susan kinda wished she had. Slipping down her throat. To curl up in her tummy as her digestive acids broke her flesh and bones down to supply her lover with nutrients. To become one with her.

Susan cried as she beat her fists on the wall. She blamed herself for Lily. She thought it should've been her shrunk to sub atomic size. She was a borrower, common as a weed in a field while Lily was the savior of thousands of her kind. Susan ate alone in the cafeteria. Her hands slightly sore from attacking a shower wall. Around and around she ran the track zipping right by others. She stopped to catch her breath and drink some water. Children ran up the stairs near her. Children alive due to the sacrifice many made. She tried to lose herself as she swam. The cool water moving past her as she swam laps.  When she felt physical pain, she stopped. She moved over to the jacuzzi where no clothes were permitted. There she soaked.

"Sir is that you?" a voice asked. Susan turned around. The girl was a redhead. Hair down to her back with matching carpet so to speak. Toenails painted red. Her slim but toned frame was no older than 17. Susan knew of her. "I'm not on the job Ruby. No need to call me sir" Susan said. " May I join you?" Ruby asked. "Free country. God knows we paid enough to see to that" Susan replied. Ruby scooted into the warm bubbling water and sighed. "It's incredible all this was built. That Keith is something to design all this" Ruby said. "He did invent a shrinking device. I'm sure he could build a fancy bathtub" Susan muttered Ruby grew quiet. "I'm sorry I'm not good company" Susan said. "It's okay. We all know how painful it was to lose the queen" Ruby said. "So...here on your off day?" Susan asked changing the subject.   

"Just relaxing before deployment" Ruby replied. "Deployment? There's a mission?" Susan asked surprised "Nothing major. Especially if a Sgt. like me is getting assigned" Ruby replied. THORN agents like Susan and Ruby were divided into classes. Susan being the top had the rank of captain or field commander if assigned a unit. And from there was commander, Lt. Commander, Sgt., Lieutenant and finally private. Briar Patch, the black ops division was a separate matter.

"Still though. It's been eerily quiet this year. To get a mission something is up" Susan said. "A standard antiquing" Ruby shrugged. Antiquing was slang for a magical artifact hunt. If word of a magical artifact was heard, an agent would be dispatched to appraise, verify the owner (or seller), and retrieve it. Most of those missions ended up with the artifact to be a fake though. "You should swing by the briefing. The others worry about you sir...I mean Susan" Ruby said. Susan got out of the tub. "Maybe I will" she said to her.

That evening, Susan stood before her mirror. Her hair was scraggly, her feet tough. She had not done one bit of pampering to herself since she died. Sitting on her toilet, she began scrubbing the callouses off her feet. Not an easy thing to do as her feet were unusually sensitive for her kind. She only trusted Lily to do it but Lily was gone. She had been blind, but Lily insisted she kept her feet looking nice. Clipping her toenails, filing them, painting them, smoothing her soles. Susan could remember her delicate hands on her feet. The same hands that would cradle her close to her heart. Her sensitive ears could hear that mischievous chuckle before her tongue found her soles. Her lips wrapped around her toes. The gentle sucking of her mouth.

Susan was done with her feet and went to her hair. Rinsing it, relaxing it. Drying and combing it over and over. She gave a slight smile as she looked at her reflection. Lily always said she looked beautiful when she went the extra mile. She got into bed, set her alarm, and went to sleep.

They gave looks of surprise as she entered the briefing room in the mansion. Dressed in her black combat uniform, Susan reminded them she was their superior. "Is everyone here? Then we can...Susan?" Keith asked. "The one and only" she said. "I thought you were still on leave" he said. "Haven't decided entirely yet what I want to do" she replied. "Okay. I can respect that. Let's start the briefing" he said pulling up an image.

"Last week, a prominent Swiss banker by the name of Franz Holtz was assassinated. Mr. Holtz owned the controlling shares in Goldzahn, one of the biggest banks in Europe. Around that time there were negotiations in a merger with an Italian bank named Medici Bank. The merger would've influenced the Euro considerably of not for Mr. Holtz's blocking of it. The day before the merger deadline, Mr. Holtz was walking out of his bank and was shot in the heart with an arrow" Keith said enlarging the picture. "An arrow? Surely the assassin was caught then since they would have to be close for the shot" Ruby said. "That's the thing. It was fired from a downward angle and the closest building one could even try is 600 yards away. An arrow fired through a 30-mph crosswind, through heavy snowfall beyond the range of even the best archer in the world. A truly impossible shot" Keith replied.

"And you think a magical artifact was involved" Susan said. "We do. One stands out" Keith said changing the picture. "The Bow of Artemis. It's appearance changes by the story but it's attributes don't. Said to be able to shoot a target no matter the range with enough force to pierce even the thickest armor. The arrow would home in on its target as long as you don't break eye contact. The arrow that killed him curved and corrected through crosswind, air density, dampness, and force bleed off. Hit him so hard it knocked him out of his expensive loafers."

"Lu Bu won the respects of warlords in ancient China with his bow skills, Genghis Khan was said to have gained support through horsemanship and archery making incredible shots while riding. Robin Hood's legends about his skill is still told, all of them carried the infamous bow. And as you see each one changed history by using it" he said. "So how are we to find it?" Ruby asked. "Video was taken moments before Holtz died. Observe..." he said. Keith played an amateur video of a girl pointing the camera upwards filming the snowfall. Keith slowed it down. Very faintly there was a contrail that zipped through the air. "Was that the arrow?" Susan asked. "Unknown but we have the vector. It came from a penthouse room checked out to an Anna Rosenthal. A woman who deals in antiquities and auctions of them. Sounds like a good place to start" he replied. "Where is she?" Susan asked. "Monaco. There is an auction being planned there to take place in two days" he replied. "When do I leave?" Susan asked.      

"What? Susan you're not fit for this. It could get ugly" Keith said. Susan scrambled up his desk within seconds astonishing everyone with her speed. She motioned for him to lean down very close. She grasped his lower lip and yanked hard. "If I don't get out of this place I'm to lose my shit. Do you get me?" she asked. "Yesh...maham" he muttered as she held his lip like a tiny vice. Susan let go. "Have logistics set up travel?" she asked. "All done. Report to the armory" he replied. Susan left the room.

"What am I looking at?" she asked. A mosey woman appeared before her. A plane ticket under the name Rachel Croft. A suit designed to mask infrared. A purse with a high limit card in it. Burner phone. Lipstick with arcane enhancements.  A small spool of high tensile nylon cord and a silver blade" the woman replied. "Good. Load me up" Susan said. Susan brought the equipment to her apartment and loaded up a few clothes to take with her. She cut a small lock of her hair and tied strands of it to her equipment. An old trick taught to agents for a singular reason. One she hoped would not come to pass. She needed a nice dress to blend in if possible. Unlike some agents, Susan had the talent and training to grow to human size and interact in society. Candy apple red dress and a pair of silver heeled sandals. The last gift Lily handed to her. She dared not dwell on that. She had a job to do.

She stood in the security check line. Nervous as it had been some time since she was this out in the open. Her arcane spell kept her at a manageable 5'5 as long as she didn't sleep or get knocked out. Her clothing was simple. A long shirt with the Union Jack on it. Low cut sneakers for her sensitive feet. Faded jeans on her toned legs. Her almond colored hair in a ponytail. People did glance at her as Susan was an attractive girl. None suspected she was a giantess borrower. Something fell on her foot. She glanced down to see a stuffed bear. "Rubin!" a girl no older than five said. Susan handed her the bear. "What do you say to the nice lady?" her mother asked. "Thank you" the child sweetly said. Susan relaxed as she smiled at her.

She had to concentrate to block out the sounds and smells. The security agent with his over roasted coffee, a woman slipping off her shoes. The pings and chirps of phones. The machine didn't flag her stuff. Her sword was no bigger than a toothpick and that was the only true thing that could be flagged. Susan sat down in her seat putting on noise canceling headphones and relaxed. She closed her eyes...

The bedspread was familiar to her. The scent on it unmistakable. A heavy thud knocked her off her feet. Susan turned to see where it came from. "Look what we have here. A cute girl all alone on my bed. So vulnerable, so pretty, so delectable" Lily said licking her lips. Her giantess was naked just as she was and as she gazed at her voluptuous cunt, all she wanted was it to suck her inside. Susan began walking towards it. "Ah ah ah. Not yet my pet" Lily said picking her up. Those ice blue eyes stared into her soul. From her tiny toes to her long hair it took everything about her in. Lily's tongue parted her legs licking her from ass to pussy. Susan groaned slightly as it began coating her lower body with saliva. Her lips delivering gentle kisses on her belly.

Lily sucked on her a few times before taking her out. "Nice and lubed up" Lily chuckled. "Fuck me. Fuck me please" Susan begged deeply. Lily inserted her feet first. Susan closed her eyes as Lily pulled her back and pushed her in. The squelching sound of her pussy a welcome thing for her ears. So warm and slippery, she wanted it to devour her more. Each push was deeper. The giant finger pushing on her head made sure of it. Light faded, walls slicker and tighter and then darkness. Susan's sensitive soles could feel the ridges of her innermost walls. Her feet brushing up on her cervix. Then a tight clamping and racing heartbeat. The opening to her womb seized her ankles and dragged her inside. She was as deep inside as she could go. Laying peacefully in the womb of her beloved giantess, Susan felt calm and connected. Like this was her special place which none could enter or hurt her. Lily was her sanctuary. Then a rough series of shaking tore it all away.

"Now arriving at Nice International Airport. You will disembark at gate 17. Thank you for flying British Airways" the stewardess said shortly after touchdown. Susan was solemn the entire ride to Monaco from the airport. A blissful dream now a nightmare for her. Her GPS had informed her of her target locations. One was a ballroom at the hotel she was staying and the other an estate not far out of the city sitting on a hill on the edge of the French border. A party was being held for auctioneers at the ballroom. One possible way to get close to this woman as intelligence said she was the MC for the event. The other of course was her own home. Susan chose the ballroom first. This way she could get a bead on this Anna Rosenthal.

Susan changed her clothes to one of two dresses she had picked. The one that brought back the most painful memory was the one she went with as it was the most stunning. Part of the spy business wasn't not being noticed but quite the opposite. If one went out of their way to avoid others it tended to raise suspicion. The flashier the better. Her cover was that she was a procurer of ancient art and relics of a reclusive client. Rachel Croft age 18. Nationality American. Susan made a conscious effort to curb her southern accent a little. She held her purse to her side as the elevator went to the ground floor. The metal reflective surface of the doors gave a good image of her. "Hmm..." she thought admiring what she saw.  She wriggled her exposed toes trying not to focus on how the shoes were rough on the balls of her feet. The doors opened, and Susan stepped out. 

She followed the signs to the ballroom and just before she entered she was stopped. A guard with a wand scanned her. A few clicks but no whistles. She began to get irritated at how close to her crotch he got. "Any closer and you'll have to buy me dinner" she said. "...all clear. Enjoy the party" he said with a smirk. She entered the room and began scanning it. Two ways to enter and exit. Two guards on each door. Her eyes focused on one from afar, but her nose smelled the one to her right just feet from her. "Arms crossed but hands open. The smell of gun oil. They ain't rent a cops. They're the real deal" she thought. About a dozen people were mulling about not counting the servers. Not one looked like Anna. Susan went to the buffet to blend in. "Excuse me? Have we met?" a man asked as she chose some fruit. "I don't believe we have" Susan replied. "I'm sure we have. I know. I saw you at church. Your angelic visage on the stained glass" he said smiling. The man was nearly twice her age, smarmy, and cocky. He smelled of booze and cigars. Susan nearly gagged.

"Interesting pickup line. Does it ever work?" Susan asked. "Sometimes. Not often. How was it this time?" he asked. Susan spied a very expensive Rolex on his wrist. He was clearly into her and she decided he could be a source of intel. "A valiant effort" she said smiling. "Then let me try again. Randolph Pierce of Pierce Holdings" he said offering his hand. "Rachel Croft" she replied. "Allow me to buy you a drink to make up for my rudeness" he said. "Isn't the bar open?" Susan asked. "Indeed it is but it's the thought that counts" he said snapping his fingers. "I'll have a Bacardi over ginger ale. And you miss?" he asked. "Vodka martini with olives" she replied. "Retro but sophisticated" he smirked. Susan followed the man to a table. "So, what does holdings do?" Susan asked. "Procurements mostly. We broker deals between clients. Procure the requested items and sell at markup" he replied.

"Interesting" Susan said trying not to get bored. "It's more exciting than it sounds. Just the other day we got a request for borrowers to be shipped to India" he said. "Borrowers? Don't they have rights now?" Susan asked starting to get irritated. "Absolutely, this is more of a head hunter deal.  Borrowers want jobs, employers in India want tiny people working in their circuit building jobs. Low overhead and all that" he replied. Susan sipped her drink not knowing if that was a good or bad thing. "Tell me. What do you think personally about borrowers?" she asked. "Me? I think they got the shaft when it came to the game of life. Can you imagine being a few inches tall scrounging about for food and worrying about being eaten all the time?" he asked. "Yes...yes I can. What about them as consumers?" she asked. "Untapped territory. They can be exploited very easily right now" he replied. She narrowed her eyes on that.

"What do you know about this Anna Rosenthal?" she said getting back to her main goal. "An accomplished archaeologist Graduated top of her class from Cambridge. Not married nor has she been seen with anyone. I think she's 23...24?" he replied. "So, what she auctions is legit?" Susan asked. "From what I heard. That dagger she sold last year was traced back to Alexander the Great. And that ancient scroll dated back to the same period" he said. "Seems like she has a thing for Greek or Macedonian relics" Susan muttered. "Well it was a fascinating culture. Public schools, democracy, mathematics, science, philosophy. Even their attitudes towards women were ahead of their time" he said. "Oh? Give me an example" Susan asked.

"Women were honored in the home for beauty, child raising, choosing a spouse" he said looking into her eyes. "Yes, they valued beauty above all" he muttered. His hand touched hers She permitted his touch as not to cause a scene. "Flattered but you know nothing about me" she said. "Does one need to know the moon to understand its beauty?" he asked squeezing his hand. Susan couldn't help but feel some degree of amusement from that one. Before he could go further, a series of claps could be heard as a woman entered the room.

"Evening ladies and gentlemen. I welcome you all to the 2019 Rosenthal annual auction" Anna herself said. Susan took her measure. Her long dress was white with gold gilded edges. Her feet were clad in gladiator sandals colored gold. Her hair braided and woven neatly around her head. Her arms were toned, oddly toned for a woman of wealth. "Please enjoy yourselves this evening, mingle, and feel free to ask questions about the items up for auction this year" she said nodding. "Care to introduce me?" Susan asking Randolph. The man nodded and took her hand into his as he led her to Anna. "Ah Randolph. Glad to see you could come again this year. I trust you are enjoying last year's procurement?" she asked. "Umm...yes I am. It's a nice vase" he replied. "Indeed it was. Athenian Aphrodite if I recall" Anna said.

"Have you taken a wife?" she asked looking at Susan. "No just a friend I met" he replied. "Anna Rosenthal" she said extending her hand. "Rachel Croft" Susan said shaking it. "Croft? Haven't heard of that one" Anna said. "My client likes to remain anonymous. A bit of an eccentric" Susan smiled. "Aren't we all?" Anna asked. Susan glanced at her hand once more. "That's a pretty ring. The design is unique" Susan said. Anna pulled her hand away. "Family heirloom" she said. "Was that a goat?" Susan asked. "A centaur dear. The sign of Sagittarius" Anna said. "Holding a bow. Randolph here said you once sold a dagger. By any chance have you a bow? My client collects antique weapons" Susan asked. "...not this year. Please excuse me. I have other guests to attend to" Anna said excusing herself.

Susan cold smell it on her. The smell of lies. Her eyes dilated briefly. Her pheromones changed. Her heartbeat increased. Susan knew she told a lie. She kept her eyes on Anna for the next two hours as she noted her mannerisms, movements, people she spoke to. She would break eye contact now and then to avoid suspicion. Looking at a couple dance made her feel...lonely. "And then we jacked up the price when we found out who would get the medical supplies. Man were they pissed. Servers them right though trying to undercut us. Rachel?" Randolph asked seeing her staring. "Sorry. I must be tired" she said. "No worry. Allow me to escort you to your room" he said. Even though it was against her better judgment, she agreed.

Susan only got to the elevator before she began limping. The man took her into his arms. "Hell ya doin?!" she yelled. "You can barely walk. Not used to heels?" he asked. Susan blushed out of embarrassment. He carried her to her room and sat her on the bed. "Wait here a moment" he said leaving the room. He returned with some ice. "Put your feet on the bed" he said. "I don't do this on the job. Don't think..."

"Shhh. Let someone be nice to you for once" he said. "What's that mean?" she asked. "Sometime recently you had your heart broke. You looked like you were going to cry when you saw that couple dancing" he said placing ice wrapped in a wash cloth against her right sole. Susan was very quiet. A half hour had passed as he brought the swelling down on her feet. "Someone I loved went missing" she said softly. "Come again?" he said rubbing her feet. "You said someone broke my heart. That's what happened" she said. "I'm sorry Rachel" he said looking into her eyes. They teared up. Susan lowered her head and began sobbing. "I see her in everything! Places, sounds, smells, even this fuckin' dress!" Susan sobbed. He hugged her close. She cried her eyes out as he held her. She looked at him and began to take off her dress. "Rachel..." he muttered.

His hands stopped her. "It wouldn't be right. You're emotionally vulnerable right now" he said placing the dress straps back on her shoulders. Susan chuckled to herself. "Pegged you to be some kind of lounge lizard. Seems I was wrong" she said. Randolph suddenly kissed her.  "Not entirely. I do want to fuck you. I just respect your feelings more" he snickered. He got off the bed. "Meet me for breakfast?" he asked. "Sounds nice" she replied. Susan watched him leave.

She showered and dried off before sitting back on the bed. With a sigh of relief, she canceled her growth spell. It felt like taking off a pair of shoes a size too small for her. She swiped unlocked her phone and called home. "How's it going?" Keith asked. "So far so good. This Anna Rosenthal seems good to be the assassin. Her arms are oddly muscular for a human woman" she replied. "Muscular enough to be an ace archer?" Keith asked. "Possibly. Either that or she's just a health nut. Speaking of nuts, she's really into Greek shit" she said. "It's rumored that Artemis herself crafted that bow. And Artemis was a Greek goddess..."

"A source of intel told me that she sells not just rare antiquities, but one of a kind ones. Stuff that should've been lost to time" Susan said. "You think a clairvoyance spell tells her where to look?" Keith asked. "Unknown. My plan is to infiltrate her home while she's busy with the auction tomorrow. My own clairvoyance arcane should verify its location and if its genuine" she said. "Anything else?" Keith asked. "Not at this time" she replied. "Understood. If you have time give Rose a call. You've been dodging her" he said. "I have not been..."

"Don't. She doesn't deserve it. Call her even if it's just to say hi" Keith said before ending the call. In truth Susan had been avoiding her. She loved the girl almost as much as she loved Lily which made her feel guiltier. Even though Rose had taken her looks after her father, her scent was very close to her mother. Her skin, hair, even her bare feet smelled like Lily's. It hurt to be around her. Rose had turned 18 just three months prior and Susan didn't show up for her party. She did however park herself on a tree branch just outside her window. Susan felt like the smallest borrower in the world watching the girl cry. Half the reason was she missed her mom, but the other half was Susan ghosting her.

"Hey squirt" Susan said as Rose said hello. "Hi Susan" Rose said softly. "Yeah...I deserve that. Look, I've been a shitty friend..."

"Big sister. You've been a shitty big sister" Rose said cutting her off. Susan choked back tears. "And I'm sorry. I've been so wrapped up in my pain I neglected yours. Rose? You there?" Susan asked. Susan could hear her crying. "I needed you. I really needed you" Rose pleaded. "When...when I get back things are gonna change. We'll go to the movies, splurge shopping, fancy food. Anything you want" Susan said. "Anything?" Rose asked. "Yeah sweetie anything" Susan replied. "Sleep with me and keep the nightmares away" Rose said softly. Her voice was caught in her throat. Keith had mentioned that Rose would wake up screaming now and then. Her torture by Jacob had not been forgotten.

"Honey. You can cuddle me, kiss me, suck on me. Whatever you need to do to feel safe" Susan replied. "Haha...you might regret making that promise. I'm kinda clingy sometimes" Rose laughed. "I know the feeling. You know I love you right? That'll never change?" Susan asked. "I know Suzie. Come home soon. I...I really miss you" Rose said softly. "I will sweetie. Night night" Susan said ending the call.

Susan laid naked in her massive human scaled bed. Comfortable enough she felt like she would sink into it. She couldn't believe how selfish she had been. She hurt people that loved her. Pushed them away when they needed her or wanted to be there for her. "How could I just do that to her? She's a part of me and I just pushed her away for something do petty. If she was here, Lily would spank my ass with her finger...and not in a good kinky way. I gotta do better" she thought as she closed her eyes.  

Susan had no dreams that night. None whatsoever and it unnerved her slightly as she awoke to the sound of rapping at her door. "It's Randolph" he said. Susan wrapped herself in her bed sheet and opened the door. "Good...whoa" he said looking at her barely covered body. "Come in" she yawned. "I can come back later" he said. Susan shook her head. "I'll be just a minute" she said. She grew a simple dress, panties, and sandals for her to wear out of his view and changed. "So you sleep naked?" he asked. "Feels better. Sensitive skin" she replied slipping her sandals on. Randolph stared at her as she put her hair into a ponytail is once more. "Randolph?" she asked looking at his reflection. "Yes! I mean yeah?" he said. Susan chuckled at him. "Thanks for last night" she said. "Rubbing your feet or respecting your feelings?" he asked. She kissed him. "Both. Let's get some grub" she said holding his hand.

As they ate breakfast, she listened to him more. Where he grew up, family, schooling, funny stories. And when he asked about her, things got awkward. Susan couldn't tell him about being a borrower. Blinded by a human woman. Being rescued and recruited to be a secret agent policing the world for magic. Magic...no way she could speak about that. Her answers were short and to the point as best as possible. She told him she was from Georgia which wasn't a lie. That she went to private school which was a lie. That she was 19 which shocked Randolph as she seemed more mature. Susan found herself worried that would put him off. Humans had odd ideas about age differences.

"You seem so much older" he said. "Lived a very...tough life. Worked hard to get where I am" she said. "So it seems. What kind of eye surgery did you have to correct your blindness?" he asked out of the blue. Susan spilled her drink. "What...what makes you think I had some?" she asked. "Just the way you touch things or frown your nose at smells. Blind people have more sensitive senses. Was a wrong?" he asked. "I was blinded when I was a child" she said. "What kind of accident?" he asked. "Wasn't an accident" she said softly. "My questions offended you. I apologize" he said. "It's okay. It's not often I'm read this way. Usually it's the other way around" she said. "Oh, so you read me? You sure you got a good read from the lounge lizard?" he chuckled.

Susan looked dead at him. "You smoke cigars but not because you like them. That's why someone with money like you buy them cheap. I remind you of someone. Possibly your sister as you're very compassionate. Having said that, you joke saying you want to fuck me, but you want to make love not fuck. You rubbed my feet with a degree of experience. And between you and me, I wouldn't mind if you sucked my toes" she whispered. The man turned beet red.

"How accurate was I?" Susan asked chewing on some bacon. "Pretty decent" he squeaked. Susan held his hand. "Don't be embarrassed. Everybody has their thing. I am flattered really. It's been some time since someone wanted to pleasure me beyond just getting their rocks off" she told him. "I'm old enough to be your dad" he muttered. "And I'm old enough to choose who can fuck me" Susan shot back. Both were quiet for a moment. "You been to this area before?" she asked. "A few times for her auctions" he replied. "Show me around. It'll be fun" she said smiling. "Then allow me to be your chauffeur milady" he said standing. Susan took ahold of his hand once more as he guided her out of the hotel.

Randolph showed off his Austin Martin convertible as he paddle shifted into higher gear around a turn. Susan admired the scenery. The old buildings. Tourists vacationing. The salty air. Randolph parked on a hill overlooking the beach. "It's beautiful!" Susan said looking at the shimmering light on the sea. "My favorite view here. Well it was" he said looking at her. Susan kissed him deeply for a few minutes. She got out the car and walked down to the beach. She took off her sandals and felt the warm sand under her feet. She didn't see him taking pics of her. She closed her eyes to feel more. The sun warmed her skin. The salt in the air itched. The fine sand felt good on her soles. She got closer to the waterline. Close enough that the water splashed her feet making her jump. Randolph touched her shoulder startling her. "Can't swim?" he asked.

"No, I can swim. It's just I'm not used to so much water. So big and endless..." she muttered. They both left the beach not after. Randolph drove around a bit more and she listened to his choice of class jazz. However, there was one place she really took notice of. "Something else isn't it?" he asked pointing to Anna's mansion. "The size or the guards?" Susan asked making sure to memorize the outside layout. "Both I guess. Must be paranoid with all that money and priceless art" he said. "Yeah...paranoid" she muttered. Susan had done enough missions to know someone with that much muscle was more worried about what they wanted to hide from prying eyes than what they wanted to protect. "Shall we go back? The auction is at one" he said. Susan nodded.

"I have to check a few things in my room. If you need me just knock on 211" he said softly. Susan stopped him. "I did enjoy myself. I'm just distracted is all. Thanks for the date" she said kissing him. He smiled and nodded. Susan returned to her room. She began to change into her combat gear. She had no intention of going to that auction. After donning her gear, she stood on the open windowsill in her normal three-inch size. She looked behind herself. There was a good chance that she would have to make a quick exit upon completion of her mission and would never see Randolph again. That troubled her as she wanted him to show her more love and compassion. She took out her lipstick, turned the tube until there was a click and the stick turned blue. With its arcane precast (as this was the selling point for this tool), there was no lag time after applying it to her lips. Susan jumped off the windowsill and soared up into the air.    

Susan gazed down at the city below marveling at it. The small structures, the streets, the view reminded her of the few times she grew human sized in the colony. How everything looked like toys from above. She had to remind herself to fly not looking down but on her side.  A tactic taught to her by Rose herself to avoid ambushes from falcons, ravens, or hawks looking for a tiny tasty girl to eat. Yes, it was Rose that taught her how to fly. Being blind, flight was the one thing she could never do but when Lily restored her sight, that became possible. Susan remembered Rose teaching her.

"Is it necessary for me to be barely clothed and barefoot?" Susan asked her. "For the first time yes. You need to get used to feeling air currents. They'll swirl around your head right down to your toes. One change in current and you could crash into something" Rose replied as she released the spell keeping her human sized. The young giantess shrank down to her size and began stretching. "First thing to do is stretch. Your muscles won't be used to the air drag if you really want to fly and not just hover" she said. Susan bent down and touched her toes. "Good now write the arcane" Rose said. Susan did and activated it. Winds began to swirl around her body and the soles of her feet began to lift off the ground. "Good now keep it steady. Slowly, focus on the magic pulling you upwards" Rose said. Susan concentrated and soon was a foot off the ground.

"You're doing it Suzie!" Rose clapped. "Easy Yoda. It's just a foot" Susan growled. "Better than nothing. Now hold my hand" she said. Susan did and Rose took to the air. Susan gripped her hand tight as Rose flew 50 ft. above the colony. She moved steady feeling the air currents. Then, Rose began to pull her hand away. "Rose....Rose...Rose!" Susan said as she lost her grip. Susan didn't fall. The momentum kept her level and moving. "Nothing to it" Rose said smiling. Her smile reminded her of Lily. Her perspiration smelled like her.  "Thanks, but I'll take it from here" Susan said veering off. She accelerated faster ignoring Rose's calls. She flew right past the point where Lily disappeared. Her tears drying almost instantly. Faster and faster as Rose chased her. "Susan look out!" Rose shouted as Susan was flying right to the surface interior of the dome.

She saw her reflection seconds before she was about to hit. She turned her body awkwardly to evade (which bled off speed and saved her life) right before slamming into the armored glass. She blacked out instantly and would've made a fatal landing if not for Rose growing herself to catch the broken woman in her hands.

"Wha...happened?" Susan asked awaking in bed. "SUSAN!" Rose screamed cuddling her. "Ow shit!" Susan said. "Sorry. You crashed right into the dome. Thank god I was close enough to catch you" Rose replied. "Thanks. Could you leave me alone for a while? I want to be alone" Susan said flatly. "But...okay...Susan" Rose said heartbroken. She bumped into Keith as she walked out the room. "Did I miss something?" he asked. "Nothing. I'm fine. I don't need anyone to dote on me" she said. "Thanks to my daughter. You were half dead and paralyzed from the tits down when you were brought in. Rose didn't leave your side. Even though she blames herself she said you took off on your own. What was going through your mind?" Keith asked sitting on the giant bed.

"Just wanted to fly on my own" she muttered. "And just so happens you fly right over where Lily vanished. Congrats Icarus. You scared the shit out of us again" Keith huffed. "Fuck you call me?" Susan asked. "Icarus....not the one you're thinking of. The dumbass kid from Greek myth that flew too close to the sun and fell to his death. Tell me Susan, if Lily had to deal with an agent putting herself in danger needlessly, what would've she done?" he asked. Susan glared at him. "Lily is gone. You're the bossman now" she said coldly. Keith uncovered her bruised naked little body. "Pushing people away won't make the pain disappear. I know. I tried" he said as he now held her body. She glared at the giant with tears. "Lick my feet, suck on me, do whatever you do to girls you like and then leave me the fuck alone" she said roughly.  Keith put her down. "Starting tomorrow you're relieved of duty until you see a grief counselor. Also, you will apologize to Rose and continue your training with her" he said. "And if I refuse?" she asked. "Then you're a has been woman who spits on Lily's faith she had in you" he answered back. Keith left the room.

"I'm here to try again and I apologize for yesterday" Susan said to Rose. Rose nodded but said nothing. Susan stayed near her listening closely to her instructions but said very little. Within a week she was as good a flier as she was. Rose wanted to celebrate but Susan coldly but politely excused herself.

Susan tilted her body and throttled back the magic force guiding the wind around her. She landed on the Tuscan tile roof of the mansion. From experience, there were three possible locations in the house where the bow might be. In the main study, bedroom, or underground in something like a vault. Securing the line, the rappelled down the side to a half open window on the second floor. She retracted the line and entered. Almost no sound could be heard as she jumped off the windowsill down to the carpet below. It was a hallway. Her bare feet could feel a slight tremor. Someone was upstairs in an adjacent room. Her ears picked up singing. Susan dashed behind an old chair to get her bearings. She could see stairs leading down to the left which meant the master bedroom had to be opposite. Susan fortified herself by applying green colored lipstick and dashed as fast as she could down the hallway. A series of heavy footsteps were not far behind. She ran under the giant bed just as a pair of black nyloned feet clad in shiny black shoes came into view behind her.

Her voice sounded young. The song was French. Susan barely afforded herself a peek. "That's actually a thing?" she said. The girl stopped singing. Susan paused. A tense moment passed and she went back to singing. The girl was maybe 19 and dressed as a French maid. Frilly black and white uniform and all. The giantess dusted the dressers as Susan waited for her to leave. Suddenly the giantess sat on the bed and kicked her shoes off. She rubbed one foot leaving the other on the floor. Susan cringed at the smell of Lycra and feet. Apparently, she had been on her feet for some time already. She could hear the girl typing something on a phone. "Dammit! Take your funky feet and fuckin' leave already!" Susan thought. The girl stood back up, put her shoes back on and began collecting dirty clothes on the floor. Susan barely had enough time to hide behind a bed leg.

She watched the giantess leave and breathed a sigh of relief. Now free to do a search, Susan took note of what exactly was in the bedroom. A vase with fresh flowers. A painting of the constellation Sagittarius Fine dressers and walk in closet. Nothing truly strange. "Downstairs it is" she said. Wisely, she used the air vents to go down. Her tiny feet made a thud as she landed. "Ow" she muttered as the cold metal did nothing to soothe her soles. She made her way thought the vent looking out of grates to find the study or office. Then something caught her attention. There was a sensor behind one. She sniffed the air. "Motion sensor" she muttered. She found it odd that a sensor would be inside the grate. What purpose would that serve? "She thinks someone my size would break in? Can't be" she thought. Susan inched close to the grate. Very slowly she bent the steel grate. Too fast and the sensor would activate.

"Overthinking it. Might have a rat problem" she muttered as she squeezed through. The study was large and filled with shelves that held at least a hundred different books. A computer sat down on a desk in the rear. Susan could see four different cameras at different angles observing the room. Her combat suit cloaked her body heat and as long as she didn't move too fast, she couldn't be seen. Carefully, she made her way to the back of the room Antique vases, swords, paintings in the room. But one thing caught her attention. An arrow hung inside a glass case on the wall.

She jumped as hard as she could barely getting her hands on the top of the lining of the case. Using one of her hands, she pried the case open with her sword and gingerly pulled herself inside. However, she didn't know that she activated a spell doing so.   Susan wiped her lipstick off, clicked its silver casing to the right twice, and applied a white color type. "Clairvoyance" she muttered activating the spell.

"And item number 3 is a lovely Mycenaean vase with the image of Poseidon dating back to 455 BCE. Bidding starts at..." Anna was saying before she sensed something. " One million dollars. Excuse me" she said turning the bidding to an auctioneer.  Anna rushed off the stage and went right to one of her guards. "Bring the car around. There's an intruder at the mansion" she said. Minutes later, she was tapping her foot irritated as her Maybach limo tore down the street. "Ma'am. Cameras don't show anyone on your study" the passenger said. "Someone is there. I can sense it. Drive faster!" she yelled.

Susan could smell the arrow. The wood was oddly fragrant. Its tip was clean gleaming metal which in itself was strange. Not a trace of corrosion. Her first thought that it was undoubtedly a fake. She touched her just to confirm. Susan gasped as the spell showed her all kinds of visions. The first being held in a young woman's hand. Her face was an unearthly beauty. The feeling of purpose and devotion crept into Susan's heart. Then another of a burly man holding it. The feeling of power and divine right overcame her. And then the last was of a young man holding it. He was dying from wounds. His warm blood coating its wooden shaft. He spoke old English yet somehow Susan understood what he said. "Wherever this arrow falls, bury me there" he said. * The arrow was pulled back on a bowstring and let loose. She held her breath instinctively as the forest zipped by. The feeling of bravery, protection, and finally loss sat her heart.

(Authors note: This is supposedly how Robin Hood died. With his last bit of strength, he fired the arrow and told Little John to bury him where it fell.)

"It's real. This is one of the original arrows that came with the bow" Susan muttered snapping out of it. She didn't know that Anna had just returned and was watching her remotely. "Close the vents. Gas the room" she ordered. Susan heard the metal screech of the vents snapping shut. "What was..." she was saying before the door was cracked open and a small canister was thrown inside. It popped and began flooding the room with gas. Susan hopped off the case right onto the desk and dashed for the window. She held her breath as she made her way to it. She lept with the notion of breaking it and railing with any cuts or injuries later. She slammed into it...and it did not break. The Impact caused her to gasp as the air was forced out of her lungs. She couldn't help but take in the gas. She scrambled up to the desk ready to fire off a lightning spell in order to break the thick glass. She only got halfway when her eyes began to get heavy. Her legs weak. "No... fort...fortify....cation...." she muttered changing the circle. Susan fell to her knees. The vents opened and the sound of fans circulating the air filled her ears.

"All clear" someone said. Anna entered the room and saw the tiny girl on her desk. "I'll take it from here" she said as Susan lost consciousness.

"My head..." Susan groaned as she awoke. "Already. You should me still under for another two hours" Anna said sitting at her desk. Susan tried to move but fond her wrists bound with string and her body suspended over a Newton's Cradle. Anna pulled back a ball bearing and let go. The loud clacking right under her little feet worried the girl. "Interesting. It's clear now that you're not human. Gremlin? No too tall and no German accent. A borrower. You're a borrower. But you were human sized at the party yesterday. Oh yes I remember you Rachel" Anna said. Susan yanked on the string suspending her. "It's obvious you know some kind of growth magic. Who taught you?" Anna asked. "Yo mamma" Susan chuckled. Anna lowered Susan an inch. The heavy clacking bearings not far from her toes. "You went right for that arrow. Why? For what purpose? Who sent you?" Anna asked. "Your papa. He said you've been a bad girl and to take your toys away" Susan said grinning.  Anna stopped the balls.

She moved them apart and lowered Susan right between them. Once done she pulled back the farthest right ball bearing. "Who...sent...you" Anna said getting close. "I'll tell you on one condition" Susan said. "Pop a tic tac. Your breath is kicking like Bruce Lee" Susan laughed. Anna frowned and let go of the bearing. It clacked and within a second the kinetic force transferred right into Susan's chest cracking three ribs. "Still think this is funny?" Anna asked looking at the tiny girl cringing in pain. "You expect me to talk?" Susan asked. "No, I expect you to beg, plead, cry, and scream. Then talk" Anna replied. Susan glared at her. "A cute little suit to hide your body heat and even a petite little sword. You came prepared, but you didn't know I placed a spell on that case using a strand of my hair. When you opened the case, you broke the strand and alerted me. Now...what possessed you or whomever sent you to go looking for that arrow?" Anna asked pulling the bearing back once more.

"You killed that banker" Susan replied. Anna gently released the bearing but it's little force only caused Susan's ribs to be sore. "Yes. Flashy that but sniper rifles are cumbersome. Archery is far more elegant. A certain nostalgia about the bow" Anna said. "Why? You're a fucking art dealer. Why kill him?" Susan asked. Anna untied Susan and placed her in the desk. Susan could see her gear sitting a foot away. Too far to grab and too long to put on. However, the arcane she had been drawing was only inches away and nearly complete. "Money. Me and my friends wisely invested in the euro and with that merger it would've went up in value" Anna replied.

"What friends?" Susan asked. "Friends that believe that power should be in the hands of those that have the knowledge to use it properly" Anna replied poking her. "That includes magic?" Susan asked. Anna grinned. "Now now. Who's supposed to be asking the questions?" Anna asked smiling. Susan shoved her finger away. "You should be nicer to me. Care to see what happened to the last two people who thought they could steal from me?" Anna asked. Anna reached down and opened a drawer in the desk. She pulled out two odd plastic rectangular objects and sat them before her. "Fuck me..." Susan muttered.

"This guy here thought he could kidnap me and ransom me off. I was 16 at the time and just learned about my birthright. The look on his face when I shrank him was priceless! I tortured him for days. Put him through every degrading thing I could think up. But what can I say? I prefer to collect things not pets. He begged to lick my feet, get stuck up my ass, all the nasty things he begged me not to do just days before when he saw what was coming. The hot resin in the mold caused him to scream so weird. Like the sound a cat makes when you put your hands around its neck. As you can see he was very much alive when it encased him" Anna said. Susan stared at the shrunken man entombed in the resin block like an insect in amber. His eyes wide open and his mouth frozen in an eternal shriek of terror and pain.

"And this one? A cat burglar if you can believe it. Took her out the same why I did you. She was cute so I kept her alive a bit longer than that said fuck there. Trained her to lick my pussy without saying a word. Just spread my legs and she'd go right at it" Anna sighed with content. Susan sat on her legs. Her hand scratching out the last symbols. "And you still killed her. Got bored?" Susan asked keeping her distracted. "On the contrary. As you pointed out my expertise is in art. Beauty to me more precise. I just wanted to preserve that beauty for all time. A thousand years from now, my little girl there will still look the same. The pinnacle of womanhood preserved for the ages. I'm looking to add to my collection but first. First, I wanted to have fun. Have you eaten pussy before?" Anna asked. "Yeah I did. All the time and she squealed like a pig. Just have to find that one spot and dig in like buttered grits" Susan replied smiling as she scratched the last symbol.

"That's what I want to hear" Ann said slipping off her panties. She reached for Susan. "I hope you're hungry. It's been a stressful day" Anna chuckled just before Susan briefly glowed. "No thanks! I lost my appetite!" Susan yelled jumping into the air. She came down as hard as she could on Anna's finger snapping the bone in two. The giantess yelped and jerked her hand back. "You little shit! Ventus!" she howled holding her palm out towards Susan. Susan had just grabbed her sword and lipstick as a gust of wind ensnared her. "Become a fucking stain!" Anna yelled throwing Susan through the air. Susan desperately cast a growing spell as she was being hurled by hurricane winds and crashed into the wall human sized so hard she left a hole. "I'll be damned! Adet!" Anna yelled as Susan pulled herself free. Susan coughed blood, her vision blurry, as she saw a bow magically appear in the woman's hand.

"Don't bother running. As long as I can see you..." Anna muttered picking up a pencil. "You can't be..."Susan said as the woman fired the pencil from the pulled back bowstring. The pencil flew from it and Susan barely had time to dodge. The pencil oddly curved in midair striking Susan in the chest. It barely missed her heart. "Re...return!" Susan yelled calling for her sword. The toothpick sized blade flew into her hand and fro "You're...fuck...not the only one with that trick" Susan said. Anna picked up a pen and fired it. Susan cut it down, but the shards still found its way into her skin. "Anything straight and long enough can be an arrow and it will find you!" Anna yelled. She grabbed another pencil and fired it. Susan went to cut it down but missed as her vision got worse. This one hit her so hard she was pinned to the door. The eraser tip poking out her chest. She found it hard to breathe as she vomited blood. It was clear it pierced her right lung.

Susan saw that death was near and tried one final desperate gamble. With blood on her hands, she drew an arcane on the door behind her. She felt it activate and her back felt intense cold. "Pity. Would've enjoyed breaking you in" Anna said pulling back the bowstring holding an antique quill pen. The tip sharp enough to pierce her skull. Susan jerked to the left exposing the pristine, reflective sheet of ice formed on the door just as Anna let loose. It happened in just three seconds. The quill pen zipped through the air and made an impossible turn of 180 degrees. It flew right back at Anna piercing her heart. She fell backwards on the floor. "How..." she muttered just before her life ended. Susan stood over her. "It hits whatever you see right? You saw yourself in my ice mirror" she said answering the question of a dead woman. Susan yanked out the bloody pen. "If Keith was here, he'd say something corny about the pen being mightier.... fuck..." Susan groaned as she felt cold.

She barely had strength to make a healing arcane. It stooped her from bleeding to death internally but so many spells drained her stamina. She could feel only two or three left in her. "Who was they?" she muttered as she enlarged her phone. She dialed a number. "Control...need a hacking suite for my phone" she said weakly. Her phone wirelessly linked to Anna's computer and began the drive dump. "Mistress! We heard shouting! Is the situation under control?!" a guard shouted on the other side of the door. Susan didn't answer as she watched the slow progress on the phone. Then, they began shooting the door. "Not...not good" Susan said as the ice, which reinforced the door, cracked and broke. Then a round got through and shot the CPU canceling the hack. "Times up" she muttered grabbing the bow and the arrow out of its case. She pulled the bowstring back keeping her eyes locked on the armored glass window. She let go and the arrow shattered it. "Nice...weapon...." she muttered.

She shrank it, undid the growth spell on herself and her equipment, and used the last bit of energy she had to cast a flight spell. Susan took to the air just as they broke the door down. She held on to her equipment for dear life. It was her duty to bring back the phone and the bow. She fluttered in the air as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Her body was still covered in bruises and blood. Her bones creaked. Her ribs not broken but cracked or bruised. She didn't have the energy to heal herself any longer. Her vision so blurry from concussions she flew into the window she thought was hers...

"Rachel where the hell are you? You didn't show up for the auction. You're not answering your door, but you didn't check out. Was it something I said?" Randolph asked just before he heard an odd thump on his bedspread. "What was...oh my fucking God" he muttered. Susan saw a blurry face before passing out.

Susan found herself in a field staring up at the night sky. The stars twinkled above her as some began to glow brighter and brighter. Bright paths of light connected them and they began to take human like forms. She recognized one. The centaur Sagittarius as it reached for her. An ethereal grip seized her taking her high into the heavens. The closer she got to his face the bright and hotter it got. "They will all burn starting with you" it said as a mouth made up of a cluster of stars opened up. Susan screamed as she was pulled into it. The power felt as if it was burning her into nothing. "LILY!" Susan screamed so loud she woke herself.     

"It's okay! You're safe! Safe!" Randolph said laying next to her. Susan looked at him and then around the room. Her tiny heart pounding in her chest. "Must've been one hell of a nightmare" he said. Susan went to move and grimaced Her arms and legs wrapped in tiny cut bandages and gauze. "Best I could do" he said. Susan nodded. "So, are we gonna talk about it?" he asked. "About the nightmare?" she asked. "No...how the fuck are you the size of a borrower!?" he asked. "...because I am one" she replied getting up. Randolph went to reach for her and she stopped him. "Be right back" she said disappearing into the bathroom. When she emerged, the bandages were gone and she was healed.

"This is some freaky shit" he said nervous. "My stuff?" she asked. He pointed to the nightstand. Susan checked to see everything was there.  Uniform, sword, lipstick, phone, and bow all accounted for. Susan fell on her butt dizzy. "I'm fine just hungry" she said. Randolph gave her a bit of hamburger he had for dinner earlier. He quietly watched her devour it. "That was a good field dressing" she said. "I had practice. You going to tell me how the hell a 5'7 borrower can exist?" he asked. "...magic" she replied. "Okay if you won't..."

"I'm not lying. I can change size because of magic. Magic is real" she replied. "Like Harry Potter shit?" he asked. "More like Merlin shit. Water please" she asked. Randolph watched her drink. "So a borrower girl travels around the world buying old shit and casting magic to fit in society?" he asked. "No. I'm kinda like INTERPOL for magic" she replied. Susan relaxed on a pillow. He laid next to her. "You're taking this all in stride" she said. "I'm more worried about you than my sanity right now. You came in my room like you had a fistfight with a cat" he said. "Not all my jobs are quiet" she replied. "This was a job?" he asked. "Susan...my real name is Susan" she said dodging the question.

"You said earlier you remind me of my sister. That's not true. You remind me of my first crush, first friend, first...lover" he replied. "Really?" she asked. "She's how I learned borrower first aid" he said. "She was a borrower?" she asked. "My father bought her for me when I was 10 years old. An 8-year-old pedigree girl with blond hair. Rare and valuable. She was terrified of me. Cried and screamed for the first month when I got near her. I doted on her. Clean clothes everyday. Nice food. Baths. She grew to trust me and that trust turned to love. Some years later we took it to the next level. My father found out and... hurt her badly. Broke her arms and legs. I stayed in my room all summer nursing her back to health but she never fully recovered" he replied softly. "What happened to her?" she asked. Randolph stared at Susan with teary eyes. "I killed her. She asked me to. She couldn't walk right. Hold food in her hands. She just asked me to kill her. I loved her so much I couldn't see her in such misery. I used my fingers on her head and jerked. Tink...I called her Tink" he muttered shedding tears.

His giant hands trembled until Susan scooted over and touched them. "It's not fair to lose someone you love so soon is it?" she asked. He shook his head. "Close your eyes" she said. Randolph did and when he opened them Susan was his size or more accurate he was hers. The bed was now enormous. "Did you shrink me?" he asked. Susan didn't answer other than pulling his shirt off. Her hands took off his shorts and boxers. "Love me. I'm ready for you to love me" she said. He pulled her in to kiss her. His tongue licking the inside of her mouth. When he broke the kiss, she pushed her on her back. "All borrowers in this good shape?" he asked feeling her toned legs. "The ones that live long enough" she chuckled. He kissed the tips of her toes. Susan shivered as he sucked each one. "I'm sensitive there" she shivered. He pulled her close as he lined up his cock. She didn't have to ask to be gentle as he pushed inside of her.

Susan tensed up as he stretched her out. She nodded that she was okay as his eyes asked if she was. His left hand caressed her check. His right hand the side of her chest. She giggled as his fingers felt her ribs and moaned as they made their way to her left breast. Randolph knew a few things about borrowers. Their sexuality was more pronounced than humans. What they felt physically and emotionally more in depth than him. How strong they were compared to humans of similar size. If she wanted, her legs could crush his hips. Her hands break his arms. She could kill him easily but as he touched her soft skin, her delicate body, she seemed as fragile as antique glass.

He swore she got wetter as he sucked her nipples. Her cheeks flushed as she encouraged him to go faster. Susan could feel his heart beating faster and faster. Her eyes could see his slightly dilated. A sign that he was infatuated with her. His breath got sharper and she locked her legs around his waist. "Oh god..." she groaned as she felt him cum. She could count on one hand how many times a man came inside her. Most of them dead by her hand not long after. This man, this man that made her feel again she accepted his semen readily. Her cunt squeezing and spasming around his tiny cock for every drop. "Randolph sweetie?" she asked. "Yes? I... I wasn't too rough was I?" he asked worried. "You were perfect, but I need you to pull out before you kill me" she said with a grin. He quickly backed away and Susan sighed.

Randolph quickly grew back to his normal size. "What happened?" he asked. "...still under the weather. The spell wore off because I'm still tired" she replied weakly. "Anything I can do?" he asked. "Place me on your body? I've been having bad dreams lately" she asked. Without a word, he placed her on his bare chest. His finger rubbing her back up and down. "You really do have experience" she muttered. He stayed awake watching her sleep. It brought back fond memories of his lost love Tink. How he would have her sleep on his chest when he was a teen. Hours into the night he would fondle her sleeping body lovingly. Her long blonde hair which was never cut. The tiny bumps of her spine. His finger brushing each individual ass cheek. He would stifle a chuckle as she muttered in her sleep and roll on her back. She would spread her legs as his finger rubbed her crotch. She smelled and tasted so sweet.

She was 13 when she muttered in her sleep she loved him. The boy who was raised alone, privileged, and doted on by servants was never told that. He devoted himself to her ever waking existence from then on. He even went as far to make up a birthday for her. That time next year as soon as he got home from school he fucked her. His days in class weren't spent on thinking about tests or homework. No, he thought about sucking on her body, licking her feet to make her laugh, ticking her belly. That smile of hers made his day. And then his father broke her body. She lived in pain everyday. They couldn't make love anymore. Laughing hurt. They boy learned not every fairytale ends in a happy ending. And as this tiny girl snoozed curled up in his chest hair, he saw his second chance.

Like Tink, Randolph placed her on the pillow next to him as he feared crushing her in his sleep. Susan dreamed she was trapped in a spiderweb. The clicking of its mandibles right above her as the arachnid began to descend. Her ankles were tangled in the threads. Her arms ensnared Before she was to become a tasty meal, a hand plucked her free. The sun blocked out the face, but the hand didn't feel feminine. "It's going to be okay" a voice said. Susan woke up.

"Morning" Randolph said staring at her. "Watching me sleep?" she asked. "You snore" he said smiling. "Naw I don't" she said letting her accent slip out. "Like an itty-bitty chain saw" he laughed. He leaned in and kissed her. There was a knock on the door. "That's breakfast" he said getting up. Susan made her way to her phone. Even at small size it got reception due to some clever designs. "Whoops" she said seeing 12 missed calls. "About time!" Fuck happened Susan?!" Keith yelled when he picked up. "Mission accomplished. There was some...resistance but I got the job done" she replied. "...alright. You coming back today right?" he asked. "I'll be home this evening” ‘she replied. "Sounds good. Anyone know about magic other that the target?" he asked. Susan looked at Randolph. "Susan? I don't need to remind you of protocol 3" he said. "No you don't. It's fine. Bye" she said roughly. "Breakfast in bed!" the giant said laying out a napkin over her bare legs.

"Is me eating so fascinating?" she asked as he stared. "How can someone so small eat so much?" he asked. "We have very active metabolisms when where tired, injured, or pregnant" she replied. "Doesn't that mean you go to the bathroom a lot?" he asked. "Hey! Personal! Don't you know this from your girlfriend already?" she asked. "Never truly watched her like that. Things like that I gave her privacy" he replied. "Well bathe me. I'm not that much of a prude" she said finishing her eggs and bacon.

Randolph showered as Susan bathed in the sink. She wanted him to do it for her, but she could see that nervous boy still in him after all these years. "Dry me off" she said to him. He steadied her body as a dry cloth dried her skin. She squirmed as his fingers dried her from ass to crotch. His finger and thumb drying her tiny feet. His warm breath blowing on her body and hair. She had him set her down on the sink. Astonished, he watched her grow to his size. "And this scribbling did that?" he asked. She hesitated to answer but she did confirm it. He stared at her for a moment. "I love you" he whispered. "...I know" she replied.

She so desperately wanted him to fuck her again. To have his cock stretch her out and breed her. Her instincts demanded it. She couldn't. What she had to do was hurtful enough. To make love again would just twist the knife. "Jesus! Hell are you doing?!" he yelled as she crawled out of his window. Her toes gripping the spaces in the brick mortar. She easily slipped into her own room with the still open window. Randolph rushed to her door. "Easy as pie" she said shrugging. "Don't scare me like that!" he yelled holding her. "I won't" she muttered. Susan got dressed and packed. He didn't say a word, but she could tell he was upset. "I'm sorry I scared you" she said holding his hand. "It's not that. You're leaving to go wherever" he said. "Duty calls" she said.

"Stay with me. Forget this crazy magical James Bond shit. Now that borrowers have rights, you can get a real job. Scratch that. Just...just come home with me. Marry me..." he said visibly upset. "I can't. I made a promise long ago to protect people from those that would do them harm. People like you. I can't stay with you" she said applying orange color lipstick. "Will I ever see you again?" he asked. "Maybe. The world is funny that way" she replied. "I won't forget you Susan" he said. Tears fell from her eyes. "...yes you will" she muttered before kissing him deeply.

He stood there in a magical daze for three full minutes before coming to.  "What...where...what’s going on?" he asked finding himself outside of the hotel not remembering why. He walked back in and pulled his phone out. "Weird. Must've really spaced out. It's 11:45 already? Hmmm....very fuckin' weird. Huh? Who's this?" he asked finding pictures of Susan in his phone. "When did I take these? Damn she's cute. Why...why am I crying?" he asked feeling tears running down his cheeks. He caught a glance of a girl wearing the same dress getting into a taxi. He ran for it. "Stop! STOP!" he yelled as it drove away. "Miss? Do you know that man?" the driver said getting a view from his mirror. Susan glanced back. "...no I don't. Let's go to Nice" she said softly.

Her mind was on Randolph the entire trip home. She tried to rationalize erasing his memories of her and magic. "It was for his own good. Magic attracts trouble, danger, and death" she thought. It was the cornerstone to Protocol 3. There were four protocols in place for THORN agents. Protocol 1: Protect the innocent. Protocol 2: Kill only when necessary. Protocol 3: Keep magic and the existence of THORN away from civilians. Protocol 4: Agents may only use magic at their approved training level. These lessons were hammered into Agents on day one. Susan literally lived by them. She had killed more than a few to preserve protocols one and three. Blanked out memories when she saw death was unnecessary but never had it left such a bitter taste in her mouth.

She came home at 6:17 local time and walked through the door. "Yeah. I'll be there to see you next month. I promise. Lawan...I have to go" Keith said hanging up seeing Susan enter the house. "You look exhausted. I saved dinner for you" he said. Susan said not a word and walked right up to him. He was shocked when she hugged him tightly. She handed him her phone and went to the kitchen. "I'll dump the data while you eat" he said looking at her. She simply nodded as she sat at the table eating cold chicken. Keith figured her debrief could wait.

It was late in the evening when he found her again. He peeked into Rose's room and found the now borrower sized Susan laying next to the equally small teenage girl. She stroked her hair while she slept. "Something up?" Susan asked seeing him. "Just checking on her. She's been having bad dreams" he replied. "I know. Anything on the phone?" Susan asked. "It can wait" he said. "No. I'm still wired. Might as well do something" she said. Keith entered the room and sat in a chair near the bed. Susan hopped over to the nightstand. "When the feed was cut it corrupted the data download. However, I was able to recover a few things" he said. S

"Like what?" Susan asked. "A bank account. On paper, Anna Rosenthal was worth $70 million. However, the account we found led to other shell accounts scattered in banks around the world. She's really worth upwards of $2 billion. "What? Why would she hide so much money?" Susan asked. "Did Anna say anything striking? Strange?" Keith asked. "Other than turning me into a novelty piece on her shelf after she got bored raping me?" Susan asked. "Jesus Susan..." Keith muttered petting her hair.  "She kept saying we and us indicating she wasn't alone in using magical artifacts to influence things" she replied. "So there might be others that worked with her for similar reasons or goals. I was afraid of that" he said.

"The money is a war chest" he muttered. "War chest?" she asked. "Term used for money or resources to further a goal in which you don't want people knowing about. The Americans used a few back in the 80's like the Iran Contra and the Israel weapons funding to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan" he said. Keith look very worried. "We got ourselves a big problem" he muttered. "Keith. Our job is to hunt people like this down" Susan said confident. "The bank account wasn't the only thing we found. We found something else. A word the kept repeating..." he said shooing her the phone screen. "Zodiac? Come to think of it, Anna had a ring with Sagittarius on it" she said. "I don't think she was just a crazy horoscope nut with a magic bow. I think she was a member of something much bigger" he said. "An organization?" she asked. "I don't know. The word zodiac must be tied to it. Intelligence is busy looking into it. Find some downtime" he said. "Keith. Before you go..." she said.

"Yeah?" he asked. She motioned for him to lower his head. She kissed him. "Thanks for not giving up on me" she said. "Family doesn't give up on family. No matter how bad it gets. Get some sleep" he said. "Yessir" she said saluting him.

Meanwhile in Monaco...     

She walked right up to the gate. A guard standing in front of it stopped her. "No visitors" he said. She looked at him for a moment. Her eyes gazed at a name badge on his uniform. "Gabriel Monet...adet" she said softly. A small book appeared in her hands. She opened it and began writing. "Miss I said no visitors! Where are your parents?!" he yelled. The quiet, glasses wearing young teen girl looked down at the book. "Gabriel Monet led the girl to the study killing anyone that got in their way" she said as she wrote it down in the book. The man's eyes glazed over as he turned around and began walking. "Gabe? What is that girl..." a man asked before he was shot. Another stopped them and was gunned down...then another. Gabriel took a round in the chest but kept walking killing another guard. When they got to the room, he opened the door. A guard was ready.

The girl took note of his badge. "Have you lost your mind?!" The man said pointing the gun at Gabriel. He raised his own gun only to be shot in the head. "WHO THE FUCK..."

"Francisco Garibaldi shrank to the size of a mouse before he could do anything about the girl" she muttered writing that down. The young man dwindled in size very rapidly. It took him a moment to crawl out of his clothes which didn't shrink with him.  He looked at first giant wriggling toes in designer sandals. His eyes traveled up a pair of towering legs past an expensive dress and stopped at her face. With little emotion, she pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose as she stared down. His mind couldn't comprehend that a young girl had shrank him. She snatched him up after closing her book which promptly vanished into thin air. "There are cameras in here. Show me where I can see the video" she said. "Put me..." he said before she squeezed hard enough to crack ribs.  "Down...the stairs...the left room" he choked out.

The girl calmly walked down the stairs ignoring the bodies on the floor. The shrunken man in her grip looked at them helplessly. She entered the security room, sat down, and pressed rewind on the office feed. He whimpered in pain as her grip tightened as she watched the feed, paused, and then rewound it. "This is the only copy?" she asked with little emotion. "Yes...please don't hurt me. In the basement is dozens of priceless artifacts. Her...study has a wall safe. Please...please undo what..." he said until she gave him a look that froze his soul. Her thumb moved underneath his chin. "Don't do this...." he whispered crying. She gave no concern to his pleas as her thumb abruptly flicked upwards breaking his neck and severing his brain stem. She shook his corpse a few times just to be sure. With little thought, she swallowed him whole. She sighed as she took out her phone and began dialing.

"Yes?" a voice asked. "It is as what we were told. Sagittarius is dead" the girl said. "And the killer?" the voice asked. "Someone that knows arcane. Extremely skilled. A woman that got away" the girl replied. "Mogwai?" the voice asked. "No. Not their style. The woman was Caucasian, most likely American in origin. I have reason to believe she's a borrower" the girl replied. "A borrower? Are you sure?" the voice asked. "She was their size when unconscious. There is another matter. She had access to Anna's computer" she replied. "...any witnesses?" the voice asked. "None alive. The last one is in my stomach" she replied. "...scorched Earth" the voice said before hanging up.

The girl walked out of the mansion and stood on the other side of the street. "Adet" she said making the book appear once more. She looked at her phone before opening the strange book. "At 12:14 am. A gas leak explosion destroyed the mansion of             Anna Rosenthal" she said as she wrote. Once finished, she willed the book to disappear. One minute later at exactly 12:14 am., the mansion exploded. The girl began walking down the road as if nothing had happened.

Somewhere unknown...   

"Well Ares?" a voice asked. "Libra concluded it was the work of a borrower. A borrower that knows hand to hand, arcane, and how to blend into human society" Ares replied. "Then that means one thing. We have a THORN in our side" the voice said. "With the Etherion child in the midst, we must be on guard!" another voice said. "Calm yourself Aquarius. You do well to learn from Sagittarius' mistakes about letting personal emotions and desires interfering with business. They will come to us. We will play the game by our rules and our game board. Such is the way ZODIAC has done things before the time of our grandfathers’ grandfathers" Ares said smiling as she looked at a google satellite map of the Durmont estate...

Susan sighed contently in her pool chair. The climate control kept the colony at a steady 74 degrees which was a blessing as the November northern England chill made itself known outside the dome. A mystery novel in her hand, a fruity drink on the table next to her. Just the skimpiest swimsuit covering her body which she was proud to show off now. Her last mission was as grueling as it was dangerous but it did make her feel alive. Or more precisely, have her stop thinking about dying. That was a week ago but she felt new again. Watching Rose sleep like old times. Talking to friends about old missions. She understood that wasn't living so much as simply existing earlier. And now that something new was out there that concerned everyone, she saw her work not yet done. The sounds of bare feet on concrete and laughter filled her ears. "Slow down! No....no cannonballs!" a voice shouted. Susan left her gaze from her book and looked up just as a splash of pool water hit her. "Hope..." Keith sighed.

Susan wiped her eyes to see Hope laughing and splashing around in the pool as Keith approached. "I'm sorry miss...Susan?" Keith asked holding a towel. "Thanks" Susan said taking it from him. "Wasn't expecting you here" he said sitting next to her. "Just relaxing" she said. "Yeah. Promised my daughter I'd take her to the pool today" he said looking at her. Susan had seen her many times by now but she could never truly believe that the three-inch girl she stared at was the most powerful Mage on earth. "Is it hard being her father?" Susan asked. "Ebonheart aged her body to a 15-year-old. Her mind is still that of an 8-year-old girl. And to top it off she has the feelings and desires of our kind. It breaks my heart to tell her she can't do things borrower teens her age are doing" he said.

"You got Aspen and Claire to help" Susan said. "Yes, but as you know Claire is off on her first modeling tour and Aspen went with her for emotional support" he said. "Sounds rough" Susan said. "You have no idea. I constantly have to watch my thoughts around her" he muttered. "Well she does look like Aspen and its natural for our kind to feel a degree of intimacy to our offspring when they reach that age" Susan said inviting him to sit at the foot of her chair. "Yes, but she doesn't understand the nuances of our culture, our traditions, our instincts" he said sitting. Susan pushed his hip with her bare foot. "Then get off yer butt and teach her" she said. Keith chuckled. "You find anything else on this zodiac thing?" she asked placing her feet in his lap.

"I combed Lily's files. They're extensive. Thousands of entries, documents, missions, and possible suspects going back almost 20 years. Not one mention of Zodiac. There are entries that I flagged. I'll read one..."

"Agent Daffodil sent on a recon mission to Moscow to investigate the suicide of a Russian oligarch. Possible magical artifact used as witnesses describe him and his guards suddenly shooting one another with no reason to be seen. All witnesses at the scene were identified except a woman holding an old book who somehow vanished even though the building was in full lockdown. The description of the woman was consistent with others. Early 20's. Finely dressed and wearing a signet ring with the image of scales."

"That's the end of the entry. It was dated April 7, 2002" Keith said lowering his phone. "Scales?" Susan asked. "The symbol of Libra" Keith replied. "And that's all we have to go on?" Susan asked. "Not entirely. Part of the data you brought back indicated a large money transfer from Las Vegas to Rosenthal just weeks ago" he said. "How big?" Susan asked. "$400 million big. No doubt a launder for that euro deal. I'm guessing whoever sent that money is in league with them" Keith replied. Susan grinned. "When do I leave?" she asked. "Intelligence is rooting through the account in Vegas. Once we know more, we'll set up a mission" he replied getting up. "What? I thought this was what you wanted" he said seeing a slightly despondent look about her. "No that's fine. I just wanted a foot rub..." she muttered.  "But you only let those closest to you touch your feet" he said. "...nevermind. Go play with Hope" she huffed turning on her side.  Keith shrugged in confusion and got into the pool.

Susan felt embarrassed with herself. She was actively flirting with her friend let alone boss. A year ago, she wouldn't have given a man the time of day but within a week she fell in love with one, fucked him, pined for him. And now turned her attention on one who was unavailable. "Am I that lonely I'd want anyone that shows me kindness?" she wondered. She glanced at him as he twirled his giggling daughter around before tossing her into the water. Strong and fit. Virile. Kind and sensual. It was no secret borrower girls wanted to fuck him. One of the things Keith did during reconstruction was personally rebuild sections of the city. Shirtless and in just some loose shorts, the young giant meticulously reset streets, wiring, modular housing, and lights. His sweat dripping like rain on the roads and roofs. The females who lived nearby watched from their windows in admiration. He would take a break and it was almost a riot for which girl would offer snacks, water, or simply their company. The more cunning girls dressed as skimpy as possible and feigned shyness to entice him.

Keith was amused by their advances and did hold a few in his hands to pet or stroke but that was as far as he went. He didn't want to come off as uncaring but neither risking the hurt feelings of Aspen, Claire, or mostly Lawan. At the time, Susan thought it disgusting how the girls fawned over him. Now, now her thoughts mirrored theirs. She wanted him to hold her like his personal pet. Tell her he loved her. Suck her sensitive toes and...

Susan shook her head. "I don't love him...that way. I'm...I'm just wanting someone to fill that void is all. Not like he loves me anyway" she muttered. She looked at the clock. "Thank god" she said sitting up. "Gotta go Keith. Have an appointment with my therapist" Susan said. "Didn't know you started going back" he said. "Still have things to work out. Don't forget to contact me about the mission. Bye Hope" Susan said. "Bye Suzie! Come play with us next time!" Hope yelled happily. Susan waved as she left the side of the pool.

"It's nice to see you came back Susan. By your own choice at that" the woman said sitting next to her now giantess patient. "I still feel I have issues needing to resolve" Susan said looking down at the young woman sitting on her knee. "So tell me about them. What have you been up to?" the woman asked. Susan went on to explain the recent mission she undertook. "And it felt nice to be human sized again?" she asked. "It felt...safe" Susan replied. "Is that why you're human sized now? You feel threatened?" the woman asked. "I don't feel threatened by you Ruth" Susan said annoyed. "But you chose this size for a reason? A sense of control?" she asked. "Maybe" Susan muttered. "Over yourself...or me?" Ruth asked. Susan stared at her. "Why would I want to control you?" Susan chuckled. "Well, in the past any woman that got to know you could be human sized and usually was. You accepted that degree of power over you as a kind of safety blanket. But with one gone and the other moving on with her life, you might feel...alone. With me sitting on your knee you subconsciously know you can keep me from leaving" Ruth replied. There was a long pause.

"Wrap your fingers around me" Ruth ordered. Susan did and picked her up. "I'm in your grip. I can't get away. How do you feel about that?" Ruth asked. "We should call it a day" Susan said. "No, we need to focus on the inner conflicts that have come up from your losses before we can try to resolve any more insecurities" Ruth said. "Powerful. Like...like I could do anything to you" Susan muttered. "Don't be afraid to let it out. Trust me when I say I've heard it all" Ruth said. "I want...to see your naked body. Smell and taste it. Suck and lick you. I want you to look at me and..." Susan said before abruptly stopping. "And what Susan?" Ruth asked. "And say you won't leave me" Susan said before breaking down crying. Ruth let her go on for a good five minutes. "Tell me about this Randolph you met. You barely said anything about him but your body language says he's more than just some human male you met" Ruth said.

"He was really kind to me. Listened to me, funny in a wedding crasher kind of way. Took great care to see to my injuries. He refused to sleep with me on the first night saying he respected my feelings" Susan said. "That's very nice of him" Ruth said. "So nice I thought he was lying. But he wasn't. And when we made love, he accepted all of me. Even freaked out about magic and borrowers he didn't run or anything. "I was under the impression humans weren't allowed to know about magic" Ruth said. "They aren't. I erased his memory of it all...including me. Me, magic, how we made love. Even his marriage proposal" she replied. "He proposed?!" Ruth asked. "As I was leaving. He begged with all his soul. But I had obligations" Susan replied. "But part of you wishes you said yes" Ruth said. "Of course, and that's what terrifies me" Susan said. "That you wanted to say yes?" Ruth asked.

"No. Ruth...I like girls. I like licking pussy. Fucking myself on a cute girl's nipple while her moans fill my ears. So when the first guy comes along after losing Lily, I fuck him. Did I love him or was he just a rebound?" Susan asked. "Have you felt any other way about a man recently?" Ruth asked. Susan went rigid and blushed. "Promise to keep it to yourself? Really promise?" Susan asked. "I do observe Doctor patient confidentiality" Ruth replied. "Keith...I felt things for Keith" Susan replied. "I...wouldn't mind him playing with me. I know he would be gentle with me. Seeing to my feelings. I've heard how good a lover he is" Susan blushed. "And I take it he knows nothing?" Ruth asked. "None. Earlier today I had my feet in his lap. He didn't so much as rub them let alone suck my toes. I found myself angry he didn't. What's that say about me wanting someone else's mate? That I'm so quick to want a fuck?" Susan asked upset.

"That you're afraid to be alone. It's our nature to bond with someone that can fulfill or emotional needs. Keith is a very kind man who right now is enjoying rockstar level notoriety. Girls like him" Ruth shrugged. "But I'm gay! I slept with one guy and now I'm hitting on my boss! What the hell?!" Susan yelled. "A person's sexuality isn't set in stone. Even in humans it can change" Ruth said. "Exactly! I'm not human!" Susan yelled. "So you're saying it should be forbidden for you to love someone who's kind and supportive if they're male?" Ruth asked. "Not forbidden..." Susan said. There was a pause between them. "What should I do?" Susan asked. "Admit what you're feeling is natural. That because you like girls doesn't mean you can't like guys" Ruth said. "You make it sound easy. I don't know if I can do that" Susan said.  "Susan, you told me your innermost thoughts. Some about me. You have more courage than you know" Ruth said. Susan placed her on the ground and nodded. "Thanks Ruth and sorry about the graphic answer about you" Susan said. "You're not the first to fantasize about having their way with me. I'm flattered more than anything. Same time next week?" Ruth asked. Susan smiled and nodded.

Susan walked to the main house with a spring in her step. She felt much better about herself after learning what she felt was normal. Her fear was that her grief turned her into some kind of slut. She made her way to Rose's room knowing the girl was absorbed in whatever notes she took for today's lecture. She had started college this year and thanks to Hope, had enough magic to keep her human size. If it wasn't for Hope, most of THORN's activities wouldn't even be possible right now. The girl was happy to lend her massive energies as it made her daddy happy.

Susan tiptoed into Rose's room. The girl was shrunken down to ease the burden of size magic as she literally sat on her notebook looking over scribbled notes. Susan was inches from her as Rose now lay on her stomach. Her cute little socked feet swinging back and forth in the air. "If you keep lying there looking adorable, somebody is going to steal you away" Susan chuckled scaring the shit out of Rose. Rose turned over just as a giant hand scooped her right off the bed. "Could you give...wait...what are you..." *pfft*!  "Stop!" *pfft*! "You're gonna make me pee!" Rose yelled as Susan blew razzberries into her little tummy. Susan sighed as she cuddled Rose to her cheek. "You know I love you right?" Susan asked. "Yeah...is everything okay? You're acting weird" Rose asked. "Can I watch you study?" Susan asked. Rose shrugged and Susan placed her back on her notebook.

Susan lay on the bed very quietly watching the small girl mutter to herself. "Uhhgh" Rose groaned rubbing her eyes. "Take a break" Susan said. Rose lay on her back looking right up at the giantess. "You never told me why you pushed me away" she said. "Because you remind me of your mother. You're so similar it's scary" Susan replied. "But she told me I look more like dad" Rose said. "Borrowers rely on more than just sight. Even more true in my case. You smell like her, you even taste like her" Susan replied. Her fingertips played with Rose's long hair. "When you look at me like that...do you love me because I remind you of her?" Rose asked softly. "No sweetie. I love you because I watched you grow up. From that awkward kid into a beautiful woman" Susan replied. "I don't feel beautiful...not after Jacob" Rose said. Susan shifted her body over her.

"You're very beautiful. Don't let one asshole decide your worth" Susan said tugging off her little socks. "These pretty little feet" Susan said rubbing them gently between her fingertips. "Long legs. Kissable tummy. Those eyes that look right through me. You are a precious creature Rose" Susan said softly. Rose rubbed her foot up and down Susan's fingernail. "Whenever you feel like you're not pretty, come to me. I'll remind you you're worth worshipping" Susan said. "That's sounds kinky" Rose snickered. "I'm a borrower. We're kinky people and we make sure those were close to are loved" Susan said with a smile. Susan quietly rubbed her little body as she went back to studying.

The next day...

"Well we found something" Keith said queuing up a file. Susan sat quietly on his desk looking at his laptop. "The bank was out of Vegas but we didn't know exactly any connections as to who and what purpose. After all it's not uncommon for very large bank transfers coming out of there" Keith said. "But you did find something?" Susan asked. "Yeah. A lot of digging and cross references found a few oddities" Keith said pulling up three pictures. "This guy was hit by a car...while sitting in a coffee shop. This woman was struck by lightning through her sunroof ten miles from a storm. And this guy...blew a tire, crashed into a fire hydrant, and drowned in his car" he said. "That's some really shitty luck Keith. What's the connection?" Susan asked.

"All three lost very large sums of money at Lionsgate Hotel and Casino just a day or so before. Gets stranger..." he said pulling up three more pictures. "This guy couldn't find funding for a tech startup until a forgotten uncle died and left him half a million dollars. This guy here was behind in the running for senate until mysteriously his running mate suffered a heart attack. And this woman was caught in a will dispute until the surviving family was killed in a plane crash. All profited from astounding luck after going to the same casino" he said. "Wait...are we saying magic was involved in all this?" Susan asked. "Magic has been known to levy curses or good luck on a subject. Even items have been known to do it themselves like the Hope diamond or James Dean's Porsche. Look at what we know. We know that Anna has records on something called zodiac and a bank account from her files point to that casino. Not to mention the name is Lionsgate. Lion as in Leo..." Keith said.

"When do I leave?" Susan asked. "Immediately. I want intel more than anything. Be careful. They may know who we are now" Keith said. "Will do skipper" Susan said getting up to leave. "I'm serious. I rather not lose you. Lost enough good people in my life" he said softly. Susan looked at the concern in his eyes. "I'll come back" she said. "Intact! You're too pretty for bruises" he chuckled. Susan laughed and left his room.

"What's my loadout?" Susan asked in the armory. "Standard gear with one exception. This is a perception caster. It will alter how others perceive your physical looks. Fortunately, your cover looks very close to you so there shouldn’t be much of a hassle" the woman said. Sudan looked at the silver bracelet. "I don't see an arcane" she said. "Because it's enchanted. That Hope girl made it for fun" the woman replied. "You serious? You want me to wear a magic bracelet made by a kid for shits and giggles to conceal me?" Susan asked. The woman shrugged. "Any other questions?" the woman asked.  "No. That'll do it" Susan replied.

After being fully packed, Susan headed to the airport.

Susan slept on the plane as she knew the time difference was going to be a bitch for her. When she landed, she had been in transit for 11 hours. Her body said it was 11:35 p.m. but local time was 3:35 p.m. There would be time later for rest. For now, she needed to be flashy. She needed to stand out. She needed American muscle. She made her way to car rentals. "Hello. How can I assist you?" a borrower girl politely asked standing on the desk. "Well aren't you just a cute thing? You can assist me by getting me a real nice car" Susan replied eying the girl. "Sure. We got a fleet of Toyota Corollas, Ford Escapes..."

"No sweetie. When I say real nice car, I mean powerful, sporty, and home grown" Susan said smiling. "Ah. I see. One moment" the girl said. Susan watched with an amused grin as the thumb sized girl taped and swiped on a touchpad. "You like this job?" Susan asked. "Well I get to meet nice people. I get a few..."

"Perverts and bigots?" Susan finished. "Yeah...but thankfully they're few and far between. And my manager helps me out a bunch" the girl replied. "Karen! I got donuts! Made sure to get the strawberry glaze since you like them so much" a man said placing one in a napkin near her. "Thanks Reggie. I could use a pick me up" Karen said. Susan could smell her pheromones jump. "Found a perfect car. 2017 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Cherry red in lot 6. Please get the keys hanging right there" Karen said pointing to a box on the wall that opened up. Susan grabbed the keys and did some quick paperwork. "It's cute to see office romance" Susan said. "Romance? Between who?" Karen asked. "Why you and him of course" Susan replied. "Us?! We're just good friends!" Karen said. "Girl. I can see you like him. Ask him out or something" Susan said.

"I'm just some token borrower. Why would he date a tiny like me?" she asked softly. Susan put her pen down. "Because you're a nice girl. I bet if you talked to him, you'd find he likes you" she said. "But we could never have kids. He'd have to take care of me. People will stare at us..." Karen said. "Let them fuckin' stare. And what's wrong with a man doting on you? Giving you foot rubs. Back rubs. Telling you he loves you. You see something good in him to take notice right?" Susan asked. The small girl shifted from one foot to the other. "He's very patient with me. Protective" she replied. Susan could see him glance from his office wondering why the customer hadn't left. "I see. He's looking at me thinking I'm going to snatch you up. Do yourself a favor and ask him out" Susan said. "...I'll give it a try" Karen said. Susan played with her keys. "I'm rootin' for ya" Susan smiled.

"Fuck yea..." Susan growled as she took her foot off the clutch and roared onto the road. The air was a dry heat as she zipped down the freeway heading to the exit ramp for the strip. Once on the strip, she dropped it into second and gently cruised past casinos, restaurants, and venues. She turned up the radio as Lenny Kravitz's "American Woman" began playing.  She pulled up to a stoplight and drew with her finger an arcane into her silver dress. A very simple spell which changed the color to red which matched the car. She glanced to the right to see a young boy staring in shock in the back seat of his car. Susan smiled and waved and roared away as the light changed. "Alright Susan. Time to clock into work" she said as she turned into the front entrance of the Lionsgate hotel and casino. She pulled the brake up, opened the door and slowly got out. A valet walked over. He gave her a long deliberate look starting at her heels and worked his way up. "Here's the keys. The bags are there and be nice to her. A scratch on this baby is a scratch on ya ass" Susan said with a wicked grin.  

She walked into the lobby liked she owned the place. Confidence was paramount. As she put it, she had to "walk it like she talked it". A few noticed her but glamoured up girls were as common as sand in that town. The borrower girl had to make herself known but that would come later. "I got myself a reservation. Penthouse suite" Susan said cocky as she stood before the receptionist.

Up above...

Lucinda or Lucy as she preferred to be called watched the screens in the "Pit" room. The pit room was the nickname for the security center of the casino. Dozens of cameras watched for any cheaters or card counters that would try their luck in Lionsgate. Like a lioness stalking prey, she kept eyes on each gambler. How often they won or lost would give a clue on natural luck. High profile cases potential clients. And like many modern casinos, they used face recognition. One face Lucy added to the algorithm got a hit*. "We got a potential hit. Name is Rachel Anderson" a man said. Lucy turned her attention to the screen zoomed right on Susan. "I see. Send notification to the receptionist to have her stay in penthouse 2" Lucy said touching her ring.

(Authors note: Casinos really do use face recognition to flag repeat cheaters. It's interesting how rival casinos actually share this data between them)

"Yes, I have you down for penthouse 3...wait...its booked but penthouse 2 is free" the woman said glancing slightly at a camera. "Guess that'll have to do" Susan said checking in. Susan rode in an elevator alone. She was no fool. She saw the girl glance upwards. Whoever ran this place was aware she was there and what she looked like. Susan applied her arcane enchanted lipstick to invoke clairvoyance. She was sure this room she was saddled with was not as innocent as it seemed. The card reader unlocked the door and she stepped in.

Immediately, she kicked off her heels and sighed as her sore feet sank slightly into the plush carpet. Her bed was lavish and covered in silk sheets. The view expanded miles north and east giving a very impressive view of the strip. The chairs were leather, a large 60’-inch LED tv on the dresser, a sunken jacuzzi in the corner. "A girl can get used to this" she chuckled.  Focusing, Susan carefully eyed everything and quickly confirmed her suspicions. Hidden camera in the overhead lighting. Camera hidden behind the dresser mirror. There was even one in the bathroom. Susan sat down on the bed and began texting. "Checked into hotel. They're aware of me or at least my cover. Hidden cameras everywhere in my room" she sent. A minute later she got a response. "Don't like it. They pegged you way too fast. Smells like a setup.  I'm sending in Briar Patch. Withdraw" Keith responded. "No. Works in my favor. Spring trap on my own terms. Too many civilians anyway to send hit team" she replied. "Alright. One hint of trouble you can't handle pull out. Not going to risk best agent. Worry about you enough as is" Keith said. Susan smiled at his concern and collapsed on the bed.

She wriggled her toes deep in thought. Since she didn't know the circumstances of how to get close to her target, she had to have more than one plan in motion. Option one. Play the tables and lose badly. Wager her luck. Option two. Win big and play bigshot enough to catch her eye. Her cover being a spoiled heiress to an oil family from Texas might curry favor. Susan thought long and hard. She chose option two. Gambling till she was broke was no guarantee she'd be noticed (as a worthy target) but busting the bank would absolutely garner attention. Susan slipped her shoes back on and headed down to the casino.

It's interesting to note that even though borrowers were granted rights and recognized as American citizens, there were a few things they were barred from. Driving for one, life insurance for another. In this particular case it was gambling. It's no secret that borrowers have superior memories and eyesight. Given proper instruction, borrowers can be pro card counters and peek at someone else's cards by using reflections. In fact, Susan got extremely good at poker, gin, blackjack, and Uno in just a few weeks after getting her eyesight back. She went right up to the chip bank. "How much miss?" the woman asked. With a sly grin Susan answered "200 large".

The woman was surprised that this girl would ask for such an amount. Keep in mind that on the outside, Susan was looked barely old enough to gamble. They ran her account (that was set up for missions) and she looked at Susan with more surprise. "Is something the matter honey?" Susan asked. "No! No ma'am. One minute" the teller said quickly getting the chips. She handed her a tray of chips which Susan accepted with a grin. Susan knew full well how much cash was in that account. $2 million. Now she just looked around for a good venue. "Hmm...that might work" she said spotting one table. The dealer was a young man. The players were three men and one woman. The men... one middle aged, another rough looking and worried, and the other was a man in his late 60's playing nice to the woman sitting to his right. She knew full well the men would focus on her somewhat giving Susan some notice. The dealer would be occupied staring at her more than keeping track of cards. At least in theory. "This borrower is about to clean ya out sugah" Susan thought as she sat down.

"New player. New player" the dealer said. "You don't look the type to play cards miss" the middle-aged man said. "Well I know my way around a hand and I've been told I got really good luck" Sudan said louder than usual. The dealer dealt the cards. Susan eyed her hand. Now the trick for her was to sense the flow of the cards. The pattern that would eventually emerge. She bet small and relied on her ability to literally smell out lies and intentions.  The first to go was the younger rough looking man. His bets were high and reckless. Susan figured him to a habitual gambler. A bad one at that. Slowly she banked chips as she called, bluffed, and read the odds. The woman busted and the old man followed her to soothe her worries. That left Susan, the middle-aged man, and the dealer. "You surprised me. You got the knack" the man said. "Just know how to read folks is all" Susan said not making eye contact. She could smell his sweat. His heart beat faster as he looked at her.

Susan turned in two cards as her hand had an eight and nine of diamonds. On the table was the ten of diamonds. She hadn't seen the Jack of diamonds yet after 10 hands. Good odds it would come up very soon. "$1000" the man said looking at his cards. "Call" Susan said. "You're going for a straight aren't you?" he asked. "You'll find out" Susan said. The dealer dealt the final card. It was the ace of spades. The seven ten and queen of diamonds, ace of spades and the seven of clubs was on the table. The man was very quiet. Susan slipped off her heel and rubbed her big toe up and down his pants leg. "You gonna call or what?" she asked. It was clear he was nervous as she tapped his cards. Susan took her foot away. "Call all in" he said pushing his chips into the pile. $115 thousand just on his side. "Dealer folds" the dealer said. Susan took very quick note of the situation.

The man was staring at the two left cards in his hand. Glancing at the ace as they were wild. She could smell adrenaline coming from him. He was going for a kind. He had to be. "All in. Call em'" Susan said. The man slapped his cards down. A duce of clubs, a seven of hearts, a seven of spades, a three of diamonds, and a king of spades. "With the wild I got four of a kind" he said. "Well...that is an impressive hand" Susan said quietly. She placed her cards down. "Not as impressive as this though" she said. The man hurriedly looked.  Eight and nine of diamonds, two of hearts, four of clubs, and the queen of Queen of hearts. His face went pale as a ghost as he realized that the cards on the table secured her victory. "Straight flush beats four of a kind" Susan said raking in the pot. A pot totaling well over $425k. The man looked utterly dejected.

"I'm from Texas. It's only natural a Texas gal knows her way around Texas hold 'em. Don't leave without nothing" she said handing him a $1000 chip. Shocked and distraught, the man dropped it. In the time it took him to blink, Susan caught it between her fingertips. She placed it back in his hand and closed it. She decided to cash out as she figured she'd won enough to get some attention without being too obvious. That and she was exhausted and hungry.

Above in the Pit...

"Did you see that?" A man asked. "Saw it all man. She took the whole table. No tricks as far as I could see" another said. "She's seasoned. The way she caught that chip tells me she's good with her hands" the first one said. "Bet those hands feel good to" the other one laughed. "I want the twins sent to her room. Make sure they know what's expected of them" Lucy barked behind them. "Yes ma'am" the first man said. "Those reflexes are unnatural" she thought.

Susan made her way back to her room. "Wow. Nice shit" she muttered looking over the room service menu. She settled on a ribeye steak with a baked potato, a cold glass of beer, and a strawberry sundae for desert. She hummed to herself as she showered. Her stomach rumbling at the thought of delicious food. Wrapped in a towel, she answered the door. "Room service!" the young man said. "You can put it there" Susan said pointing near the bed. She smiled at him as his concentration was on her. "A-anything else ma'am?" he stammered. "No. You were perfect" she said grinning. He backed up banging into the wheel cart causing the fork to fall on the carpet. He rushed to pick it up and Susan shifted her leg. He glanced at her toes from a brief moment as his eyes glanced up. What he saw was a smooth-shaven pussy. Susan took the fork away. "Was it enough?" she asked seconds later. "What?!" he asked nervous. "The tip cutie" she asked. "Fine! Very fine" he replied blushing. He nearly tripped exiting.

Susan sat down and took the metal tray cover off. "Jesus!" she yelled seeing a young man and woman barely clothed sitting patiently on the tray. "Don't be alarmed miss. We're compliments of the house" the young man said. "You're kidding. You don't mean I'm supposed to eat you...right?" Susan asked. She knew she was being watched from above. "Heavens no! We specialize in making VIP guests comfortable. After your meal were ready to relax you" the woman replied. "Relax...I see" Susan said.

Since borrowers got rights there was one particular evil that kept cropping up. Borrowers entering the sex trade. Now prostitution was illegal in the states (except for parts of Nevada), however that applied to humans. There was no law that said borrowers couldn't sell their bodies. And with borrower unemployment being a staggering 65% (as many didn't want to employ a person tiny enough they could die at the drop of a hat) more and more borrowers turned to sex trades. Another example of law outpacing practicality.

Susan dug into her steak. "You guys look similar. Related?" Susan asked. "We're twins" the woman replied. "How old are ya?" Susan asked chewing. "21" the man replied. "Try again honey" Susan said. "17" the girl replied. Susan nodded. "Are...are you okay with that?" the girl asked. "Don't mind me none" Susan replied. She could see them slightly nervous around her. "You ate?" she asked them hearing their little tummies growl. They didn't answer. Susan cut two decent pieces of steak for them. "We can't" the man said. "Yes, you can. You just put something delicious in that cute mouth, chew, and swallow" Susan said to him. Not wanting to upset her, they dug in.

Susan kept an eye on them. Nothing worth it was free especially in Vegas. And two very blonde borrowers were high class. A year ago, they would've fetched ten grand easy sold as pets. Susan wondered what their aptitude was for magic. Blond usually meant strong Fae genes like Lily and Claire. "What's your names?" Susan asked. "Tina. My brother is Chris" the girl said quickly. "You've been seducing people long?" Susan asked. Both paused eating. "No secret why you're here. A rub and a happy ending" Susan said eating her potato. They remained quiet as she finished her potato and moved to dessert. "I'm an expert when it comes to borrowers so no need to be tense around me. You'll find I'm open minded" Susan said eating her ice cream.

"He a good fuck?" Susan asked abruptly. "I'm sure you chose your brother as a mate" Susan shrugged. The twins looked at one another. "He's nice to me" Tina replied. "Good" Susan said. "I like your accent miss" Chris said changing the subject. "Thanks. I'm from Texas" Susan said. "You own a bunch of borrowers? I ask because you have money and you're so relaxed around us" Chris said. "Befriended not owned" Susan said quietly. "Must've been nice living in a big mansion not having to worry about food and safety" Tina said. "Heard you won big. Must be very lucky" Chris said. Susan narrowed her eyes. "So that's what this is" she thought. Susan took her fork and used the melted butter to draw a very small arcane circle. "Can you two look at this?" she asked. When they did, she tapped the circle. A very faint light came from it.

"What's your real purpose?" Susan asked. "To verify who you are" Tina said flatly. "And how you won at the tables" Chris replied. "And what else?" Susan asked. "How skilled a gambler you are. They saw you catch a chip very quickly" Tina said. Susan cursed herself for such a slip up. "What have you learned so far?" Susan asked. "You're a borrower. I can smell it" Chris replied. Susan sighed. "That's really fucks things up" she thought. Susan quickly thought about what to do. If they went back and told them that she'd be in deep shit. She could kill them. Since they were there for sex it would be easy to play it off as an accident. Susan shook her head. They were innocent to her. Just doing as they were told. They meant no malice to her. And she loathed to kill such attractive creatures. Susan decided that while they were under hypnosis, to cloud that thought. Obscure it in their minds. Trick was hypnotizing borrowers was risky. Their minds however sharp, was easily susceptible to hypnosis. Too careless and you could damage their minds in a way it would never wear off. "I want you both to forget I’m a borrower. To you, I'm just a rich human girl from Texas" Susan said.  They nodded. Susan ended the spell by smearing the butter.

"I think I'll enjoy your company tonight. I've been needy and lonely lately" Susan said looking at them. "Yes, lonely indeed. You'll be perfect" she said placing her spoon down. Susan placed them on the bed and stripped her towel off. Tina and Chris could smell her arousal. She laid on her back. "Who's the better foot worshiper?" she asked. "That'll be me I guess" Tina replied. "Then why don't you get started with the right one and you two can trade off" Susan said yanking Chris up abruptly.  Tina looked very worried. "Don't worry about a thing. I don't hurt borrowers. I'm not that kind of gal" Susan said. Tina kept an eye on the giant as she began rubbing Susan's heel. Susan placed Chris between her breasts. "Take it off for me" she said. She watched the small man take off what little clothing he had.

Her finger traced the side of his body and then went to the other side. He was in great shape judging from his abs. "You're an exquisite specimen of a male. Healthy and desirable. Spread your legs" she said. Chris did and he tensed up as her fingertip was right underneath his little balls. "These are full of yummy semen aren't they? Life giving seed. Sweet borrower nectar" she purred as her fingertip went up his small erection. Susan tensed up for a second. "Your sister is rubbing between my toes. She wasn't kidding about being good at it. Bet you got your own skills don't you?" she asked. Chris and inched forward and rested on her chin. The borrower kissed and licked her lips. "I don't get chosen much. Not for things like this" he said. "Because most are men?" Susan asked. He nodded.

"And you have to do menial things like rub their feet while you worry to death about your sister" Susan said. Chris looked surprised. Truth was this wasn't the first time Susan had to indulge in borrower sexual slavery. She knew the ins and outs more than she liked. "Chris...I'm going to dry your balls dry and fuck you. Then I'm going to make love to your sister. There won't be any pain, fear, or panic. As much fun as I'll have using you guys, you'll have a night of comfort from me" she said softly. He stared into her eyes. "Now hold still while I suck your penis" she said gripping his waist. Her lips pulled his cock into her mouth. The tip of her tongue played with it. The borrower young man groaned at the warm sucking wetness around his shaft. Tina stopped to glance up. Susan gave her a wink and showed he was in no danger.

The tip of her fingernail played with his ass. Poking his rectum gently to make him tense up. His small feet kicking her cheeks as he instinctively raised his legs to avoid her poking. Tina below was marveling at how soft her feet were. Susan was young but rarely had she seen a human girl's feet so smooth. Before all of this, she and her brother were pets of a girl in Los Angeles. It was there they learned how to please humans. Not a day went by that the preteen girl had them lick her giant feet after school or whenever she was bored.  Years passed and one day while her family vacationed in Vegas, the girl's father literally gambled away the borrower siblings. Now in servitude of Lucy, the borrowers serviced very rich clientele. The day came though when the law said they were no longer pets but free American citizens. Lucy gave them a choice. Live free in the outside world and risk being poached (as blond borrowers were as rare as their golden hair) or live in safety with her and earn money. Tina and Chris chose the latter.

Tina found it strange how accommodating Susan was. Tina and Chris learned very quickly to have swift hands and arms when it came to messaging giant toes. One good scrunch could mean a broken or crushed hand. As ticklish as the giantess was, she made an effort not to scrunch her toes too much. She heard her brother groan as he spurt his little load onto her giant tongue. Susan cradled him as he came down. "As sweet and yummy as I thought you'd be" she said poking his chest. "You know you're not done yet don't you?" she asked. Chris silently nodded before she placed him at her pussy. Tina stopped rubbing to check on him. She was astounded. Normally when someone (usually a woman but not always) sucked her brother off our orally played with him, she would have teeth marks, some light bruising, or small cuts from their teeth. None. Tina was really starting to like Susan.

Chris laid into her wet cunt and began fucking her. "There. Yeah that's good. Can't forget about you. You're the dessert" Susan said picking Tina up. She placed her on top of her right breast. Tina went about squeezing her giant nipple as usual with clients. "You look so much like someone I know" Susan said. "I do?" Tina asked. "Her name's Claire. She's a cutie like you too" Susan replied. "Miss...you said you have borrower friends right?" Tina asked. "That's right. I kept none as pets. I respected them" she replied. "What's it like for our kind out there?" Tina asked. "Full of possibilities. Dangers abound but ya gotta put yourself out there to see it all" Susan replied. Tina grew silent. "You want to be free don't ya? To leave this all behind" Susan said. Tina hung her head and Susan could hear her quietly weep.

Susan held her as she sat up a bit making Chris pause. "Say the word and I'll take you with me" Susan said softly. She glanced at her brother. Susan petted her belly confirming something she noticed just seconds before. "You want more for your baby" Susan said. Tina was shocked beyond belief. "The bump is really small but it's there. This kinda stuff is dangerous for it ya know?" Susan asked. "We don't have a choice. It's what the owner wants" Tina said softly. "I'll buy out the contract or whatever hold she has on you" Susan said. "You'd...you'd do that for us?" Chris asked. Susan simply smiled. So touched by her kindness, Chris began to fuck Susan with abandon. "You don't have to do that" Susan said. "Please...let me" he begged. Susan turned her attention to Tina. Without a word, Tina looked at her with pleading eyes. It was clear she wanted Susan to love her.

"I'll be gentle. I know how sensitive your body is right now" Susan promised. She started at her feet. Holding her ankles between her fingers, Susan smelled her soles. Clean of course but the smell of estrogen strong on her. She peppered them with kisses before sucking them into her mouth. Tina groaned as her tiny feet were naturally sensitive at the moment. She didn't longer too long as the borrower girl was clearly in need of an orgasm and she didn't want to waste it on her feet. Her hands were cupped as she used her thumbs to stroke and kneed her body. Her arms and legs welcomed the touch. Her breasts were tender as they were in the process of growing. Susan gently used her fingertips to move them about. Calling them friends clearly wasn't enough. Susan was obviously an expert on them. She used her finger to move aside her long golden hair. She moved her close to her face and breathed her scent.

Tina got slightly worried as the giantess drooled. Her eyes in the back of her head. Susan's tongue lapped her belly right up to her face. "My god you're what I need" Susan muttered. She patted her legs and began slurping her little pussy. She kept her steady as she drank every drop of fluid Tina made. Her finger stroking her back. Tina always felt like a toy of object when others did this but right now, she felt like she had a purpose. To whet the desire of this kind titaness eating her out. Tina held on to her nose as she yelped out wave after wave of orgasms. Susan looked down at Chris who was looking dead at her with devotion. Chris' knees buckled as he came for a third time. Susan held him steady. "God...UGGHGH.....Keith..." she absent mindedly muttered. As they all came down, Susan petted them both. "Who's Keith?" Chris asked. "Wha?" Susan asked. "Well you said Keith when you...ah...came" he said. "Chris!" Tina yelled. "A friend...just a friend" Susan replied as she got ready for bed.

Susan was very quiet as she carefully laid out pillows in a row. "I apologize for him if he said something personal" Tina said. "I'm not angry. Just embarrassed I called out that name" Susan said. "He must be special to you" Tina said as Susan laid down. "He's very kind. He didn't give up on me when I was at my lowest. Special? I guess you could say that" she muttered. Susan pulled the covers over her. "Do you love him...if I may ask?" Tina said. "...hush. Time to sleep" Susan said before sticking her finger in her mouth. She quickly drew a sleeping arcane on the bedsheet and closed her eyes as she activated it. Suddenly, both twins were sleeping soundly. Susan bunched up the bedsheet covering them to keep them warm. "Alright. Our peeping toms got a good enough show and they won't see me shrink when I fall asleep. God I'm tired..." she thought as she closed her eyes. 15 minutes later Susan was sound asleep and the growth spell wore off. The sheets collapsed slightly but the pillows made an impression that Susan was sleeping in the fetal position.

She woke up before they did. Her spell would wear off shortly anyway. She grew under the sheets and threw them off yawning and stretching. She glanced at the twins. It was cute that they hugged one another in their sleep. It would be a big day and she wasted no time ordering breakfast. "Wakey wakey you two" Susan said as breakfast arrived. They began to rouse as the giantess hovered over them. "Good mornin'!" she said. Tina woke with a start not remembering where she was. Not all her mornings were nice. "Morning" she said seeing Susan. "And morning my handsome borrower man. That erection for me?" Susan giggled. Chris blushed. "Bathroom is over there" Susan said. Tina and Chris took turns peeing. "Bet you both are hungry. Dig in" Susan said placing them on her tray. It was quiet for a few minutes as they ate. "What's your home like?" Chris asked. "Well there's a mansion with maids" Susan replied. Chris and Tina showed little response as that sounded commonplace for rich clients.

"And the borrowers live in a commune" she added. "Commune?" Tina asked eating bacon. "I respect their independence. It's more accurate to call it a sanctuary. Not all of our...your kind is ready to live in the human world" Susan said. "How...how many are there?" Tina asked. "Many but we have room for two more" Susan said. Tina and Chris looked at one another. With not a word, Tina jerked Chris' cock to full mast and then spread her own legs. "Guys...you don't have to do that" Susan said. They looked confused. "*sigh* Tina, I loved sucking your cute little feet and playing with your tits. Chris, you taste delicious. Your cum was as tasty as cream filling. Having said that, I was just going through the motions like you were. You don't have to pay with your bodies" Susan said. Tina broke into a pitiful sob as her brother held her close. "It's alright sugarplum" Susan said softly in her Georgia accent. The giantess petted the girl's back.

Susan hid her tears as she wondered if this was how she looked those years ago when Lily brought her to her home. It was actually harder for her. The first night Susan was at Lily's wasn't easy. Lily had made it clear she was no pet of hers and their wishes would be respected. Susan didn't buy it. Blinded just two months prior, the two inch 12-year-old girl refused to believe one word of a human. She sat quietly on her bed as Lily touched her. She lay still as the giantess touched her legs and chest. Fondled her little feet. Moved her head. She could smell her breath. Susan waited to be raped. In truth, Lily was making sure she had no lasting injuries like bones healing wrong, lacerations, infections. Nothing at the time could be done about her eyes. "You look very healthy considering everything" Lily said. Susan quietly stood up and made her way to Lily's crotch. Susan figured if she threw herself into being a sex toy for the woman, there would be no need to hurt her.

Susan followed the scent of giant pussy. "Hey. What are you doing?" Lily asked stopping her with her hand. Susan pushed her hand aside. And began pulling on Lily's panties. "Stop! You don't have to do that!" Lily yelled pushing Susan back. Susan thought it might be a sick game and tried again. Lily pushed her back three times. "You're free don't you get it?" Lily asked. Frustrated, Susan followed another scent. She made a bee line towards Lily's feet. "Susan stop! Please...please stop" Lily begged. Susan felt her big toe and was about to lick it when a drop of water hit her head. She instinctively looked up. "You're not my pet sweetheart. You're not" Lily cried softly. Susan began punching her toes over and over grunting. Lily picked her up. "It's gonna be okay. I swear it will be" Lily said as she brought her to her cheek. Susan felt tears on it and broke down crying. It was no trick. The giantess considered her a real person.

Susan found herself missing Lily more that day as she looked at the twins. "Let's take a bath" she said bringing them with her. Susan ran a bath for them in the sink before running one for herself. She watched them scrub one another lovingly. Tina and Chris watched in awe as the giantess rose from the water to dry off. "You're making me blush you two" Susan chuckled. They dried off and she carried them to the bed so she could get dressed. "Once my job...I mean vacation is over, I'll come for you both" Susan said as she slipped on a white dress. "You can find us in room 511" Tina said. "I'll remember that" Susan said. "We'll understand if you don't come" cherish said softly. Susan gave him a kiss on his entire face. "I don't break promises" Susan said. There was a knock on the door. "That's for us. Thanks...for everything" Tina said. Susan opened the door and a porter took them away.

Susan's flat sandals barely made a sound on the carpet as she made her way to the blackjack tables. Seeing what those borrowers went through, she was in the mindset to clean this casino out. She wasn't just going to win big to get attention. She was going to hang them out to fucking dry.  That kind of vindication made her feel light on her feet. She was all business as she sat down at a table and placed her $400k in chips in her banking pile. She bet low for the first ten hands to get a read on the flow of cards like before. As soon as she got a handle, she went to town. She easily bust the others. Hitting on 18 constantly. Checking the odds. Not so much as counting the cards but predicting what should appear. As the hands flew by her predictions got better and better until she hit on 20. "You sure miss?" the dealer asked. "That's what I said" Susan said. And up came the ace of hearts. "21. A winner...again" the dealer said flatly.  

"Table 7 has got a hot one" a man watching the screen said. Lucy took a look. "The one from yesterday. Did the extensive background check come back?" she asked. "Nothing we didn't already know yesterday. Still looking" he replied. "She a counter?" Lucy asked. "If she is she the best I've ever seen. We changed out the deck for fresh cards twice" he replied. "Switch the dealer and use a cooked deck" she ordered.

Susan passed a million after doubling down and winning. She noticed how they switched out the deck on her but with so many chips now, she wasn't backing down. This itself threw them off. A card counter would dial it back or switch tables. No, Susan was comfortable enough to take her sandals off. Her toes tapped as she counted her stack of chips. Then a woman came over and relieved the dealer. She cracked open a deck. "Still in?" she asked. "Me leaving? Not with this streak" Susan replied. The woman dealt her cards as onlookers watched. Five hands in, Susan could see something was off. The dealer’s cards were too close to 21 each time. On the last draw she didn't even hit. She couldn't be counting the cards this soon so it had to be something else. Susan thought hard as she stared at her own cards until she noticed something peculiar. There was a dark red spot on the back of the cards the size of a pin prick. Almost completely obscured for a human to truly notice without knowing in advance. However, Susan wasn't human.

Of all the remarkable facts about borrowers, there was one not widely known. Human vision tends to favor the color blue. Borrower vision on the other hand favors blue and reddish earthy tones. A trait evolved to spot camouflaged predators. Susan could barely see it but it was there. She looked at her other card and sure enough there was one on that too in a different location. She had 12. "Hit me" she said. Again, this card has the spot and in a similar spot as her 10 of spades. Instantly she knew that the location of the spot indicated the amount of the card. She wouldn’t say a word. Oh no. They had given her the perfect way to break the bank and they couldn't say shit about it. People watched in awe as the woman grew her stack hand after hand.

The man in the Pit room looked all over Susan trying to find how exactly she was winning at a higher rate than before. No hand signs. No glasses. No pockets. He focused on the floor and watched her bare toes tapping. "I don't pay you to indulge in your foot fetish" Lucy said. "That ain't it. I'm trying to see if she's counting or giving off signals. Thought maybe she was tapping out some code" he said. Lucy sat next to him. "What is she at?" she asked. "3 mil" he groaned. Lucy quickly got up and dialed a number. "I want answers now. No rich hick from fucking Texas is this good!" she yelled. She listened. "Don't care. Just do it!" she yelled. The man glanced at her. "My friends is busy cracking her iCloud. I'm starting to think this girl is more than just hat she says she is. I'm sure she isn't here by chance. Get the twins in here. I want to know what they found out" she ordered. "But we got the recordings from the cameras" the man said. "Not all of it. And if you value your life, you won't question me again" she said looking dead at him. The man nearly pissed himself as her right eye mysteriously changed for split second...

"It seems we...ahem...ran out" the dealer nervously said. "Ain't my problem. Stock up. Ya'll got the money" Susan said. People hollered and laughed around her. The dealer sheepishly left to get chips. "Jesus ma'am. How much you got?" someone asked. "$3.5 million. Not enough to satisfy a girl like me though" Susan chuckled. A young man sat next to her. "Maybe you need something other than money?" he asked with a grin. She felt his hand on her thigh. Susan used her toes and gripped the leg hairs of the man and yanked hard. "Unless you're green and your last name if Franklin, you're not my type" she said quietly. The man got up and left. The dealer returned with another large stack. "Let's continue" Susan said.

15 minutes later...

"I'm sending it now" someone said on her phone. Lucy waited till the text came and she looked at it closely. "Thought so" she muttered. She went to her personal terminal and logged it. "Sending you a file. Is she linked to Sagittarius?" she typed. Minutes passed. "Confirmed by Gemini. She's using a perception spell" was the reply. "That's explains why I look at her and get this odd familiar feeling. "Baker. Send men to escort her to the conference room. Don't be gentle if it comes to it" Lucy said on a walkie.

Susan hit the four million mark and dozens of people surrounded her. She didn’t notice two men dressed in black approach. "Miss. It's time you cashed out" one said gripping her shoulder hard. "About fucking time" she thought. Susan took two fingers and grasped his index finger. She squeezed hard and felt the bone crack. "Ya’ll ain't asking nicely. Might give a girl the wrong idea" she said. The second man leaned in. "I got a three-inch ice pick in my left hand pointed at your back. I push it in and I'll nick your left ventricle. You bleed out internally in 12 minutes. It'll look like you passed out drunk to these people. Your choice" he said. Susan sighed and out her sandals back on. "Let me cash my chips. Don't want them thinking you're cheaters, right?" she asked. The man nodded. Susan cashed the chips and was escorted upstairs into the conference room. Susan was sat down as the two men stood behind her. A minute later, Lucy walked in.

Susan sized her up quickly. Mixed Hispanic blood with coppery wavy hair. A black dress going to her thighs. On her feet were expensive Prada peep toe heels. Her toes French tipped immaculately. Her right eye, something strange about it. Like there was more to it but she could see. Susan tensed up as she recognized the feeling of a perception spell on it. Lucy took her hands from behind her back and revealed Tina and Chris in her grasps. She placed them on the desk before sitting down. Lucy slipped off her shoes and placed her bare feet on the table before lighting a cigarette. Susan wanted to cringe from the smell of smoke and sweaty feet. Lucy glanced at the twins who were clearly frightened. "You see feet in front of you. Fuck you waiting for?" she hissed. The twins scrambled to clean and worship them.

Lucy took a puff looking at the tiny people wiping away the sticky sweat and grime between her toes. "I knew there was something funny the second you walked into my lobby. Turns out I was right. Let's start of by you telling me your real name" Lucy said. "Look. The name on my registration is the name I was born..."

Lucy jerked her foot back causing Chris to fall forward. She brought it quickly down on him. Susan could see him squirming as his legs kicked air and his hands slapped the sides of her feet. His screaming muffled by her sole. "The hack job was good. Very fucking good but they never hacked her iCloud. The Real Rachel Anderson is vacationing in Athens as we speak. She uploaded a picture of her in front of the Parthenon 7 am this morning. So I ask again. Who are you?" Lucy asked. Susan didn't answer. With no emotion, Lucy bared more of her weight on the foot she was smothering Chris with until a chorus of cracking bones and screams filled her ears. Lucy removed her foot revealing a dead young male borrower. Tina shrieked and sobbed his name. "You nasty bitch. They have NOTHING to do with this!" Susan yelled.  "We heard enough of your conversation with them. Ungrateful little shits" Lucy hissed. "You're a fucking pimp. Don't act like you're charitable" Susan spat. "We're getting off track" Lucy said yanking Tina by her hair making her fall on her back. Lucy took her cigarette and brought it within inches of her tiny face. "SUSAN! Susan Durmont" Susan yelled. Lucy took the cigarette away. "Good. You stall me again and I turn her little pussy into an ashtray. Now, undo EVERY spell you got going for you. Now" Lucy said to her. Susan took off her bracelet and canceled her growth spell. Shrinking back to her normal size in the chair, a guard grabbed her and placed her on the table. Lucy bid her to come closer.

"THORN sent you. Why?" Lucy asked. Susan tensed up hearing the word thorn. "To investigate how someone can get lucky or so unlucky by coming here" Susan replied. "This is how" Lucy said waving her hand over her right eye. Her hazel eye was replaced with a creepy looking gemstone. The sight of it gave Susan shivers. "There are thousands that look like this all over the world. They're called cat's eye stones but this one here is very different. Called the Eye of Bast. You know anything about Egyptian mythology?" Lucy asked. "Not as much" Susan replied softly. "Pity. Rich in history. Even their laws are still reflected in modern society*" she said.

(Authors note: It's true. Most believe that the Ten Commandments are the cornerstone to modern law. That’s true to a point but the Ten Commandments have their origin in what's called The Negative Confessions of Khemetic Law or 42 Laws of Maat which predate the Ten Commandments by about 2000 years)

"Bast was a lioness goddess. She oversaw the protection of children, women, fertility, gamblers, and most important in this case the balance of luck. This gem in my eye socket can not only evaluate a person's natural luck but redistribute it" Lucy said. "Is that what Zodiac has you doing here in the desert? Robbing suckers of good fortune and giving it to millennials who have an idea for the next candy crush game?" Susan asked. "Then you do know of us. Yes, I'm a member of Zodiac. Lucinda Alvarez also known as Leo at your service" she said nodding her head.  "You people are pathetic. After what I've been through in the last 6 months, you're nothing" Susan said playing off Lucy's narcissistic introduction. "Oh I assure you we're a worthier adversary than Ebonheart was" Lucy said. Susan stared at her wide eyed. "Yeah we know all about that. Between us girls, we have a mole in your colony keeping tabs on you. Been that way for years" Lucy said. "You're lying" Susan said.     

"The Hope child ended the conflict did she not? Good thing too as we were primed to vaporize you all with a tactical nuke tipped cruise missile fired from the HMS Prince of Wales sitting off the western coast. Zealous Organization of Domination Interrogation Assassination and Control or ZODIAC for short. We've been at this game for an extremely long time. Far longer than your puny THORN" Lucy grinned. Susan looked at Chris and the pool of blood formed under his body. She glanced at Tina who was nearly catatonic in shock. "So now what?" Susan asked. "Honestly I don't know. You're dangerous knowing magic that's evident. If you lick my feet clean, I might be inclined to keep you alive. I am a reasonable woman after all" Lucy said. Susan walked right over to her foot. Tiny claw marks where Chris struggled to survive still on it. Her foot was pungent with her sweat and now borrower blood. All she had to do was lick and maybe her life would be spared. Lucy smiled as she watched her get closer. Tina closed her eyes not wanting to watch her last hope be extinguished. 

"There's another choice. Why don't we play a game for what happens?" Susan asked. "HAHAHAHA! Why...why should I even consider?" Lucy laughed wiping tears from her eyes. "That gem can see how good someone's luck is right? Check mine" Susan said. Curious, Lucy did just that. She was shocked at what she saw. "I've lived through shit that would boggle minds. Out of thousands I was chosen by a woman who lived on another continent. Out of all the pet shops in America, she chose to come to a shitty hole in the wall in Atlanta. I got luck coming out of my fucking toenails" Susan snickered. Lacy narrowed her eyes. "Imagine how much that would fetch from your customers" Susan added. "What do you propose?" Lucy asked. "You bet your luck against mine" Susan replied. "And the game?" Lucy asked. "One round of dice. Lowest roll wins" Susan said. "And if there's a tie?" Lucy asked. "House wins" Susan replied. "...so be it" Lucy said getting up and leaving the room.

"Tina are you alright?" Susan asked. "What the hell are you!" Tina yelled. "A borrower trying to save our lives" Susan replied. "She never loses. Never..." Tina muttered. "She never played against a borrower before" Susan said. Lucy returned to the room and sat down. "Other than my eye, this is my most cherished possession" Lucy said holding what looked like a nub of bone. "Ancient Egyptians were some of the earliest people to use dice. They crafted it from astragalus bones of sheep like this one here handed down though my family line. As you can see it looks exactly like modern dice right up to the dots. You go first" Lucy said handing the die to Susan. The die was as big as a basketball in her arms. Heavy too. A very small crack ran alongside it.  Susan flung it with all her might. It clacked over and over on the wooden desk until it came to a stop. Lucy let out a sinister laugh. "Six! You rolled a six! No matter what I roll I win!" she cackled. "Lady. It ain't over till it's over" Susan said tapping her tiny bare foot.

"Smug little shit. I'm going to enjoy seeing what comes when you're lucked out. You want me to roll?! Then here it is!" Lucy yelled actually throwing the die right at her.  Susan didn't move or flinch. As fast as she possible could, she punched forward. Her hand collided with the die shattering every bone in her right hand. And as much as she wanted to shriek out in pain, the sight of what was now on the table gave her unabashed confidence. "You lose" Susan chuckled. "You rolled a six! By your own rules I won!" Lucy yelled. "No, look closer" Susan said. As Lucy stared at the die, Susan quickly cast a healing arcane on her hand. Lucy was astounded to see her precious ancient Egyptian die had split in two. One side was one, the other six. "You rolled a seven. I win" Susan said. "No, that's against the rules! The die split! It...it never touched the desk!" Lucy stammered. "I never made such rules and you did agree to them. Time for me to collect" Susan said. Lucy's eye began to glow.

"No! NO THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO TURN OUT THIS WAY!" Lucy screamed. A white beam of light shot from the Eye of Bast striking Susan. "Uhhgh...so this is what it feels like to get a fuckload of extra luck. Kinda makes my pussy wet..." Susan said grinning. The beam faded away leaving a very pissed off giantess. "You think you accomplished something? I may not be allowed to kill you now but nothing was said about those two not doing it" Lucy said before nodding to them. Susan took off at full speed towards the giantess she zipped past Tina and ran up Lucy's right arm as her hand still sat on the desk. The guards froze for a moment as Lucy jerked back and raised her left hand as if to swat the girl. The fabric was luckily stiff enough not to crease of move as Susan ran up her arm. Luckily, her tiny feet weren't to sweaty from wearing sandals to slip.

Susan ripped some hair off her scalp and slapped it right on the Eye of Bast. Lucy blinded, slapped her hand on the eye just as Susan used her upper cheek as a springboard to jump at the nearest guard. The guard raised his hand that held his gun to swat her. Luckily, Susan avoided it by millimeters. She punched him in the left eye. Not hard enough to injure but just enough for him to stagger. When he did, the burst of pain caused him to absentmindedly pull the trigger. The round found its way into the throat of the second guard. Panicked and bleeding out, the second guard fired his gun. Two very quick pings could be heard as his round ricocheted off a silver vase and then the fire sprinkler overhead eventually digging its way right into Lucy's hand which had risen dangerously overhead Tina.

Susan landed right next to Tina. "Come" Susan said invoking sympathetic magic yanking the hair covered Eye into her hands. A frozen scream of pain was caught in Lucy's throat. Blood splatter from her eye socket fell right at Susan's feet. "A girl can get used to this good luck shit" she muttered as she quickly made a growth arcane. In seconds, she was human sized and carrying Tina and the Eye out the conference room door. "You won't get away! The police are in my pocket! My guards will shoot you before you exit the lobby! Lucy yelled covering her eye socket. "Honey. Your luck is running on fumes. Whatever happens to you...I don't wanna bet near ya" Susan said as she ran out. Lucy used her own blood to write a healing arcane and just before she finished her finger slipped. It glowed brightly as she stood up thinking the healing arcane was taking effect. In reality, when her finger slipped, the primary rune was altered for a powerful shrinking one. Lucy got near the balcony railing watching Susan run down the stairs. Then suddenly, the world exploded in growth. "What...?" she asked.

Her bad luck was truly just beginning. She froze as she was less than a foot from the drop off. "It'll wear off. It'll wear off" she muttered trying to stay calm. Then up above, the air conditioning cycled back on. Normally barely a breeze, it was like a hurricane for the centimeter sized woman. It easily blew her right over the edge. It would've been instant death for her as the 900 ft. (to her) plummet would've turned her into a smear on the floor except for one very tiny stroke of good luck she had left. She landed right in someone's martini glass. She bobbed to the surface screaming in pain as the vodka felt like molten lead in her wounds. She looked up above to see a teenage girl with her hand on the glass. Two guards approached. "Kyle! Bradley! Down here!" she yelled. "Drivers license miss" Kyle asked. The girl gave Jim the finger and raised her glass. She moved it to her mouth. "No...oh god no..." she muttered as she began swimming in the freezing alcoholic liquid. Her hands found the edge of the glass and as her bare feet found some degree of hold, an olive cracked her in the head making her fall right back in. She came up just as the glass was tipped.

"NOT LIKE THIS! NOT LIKE THIS!" Lucy screamed as a tidal wave washed her right into her mouth. "NOOOOOO!" she shrieked her the teen giantess wasted no time swallowing the liquid including Lucy. The girl grabbed her chips and ran. The guards chased her and radioed for backup. Susan spotted two guards at the lobby door and readied herself for a fight. Then they got a call on their walkies and ran past her. "Isn't Jackson on Pit duty? He usually catches the underage" one said. "He's with the boss right now" the other said. Sudan grinned at her lucky streak.

"My car. Now" Susan said to the valet. He looked at her irked at the traces of blood on her dress and the fact she was barefoot. "Chop fuckin' chop!" she yelled. The valet went to fetch the car. She snatched the keys from him, hopped in the vette, and roared off. A short time later, Susan was quietly changing her clothes in the rental parking lot. "What...who are you? How do you change size? Fuck is going on?!" Tina yelled. Susan pulled out a set of clothes for her. "There are people in the world that want to use magic to harm others. I'm someone that stops them from doing so" Susan replied. "Fuck kind of answer is that?!" Tina yelled. Susan handed her clothes and shut the trunk. "The only answer I have" she replied. She carried Tina to the rental office. "Hi! I'm so glad I saw you again! I followed your advice and asked him out. He said yes right off the bat!" the borrower girl said happily.

"Sounds great" Susan said. "I want to go to this restaurant tonight but it's usually booked solid" the girl said. Sudan handed her the keys and she climbed up to hang them up. With her back turned, Susan shot her with the Eye. "My advice is to try anyway. Never know. Might get lucky" Susan said smiling. "You got a friend there" she said seeing tins on her shoulder. "Yeah...a friend. I'm helping her move. Better life and all" Susan said. "Good for you. It gives me Hope seeing humans stick up for us" she said. Susan said nothing and smiled.

On the flight back, Tina was quiet for the first few hours. "We're you telling the truth about a borrower preserve or was that also a lie?" Tina asked. "Not a lie. The honest truth" Susan replied looking at the ocean out the window. "How many are there?" Tina asked. "Fluctuates but it's about 11,000 there right now. It's a small city. They have schools, pools, gyms, apartments and townhomes" Susan replied. Tina looked skeptical. It was created by my old boss Lily Durmont" Susan added.  "The borrower fashion mogul who recently died?" Tina asked. Susan curled into herself tighter. "Yep" she replied. There was a pause. "I'm sorry for your loss. As much knowledge, training, and power I have. I couldn't save him" Susan muttered shedding tears. "...you tried and that's what matters" Tina said. "Susan. Can I ask you something?" Tina said. She nodded. "When you had sex with us, was that a cover?" Tina asked.

"They were watching and I...I...I'm so lonely Tina. Borrowers my age have at least one kid and somebody there for them. Hard day today, prop your feet up and I'll suck your toes till you feel better. Bad dream, lay in my arms. Hungry, I'll fetch some grub. I have nobody in my life for that. One is a girl stinging from the loss of her mom and memories of torture. The other is married" Susan said. "What about this Keith guy? You said his name" Tina asked. "Married and my boss" Susan said. "Nice? Caring? Attentive to your emotional needs?" Tina asked. Susan nodded. "Then go to him. You don't need to outright fuck the guy. Or do you...?" Tina asked. "I wouldn't mind if he fucked me. I could do worse. No, that's the loneliness talking" Susan said shaking her head. "In any event, if he cares for you, he'll be there" Tina said. Susan felt humbled that this woman, pregnant with the child of her dead brother/mate would be cheering her up. It made her issues seem trivial.

Susan and Tina arrived home at 4 am. Still dark out, Susan directed her to social services which would set her up with a place to stay in the colony. She went into the mansion, undid her growth spell, and sat in the windowsill. "Mornin' or is it night?" Keith asked. "Jesus you scared the fuck outta me!" Susan said jumping nearly falling off the windowsill. "Sorry. Decided to stay up to welcome you home" he said. Susan could see how exhausted he looked as he sat at the kitchen table. She knew firsthand how hard he worked every day. "You didn't have to do that" she said. "Nonsense. What you went through was crazy. I wanted to make sure you were alright" he said. Susan hopped onto the table. "Is that the artifact?" he asked looking at the Eye on the table. She nodded. "Damn...looks so unimposing" he said poking it. Sudan took off her clothes.

"Keith...do...do you like me?" she asked. Keith nearly fell out of his chair seeing her stark naked. "Susan?" he asked. "Am I attractive to you. Do I...please you?" she mumbled. Keith hid his erection. Between the two of them, one knew he was sexually aroused by his smell, and the other knew not to lie to a girl who could literally smell lies. "Yeah" he muttered. "You can do things...if ya want. You can even suck on me" she muttered. "Susan..."

"My feet are nice and pedicured. I'm experienced with men..."

"...Susan" Keith muttered. His finger went to her and she closed her eyes. She felt the tip of his finger on the back of her head and felt it pull away leaving her long brown to fall away. "I love you so much but not in a way you're asking" he said very softly. Her eyes shot wide open. His finger gently petted her head. "Stop it. STOP BEING SO GODDAMNED NICE TO ME!" she screamed. Susan stood there sobbing. "You know how infuriating it is for someone like you to be so damn nice! Every girl wants to fuck you! Every damn one! And look what you did to me..." she cried. "Three minutes and 9 seconds" he muttered. "What?" she asked. "That's how long it takes to bury a borrower. Four minutes 12 seconds with honors. For the first few days after the battle, I watched as rows of small boxes were laid out. Each one a borrower inside. Their lives snuffed out. As the person in charge of THORN, it was my duty to walk about the colony telling their families they were dead."

"And some...some blamed my daughter for their loss. There was one girl that came to my room barely a week after the fight. She was at most 16. She stood there at the foot of my bed in the dead of night just staring at me. This girl...Susan this girl told me to eat her. I of course told her no. She went on to say her husband of two years had been killed in the fight and she couldn't live on with the pain" Keith said. "But why ask you that?" Susan asked. "Who I was? What I could do? Someone she could remotely trust to kill her? I don't have a fucking clue Susan. But I've seen that broken look before. Like there was nothing at the end of that dark tunnel" he said. "What did you do?" Susan asked. "I placed her on my pillow and told her if I couldn't convince her to live than I'd eat her alive" he replied.

"I talked for hours. Said she could find another person. Find love again. Start a family, a life among humanity. Nothing was getting through and dawn was soon approaching. She began taking off her clothes in preparation and she was so pretty. I wanted so much to hold her and keep her safe and that's when it came to me what I truly needed to say" he said. "What did you say Keith?" Susan asked. "I love you" he replied. "She just sank to her knees staring at me. I love you and I don't want to lose another person" I said. She looked right into my eyes, my exhausted bloodshot eyes. She ran to my cheek sobbing.

"Susan. She wanted to die because she thought there was nobody left on this earth that loved her. I love everyone because I know the power of those words. You guys aren't agents, employees, or random folk. You're my precious family. Come here sweetie" Keith said scooping her into his hands. "I really do love ya. Yeah you got sexy little feet and a butt to die for but its what's in here that gives me the reason to keep doing all this" he said pointing to her heart. He gently kissed her belly and nuzzled her some. "Made your point you big goof" Susan chuckled. "Can you do me a favor?" she asked. "Sure" he replied. "I want to sleep in your bed tonight. I just...just want to feel safe" she said. Keith carried her to his room. He undressed and placed her on his pillow. He turned the lights off. "If circumstances where different, would you have?" she asked. "Until you couldn't walk straight" he replied. Susan chuckled. Susan fell asleep very quickly after but Keith stayed awake. His eyes locked on her half covered little nude body.

She was lonely and it unnerved him that she reminded him of that girl from that night. In truth, it terrified him to send her on missions. Having access to Lily's files, he knew that no borrower agent was still alive from the time THORN was created. The average life expectancy for one was three years. He was conflicted. She was the absolute best but eventually her ticket would be punched no matter how lucky she was. And the thought of him lowering her mangled corpse into a shoebox caused his heart to skip a beat. That's assuming there was a corpse. Most agents lost were classified as MIA. Crushed or devoured left no or little traces of their existence. A sad fate for those brave enough to protect humanity from themselves. Keith petted her gently until her bare foot kicked him in the nose. He kissed her tiny sole before coving her up once more. "I do love you. I love you all" he muttered as he closed his eyes.

At an undisclosed location....

"This is outrageous! We lost Sagittarius and now Leo! This keeps up we won't be able to prepare for the Great Alignment!" Virgo yelled. "Gas the colony, burn them and take the Etherion child" Aquarius said. "And when the child wakes up?" Cancer asked. "Enough. The loss of Leo was a great blow but we did get something out of it. The name of this borrower. You can use that right Libra?" Ares asked. "Indeed, if Gemini assists me" Libra replied.  "The entire organization is the threat not just the borrower!" Virgo yelled. "My plan will kill two birds with one stone. I've arranged for it" Gemini said. "Very well. Proceed with you plan" Ares said looking at two identical young women both holding an ancient mirror...    

Susan made sure her uniform was straight before she walked in. Invited by the instructor to come, it was the first time she had been inside the academy since she finished her last round of training at 14. That was seven years ago but it felt like a lifetime for her. "Still smells the same" she said crinkling her nose. She stopped at the glass case in the lobby. Every semester, the academy would have a competition for the class. Top prize went to the first team and MVP. Back then, she couldn't compete in most challenges. Like the relay races, archery, or anything that demanded sight. However, she excelled in arcane and swordplay or martial contests in general. Susan remembered the girl who bested her in martial arts. Funny, good sportsmanship, a decent girl and gracious winner. She died two years later saving a young human girl who was playing with a shrinking arcane. It was a somber fact that the picture of the winning team for that year, less than half was still alive.

She glanced at a placard that held the names for those with unbroken records. Susan held the record still for sword quickdraw. "0.11 seconds. Nobody has cracked it?" she asked herself. Susan was sometimes humble to the point of ignorant sometimes as such a speed was faster than a human could react. More so impressive as she was not fortified at the time. She sighed and made her way to hall 1 where this crop of trainees was waiting. She walked in and saw the rows of fresh faces staring back at her. All were teenagers. Many as young as the minimum allowed age of 14. She estimated as many as 30 looking back at her.

"Ah. I see our visitor has arrived. Class. This is Susan Durmont codename agent Nightshade. She is the highest-ranking agent of THORN. Stand and salute" the instructor said. They got up in unison and clapped their hand over their heart. They sat back down. "You got them trained well Fiona" Susan whispered. "Agent Ivy is correct. I am the highest-ranking agent in THORN. I didn't come this way because I was simply good at my job. It took hard work, pain, and sacrifice to get this far. Each of you is expected of the same. You get me?" she asked. "We get you sir!" they responded. "Good. Now I'm open to any questions" she said. "Is it true you were blind?" a girl asked. "Yes. A human blinded me when I was 12. I joined THORN at 13 and honed my other senses to compensate. Not an easy task as some of my classmates forgot to wash their feet sometimes" Susan said smiling. A few chuckled.

"We're you scared on your first mission?" a boy asked. "You bet your ass. I was sent out on a antiquing mission. That's old speak for recon on a possible magic artifact. I remember it was raining. Heavy rain in Frankfurt Germany. Since I was new, I was restricted to healing and clairvoyant magic only. It was thought some old guy stumbled onto an old Norse arcane that controlled lightning. I remember the long climb down his chimney like fucking Santa Claus. The smell of wet soot in my nose. The coldness of brick on my bare feet. It was the dead of night and even in the darkness...well it was always dark for me then, I could smell something pungent in the air. The clairvoyant spell led me to his study where the old geezer was asleep in his chair. The old piece of parchment sat on his desk.  I climbed up. My heart pounded as he muttered in his sleep. I felt the parchment and concentrated. It was a fake. I scampered off and made my way back to the chimney and then I heard something. *Meowl...*" Susan said growling.

"A cat!" the boy asked. "A cat. Big fucking old tomcat and he could smell me. The pungent smell from earlier? Turns out it was cat piss. I couldn't see it but I could feel it getting closer and closer. It's muscles tightening as it got ready. I heard it spring from the floor and I dove left. The damn thing missed and slammed his head into a fireplace log. It was stunned long enough for me to escape up the chimney. I want you to learn from my mistake. Pay attention to your environment. You're surrounded by clues. Use your surroundings to your advantage. I got lucky. You might not be" she added.

"Is it true you can bend steel?" someone asked. "A needle yes but everything else is bullshit. We're borrowers not superheroes" she replied.  "Ma'am. There's a course coming up where we'll be divided up by gender. Can you tell us why as the instructors won't" a girl asked. Susan looked at Fiona who nodded. "That course involves sexuality. All agents run the high risk of being found and/or captured by humans. However, as new agents you'll be restricted on what spells you'll be allowed to use or know. What that means is the attack spells won’t be available nor should you use the, to hurt or kill innocent humans" she said. "But that isn't fair. We supposed to just let them kill us?" a random boy shouted. Sudan held her hand out to stop Fiona. "Consider this. A young 7-year-old human girl captured you. She wants to dress you up and play with you. She pokes and prods you. She even bruises you. Should you burn her to ashes where she stands?" Susan asked him. "...no. But that's a kid" he replied. "Humans are capricious beings. They change. Killing one that harmed you takes away any possible good they could do in the future. I'm not saying you should just give yourself over to death. I'm saying there's alternatives. Like using your body"

"Not only are they capricious, humans are sexual beings. They won't hesitate to take a peek at your genatialia or breasts. What it comes down to is the specific likes. Obviously male humans prefer female borrowers and the opposite is true also when it comes to female humans. The course will teach you how to use your body to buy time as it were. For females, showing off your breasts, your butt, your vagina, or your feet can make a human male think twice about hurting or killing you.  For males, your butt, toned chest, or a firm erection can enamor a human female...or male in the off chance. This will be covered in that course" Susan said. "Did it ever happen to you?" someone asked. "...no. I was very fortunate not to have to deal with that" Susan replied. There was an awkward silence. "Any other questions?" Susan asked. "Have you ever killed humans?" someone asked. Fiona went to say something and Susan stopped her again.

"Yes I have. Several. I stopped counting after 22" she replied. There was a murmur. "I should explain. There will be times when your mission requires it. Some humans are too strong willed to blank their memories or simply too dangerous. In those cases, the protocol is lifted. I've cut their throats, poisoned them, broken their necks. I've even crushed and eaten a few. Killing is one of those things that gets easier the more you do it. But I assure you, the image of your kill will never leave your mind. Their begging and pleading will stay with you" Susan said softly. Fiona could see the sadness in her eyes. "Stand and give thinks to our guest speaker" she ordered. They stood and clapped. Susan politely nodded and left. She went out to a particular training ground meant to practice growing spells.  She scratched one out in the dirt and grew. Once she was human sized, she sat down and brought her knees to her chest. She didn't wish to dwell on what the therapist saying that being human sized was her safe zone.

She sat there for the better part of an hour thinking about the lives she took. The ones that pleaded they had a family was the worst. She knew it was for the greater good but she couldn't shake that feeling. She couldn't see them as she was blind then but her advanced hearing caught every crack and croak of their voice as they begged.  Lily had taught them to compartmentalize their emotions by using the same training Puck gave her years ago. That didn't mean they were scrubbed out of their minds though. "What they asked got to you didn't it?" Fiona asked tapping her shoe. "I guess so" Susan replied. Fiona climbed up her and perched herself on her shoulder. They could see the entire academy. "It was easier back then. Good guys and bad guys. Nowadays it's evil, good, and shades of grey. How did it get so muddled?" Susan asked. "It was never muddled. You saw the world one way and time showed you how it really looks" Fiona replied.

"There were times when I got this rush killing. That desire to see them squirm under my feet. To scramble for their lives on my tongue. And when I got home I'd cry myself to sleep thinking I was a psychopath. I once told Lily I was pissed she assigned me guard duty of Rose but seriously I was thankful. I feared the killing was turning me into what we trained to fight. A murderous magic user" Susan said. "You've saved the lives of countless thousands. There is a karmic price to pay when you deal in evil. If you fret and feel remorse for killing then good for you. Psychos don't give a fuck. Did you ever...of course you didn't. Lily used to have this sad and worried look on her face when we left on missions. She knew the dangers we faced but more so the mental trauma that came with it. We were like her kids to her. Well not you. I heard the stories" Fiona chuckled. Susan blushed bright red.

"It's natural to look back at things like that but I can tell you with certainty that the world as better off for doing it" Fiona added. Susan nodded. "Flower power?" Fiona asked holding out her fist. "Flower power" Sudan chuckled tapping it with her fingertip. Susan sniffed the air. "You're pregnant?" she asked. "You just noticed? Well, I am wearing baggy clothes today" Fiona replied. "That's your second?" Susan asked. "Third. Had one 5 months ago" Fiona replied.  "What? Why didn't you tell me? We could've had a baby shower" Susan asked. "You weren't around" Fiona replied. Susan hung her head. "You were grieving and needed space. I understand" Fiona said. "Not an excuse to push people away like I did" Susan said. "Hey look. No stretch marks!" Fiona said lifting her shirt. Susan chuckled at her. She rubbed her finger up and down her medium sized baby bump. "I think I might want a baby" Susan said.

"Oh? Well you have some fans I assure you. But I thought you only like girls" Fiona said. "I've been going through changes lately. Made me rethink some things" Susan said. "I'm glad you came today Susan. I missed my classmate" Fiona said softly wiping her eyes. "Love ya too. You were always there for me in training. I couldn’t have asked for a more patient partner" Susan said. "Hey, you put up with my corny jokes" Fiona laughed. "And you were kind enough to wash your feet before sparring with me" Susan snickered. Suddenly, Susan felt very strange. She gripped her head. "What's wrong?" Fiona asked concerned. "I...I have to go to the mansion" she said with little emotion. Fiona tumbled off barely landing on her feet as Susan stood up. "Susan?" Fiona asked worried.

A minute before...

"Is your mirror in place?"  Libra asked on a magical link.  "Of course it is! We want to finish this as quickly as possible! It's insulting to have to shrink down and pass as borrowers!" the male twin said. "Excuse me Libra but isn't it easier to just order her to kill herself?" the female twin asked. "It is but we must take away THORN's ability to oppose us. I don't want to admit it, but this is the best I can do. Keep in mind our target is descended from fae and has magical resistance. If I was toe to toe with her, I might be able to command her to slit her throat. At this range this is the best I can do. Now let me concentrate" Libra said looking up the driveway to the mansion. "Adet. Susan Durmont felt the need to return to the mansion. Once inside, she made her way to the living room where a mirror sat on the table. She felt the irresistible urge to touch it" Libra said writing in her book.

Susan entered the mansion and made her way right to the living room. She felt dizzy as her legs and feet moved on their own. She wanted to cry out but couldn't. Then she entered the living room. The twins watched the giantess pass right before them heading to their mirror. "A mirror?" she asked seeing on the table. She was drawn to it. Made of gold and jade around the edges with the face of polished platinum. Susan bent down to touch it. She had too. And when she did, writing, ancient writing glowed red and there was a flash of light. Susan screamed as whatever force brought her there had done its work and let its hold on her go. She felt like she was falling and when she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the living room.

"About damn time" a woman hugged standing where Susan had been. The twins emerged from their hiding place. The woman bent down and kicked her lips at the shrunken twins. "Get whatever thought you have out your head or you'll go right back where you came from" the male twin said.  "Just kidding. Everyone uptight in this world or just you two?" she asked. "You got what you wanted. A world where you can take control of THORN and use its power as you want" the female twin said. Both of them canceled their shrinking spells and grew back to normal. "Can you uphold your end of the bargain?" the male asked. "If they're as peace loving and trusting as you said...of course I can. I'm Susan Durmont. Viceroy and commander of THORN" the woman said chuckling.     

Susan opened her eyes. "Fuck...me..." she said clearing the spots out of her eyes. She immediately looked around trying to make sense of what had happened. "The vault? How the fuck did I end up here?" she said recognizing the armored vault where THORN stored legitimate dangerous artifacts. However, she could tell something wasn't right. "The Ring of Shishak. The Tome of Nicodemus... where are they?" she asked herself not seeing them. She walked around for a moment looking at artifacts she'd never seen before. "I have clearance to know all of the artifacts seized. How come I don't...wait. That one I remember! I touched it and I woke up down here!" she said recognizing the mirror. Susan touched it nervously...and nothing happened. "That's fuckin' weird. I'll ask Keith if he knows about that thing" she thought as she went to leave. She stopped as the familiar keypad was replaced with a biometric sensor. "When did they install this?" she asked herself touching the pad. "Susan Durmont. Access granted" it said before unlocking the sealed door.

The door sealed behind her. "Jesus!" she yelled startled by borrower soldiers saluting her at her feet standing on each side of the door. "Uh...carry on I guess" she said saluting back. Susan shook her head wondering why the extra security. It was unnecessary in her mind. The vault in question was in reality a nuclear fallout shelter built back in the mid 60's. After the Cuban missile crisis, Lucius Durmont, Lily, father in law and grandfather to Rose, built the shelter in fear that the next crisis would lead to all-out war. It was a daunting and remarkable feat. Built under the foundation, it extended 65 ft long and 30 ft. wide. Lined with lead and made mostly of stainless steel, it was rated to ride out the blast wave of a 30-kiloton detonation. The main fear being such an attack would be used to wipe out the Royal National Guard base just 5 miles outside Yorkshire. Large enough to shelter the Durmonts, the servants and maids, and their families for three months.

Decades passed and everything went to Lily after her husband died including the shelter. When she procured her first artifact, she realized that the shelter was perfect to store objects just as dangerous if not more than a tactical nuclear weapon. A keypad was installed for added security and only a handful of people knew the code. With such defenses (as the walls themselves were over three feet thick) Susan thought it excessive to need biometrics and guards.

Susan emerged from the stairway to the main floor. She paused as the very air smelled different. The living room was off. Chairs moved or missing. Pictures she didn't recognize. "Viceroy. The chancellor requests your presence in the central square" a voice said at her feet. Another soldier. "Who in the what now?" Susan asked. "I said the chancellor requests your presence in the central square" he said on bended knee. "Okay. Wait...who..." she was saying before the small man ran off. "Who the fuck is the chancellor...and did he call me viceroy?" she asked. The center square was of course the center of the colony. Susan headed there and as soon as she opened the doors leading out, she froze. "It's official. I lost my fuckin' marbles" she muttered seeing a colony considerably different from the one she knew. There was far more barracks then before. The buildings were taller. Some as high as her shoulder. And at the top of each one was an unusual flag. A thorny rose wrapped around the world as if strangling it. And the most baffling of all was the fact the colony was three times as large as normal.

As Susan tip toed through the street, people bowed before her, ran into their homes, or saluted. In the distance she could see a familiar face. She got closer to him. "Keith oh thank God. I need help. I think I'm having...what's going on?" she asked as she got close. Keith held his hand out to silence her. In the center of the square was four small people. Brown skinned and black hair. "Yaksha?" she thought. "You have been convicted of crimes against the state. Under law, you are permitted one final plea of mercy" Keith said. "The Blue Heaven will one day..." *crunch*

The young man's words were abruptly silenced by Keith's foot. "He wasted his words. And what of you three?" he asked. They didn't say a word or even move. Keith raised his foot over the next one and crushed him so fast his blood splattered on the girl next to him. Susan was aghast in shock. He turned his attention to another girl and she bolted with her hands still tied behind her back. He yanked her up so fast her sandals fell off her feet. She screamed in Thai as Keith pushed her into his mouth. Slowly he sucked on her and lowered himself down onto the street. His face only a foot away from the last girl still standing still. He opened his mouth and she could hear her friend, possibly her sister, sobbing. She glanced up to look and Keith took that moment to spit his victim's salvia-soaked clothes at her. They hit her almost hard enough to knock her down and she watched as the giant swallowed his victim alive.

"And now it's just you. Still stoic? I could include you in my harem if you ask nicely. Decent bone structure. Wide hips. Nice feet. Good breeding stock" he muttered. The girl flinched for a moment and blood began to rapidly pool out her mouth. She spat her own tongue out.  "Oh my god" Susan thought feeling sick. Keith nodded to carry her body out as she fell to the street. "I expected you here before me knowing you like a good execution. What kept you?" Keith asked.  "I...I...was running late" Susan stammered trying to grasp the insanity of her surroundings. "Does it have to do with the negotiations scheduled with the French prime minister next week?" he asked. "Yeah! Yeah I was going over the schedule for it" she replied. "Well no need to work yourself to death for it. Either they agree to our terms or end up like the UK. That reminds me, has there been word from Fiona about committing some forces to the schools? I want this generation to grow up knowing that borrowers are to be respected" he asked. "None that I'm aware of" Susan replied. Keith shrugged and sighed.

Susan followed him out of a need to understand. He prattled on about forces, troops, allotments, provisions, and those he said were "losing their usefulness". "Youve barely said a word. Ill?" he asked. "Just tired is all. It's been a busy day" she said. "Tell me about it. It's barely past noon and I've had to contend with executions, an uprising in Dover, the US president whining on the phone, and...one second" he said. "What? Where? I see. I'll be there soon. Just hold the line" Keith said ending the message sent to his mind. "It never ends. You'd think conquering the British Isles would give a man a moment of fucking peace. I have...we have a situation in in Liverpool. It appears the US president was fucking with me this morning when he wanted "peaceful negotiations". If he thinks using antique tanks and planes to get around our dampening field is enough then he's a fool" Keith hissed. "US tanks and shit are in Liverpool?!" Susan asked. "Not for fucking long. I'll give the task to Hope and I'll just supervise. She's been bugging me about helping her dad more. Oh, before I go, I wanted to tell you to go over the proposal sent by Germany concerning rehabilitation for their gremlins. Need a second opinion" Keith said before walking to the mansion.

Keith called her name and Hope appeared out of thin air. "You want to help dad right? Take us to Liverpool honey" he said. She looked exactly the same except her clothes were jet black and was barefoot. She was human sized just as they were which was strange in of itself as Hope preferred being tiny. "Is something wrong?" Hope asked. "Some angry people with guns showed up and want to come hurt us" Keith replied. "I won't let them dad. Is mom coming?" she asked looking at Susan. "No, she's staying here to watch the house" he replied. Susan's heart skipped a beat. "She called ME mom?!" Susan thought. "But she'll miss the fun. I wanted to show her how big I can get" she whined. "There'll be time for that another day. Let's get going sweetheart" he said. "Okay. Bye mom. I'll be sure to take pictures for you!" she said happily before teleporting herself and Keith away. Susan fell to her knees in shock. She gripped her head. "Nothing...makes...sense!" she yelled. Any maids nearby quickly scampered out of the living room as the outbursts of their mistress usually led to deaths.

"His office. There must be answers there. Yeah, answers. I'm...I'm not crazy" she muttered shaking as she got up and made her way to his office.

Back in the normal world...

Mirror Susan looked upon the colony with disdain. "This is all they did? They never expanded beyond this? I bet borrowers are still shit on in this world. They didn't do a damn thing to secure our right to a nation of our own" she muttered. Where she thought to be barracks, there were flower and bread shops. Training facilities were coffee shops and books stores. Even the main training facility was nothing but a collection of tennis, track, and pools. She took little care walking through the colony. People dove out the way to avoid her feet with a few yelling at her. "This is it? This is THORN? They couldn't conquer Yorkshire let alone the island. If this is all they have then conquering them would be like twisting a baby's arm" she chuckled. Her foot moved aside smashing an apple cart. "Jesus Christ Susan! You forgot to watch where you plant your fucking feet?!" a young man yelled at her. Susan bent down on her knees. "Care to repeat that?" she asked.

"I said you smashed my damn cart with your damn foot!" he yelled. Susan slipped her sneaker off. "Sorry. I sometimes have trouble walking when my feet are sore. Maybe I need a better insole" she said plucking the man up from the street. She dropped him into her shoe and shook it. Susan chuckled as she could hear him rattle around coughing and gagging at the smell of soaked in foot sweat. She slipped her foot back in pushing the man right to the front. His screaming and squirming tickled her toes as she placed them over his body securing him underneath for safe keeping. Of course this didn’t go without notice. People started in astonishment. "Fuck y'all lookin' at? Get back to whatever the fuck y'all do here" she growled. People hurried along fearing whatever came over the well-known giantess before them.

She felt hungry. She kept looking around. "Not even a fucking prison camp to tide me over" she sighed before walking. Every step she took tickled her right foot. She could feel his head jammed into her sweaty sock. Begging for forgiveness. Crying for help. All he got in return was a mouthful of putrid air. God she was hungry. She walked to the Western edge of the colony.  It had been mostly rebuilt from the time Claire had crashed right through it that fateful day. At this time of day, older teens had just returned from technical school. One if the systems Keith created for borrowers to continue education past high school (or the borrower equivalent thereof). In her world, such a thing didn't exist. Curious, she got on her knees and looked through each window. The campus dorms (available for borrowers wanting to live on their own away from parents) had refilled from the day. Susan found it an abhorrent waste. "They should be training to protect themselves and the homeland. They're useless" she muttered seeing cute rooms adorned very similar to human college students.

Her gaze caught someone's attention. A young man of 18 was drying himself off with a towel after a long day of classes when he noticed a large eye in his bathroom window. He opened it wondering who it could be. He gasped as he recognized who it was. "H..hi" he stammered as he had a crush on the woman like many others. "Hi yourself. You're cute. Can you come closer?" she asked. The young man stepped onto his veranda. Susan smiled at him. "I like a borrower that keeps fit" she said using her finger to slip off his towel. He was mesmerized at her winking gaze. Susan puckered her lips and the young man leaned forward. To him this was a dream come true.

When he got close enough, her lips parted and enclosed around his head. With a quick slurp, he was in her mouth. Susan waited no time swallowing him alive. Unsatisfied, she went to another window. A girl of similar age had her back turned to her window no seeing the giant fingers coming for her. She heard a sound as the window was slid open. Susan yanked her out and devoured her. She felt no guilt at the teens in her tummy dying slowly. Where she came from even the simplest arcane spell was known to stop an attacker. If they were weak, it was on them. Tied over, she went back to the mansion.

Making her way past the kitchen, she froze as Keith came around the corner. "How did it go at the academy?" he asked. "...fine. Just fine" she said. "I see you suited up for it. I don't recognize the emblem though" he said glancing at it. She turned her body. "Just something I'm toying with" she muttered. "You're not still upset about the other night, are you?" he asked. "No. I'm over it. Wasn't that big of a deal" she said no knowing what he was referring to. "Wasn't that...Susan you were begging me to have sex with you. Maybe I'm giving off mixed signals but..."

"You said what you had to say" she said coldly. "Susan. Please don't be angry with me. It wouldn't be fair to either of us" he said placing his hand on her shoulder. She spun around and gripped it tightly. "Ow! Susan that hurts!" he yelled. She let go. "Okay. I'll...I'll just give you some space" he said walking away. Keith felt two of his fingers broken. "Did he do something to piss you off?" a voice said at her feet. "Rose?" Susan asked astonished. "Who else would it be?" she asked. Susan bent down and snatched her up.  

Susan cuddled her pushing the girl on her cheek. "Easy Suzie! You're squeezing me!" Rose yelled. Susan eased up and held her in her palm. "It's just...been awhile since I've seen you" Susan said. "You saw me this morning! You been drinking?" Rose asked. Susan rubbed her finger along her face. "Suzie...what's the matter?" Rose asked worried. "I just love you is all. We take for granted those in our lives and when they leave us..." Susan said choking back tears. Rose fingered she was relapsing on her mother's death. "I'm not going anywhere. Come up to my room. You can dote on me if you want" Rose said. Susan smiled at carried her to her room. Rose did her homework worried. As Susan laid next to her, she could see her eyes never leaving her. Her giant fingers rubbing her tiny feet. Her thumb rubbing her back. Her eyes looked as if pleading that she loved her. She had never seen Susan this upset before.

"You smell nice" Susan said. "Well I took a shower" Rose said. "No I mean YOU smell nice" Susan said. "Really? Thought you said my scent reminded you of mom" Rose asked. Susan didn't say anything but kept petting her little body. As time passed, Rose fell asleep from the message. Susan kissed her tiny soles and bare tummy before tucking her into bed. The time was 8:14 in the evening and still slightly early. She hurried out of the room to hers as she had to make preparations. She thought she was prepared for anything coming to this world. The Gemini twins said there would be differences, but she never expected to see Rose. For in her world...Rose was dead.

Back in the Mirror World...

Susan's hand trembled as she moved the mouse. She had access to his personal computer which kept detailed files on his operations. One file was a continuous journal of sorts detailing hat Keith had done in the last two years. It was very well hidden in the directory and Susan opted to open it hoping it would shed light on the insane world she found herself in. In the beginning, it looked normal. His entries spoke of his life with Claire and Aspen back in the states. Most of that was the same as what Keith told her some time ago. And then there was a difference that seemingly set everything in motion down a very dark and different path.

"After weeks of work, the vote on borrower rights has come. Claire and Aspen are very hopeful about it going through. I have my doubts. I've seen the darkness of the human heart. I don't tell them about it as Claire is due to give birth any day now and Aspen has her hands full. Supplementary entry. The vote failed by a small margin. I knew this wouldn't work. Humans will never give us rights. Not when it's so easy to enslave us. History has shown that the end of slavery and oppression comes not by shaking hands but by force. Shortly after we left the building, we were attacked by Ebonheart. The same Ebonheart that Oberon warned us about. Claire was eaten by her right before our eyes. Her love gone. My child gone. I made a deal to save Aspen as it was clear that Ebonheart had no problems taking Aspen by force"

"Facing a magical foe, me and Aspen decided to use her grandmother's books to find magical races of tiny people. If fae and koonago existed why not others?"

"We discovered the Yaksha. A peace-loving people but strong in magic. Apparently, they're the mortal enemies of the Mogwai. When we explained the threat of Ebonheart, their council decided not to help us. However, one of their kind did agree to help when the time came. A girl named Lawan. I feel drawn to her but Aspen needs me more than ever. Now I have to master this sword given to me by Oberon"

"Our encounter with the Alux didn't go well at all to say the least. I tried to help the one called Elena and we got kidnapped. They wanted to turn us into breeding stock for some reason. When they grabbed Aspen, I snapped. I saw red. By the time I came to, I was human sized and my hands, feet, and mouth was covered in blood. I had a full stomach. It was clear why. Aspen looked at me like I was some kind of monster. Doesn't she know I'm doing all this for her?! For our baby?!"

"I met Lily. A fae with very strong powers. She told us who she was and what she really did. We couldn't believe it. Claire’s grandmother and a spymaster at that. She asked me to do a mission and I agreed. It would work in our favor to have a powerful ally like her"

"I burned the entire facility to the ground. Oberon won't speak to me. He said it was a mistake to have awakened in me early and this was a coincidence. Ever since the day Ebonheart appeared to us, Oberon has been my guide into magics. I think I really disappointed my teacher. Too bad. He kept things from us. Claire would be alive today if he spoke up sooner"

"Lawan sent me a message. The Mogwai have made an alliance with Ebonheart. Her council finally agreed to an alliance. With that we're moving to Lily' estate in Yorkshire"

"We know the day of the attack thanks to Lawan. We have a plan and our forces are ready. No surrender. No retreat. It's them or us"

"Pelé made contact with us. I had written off the Menehune as being useless to our cause like some others but a goddess lending her power can't be dismissed. Rose agreed to be the vessel of her Etherion seed. Lily immediately rejected the idea saying it should be her. Rose was the better choice as being in better shape to handle such power"

"It's awesome to see such power in Rose. I wonder if it's enough. I got a report from Japan about Ebonheart stealing an artifact. Don't know why"

"I write this just a hour before the battle. Aspen can barely move so I've been carrying her in my hand the whole time. If we survive this, I'm going to marry her. She...she still looks at me funny. I hope she says yes."

"...it's over. Oh god. We won but at what cost? The city is burning still. We're counting the dead even hours after. Rose was magnificent. Like a burning angel in the sky. She saved my daughter and pushed back Ebonheart. And when this freak Ikaros appeared, she gave it her all. There was this flash of light. Light so bright you could see it with your eyes closed. Ikaros was a scorched mess and Rose...Rose held on long enough to die in her mother's hands. Releasing so much power so suddenly was like exploding a magic time bomb. Her mortal body couldn't handle the stress. That wasn't the only heartfelt loss for us. Aspen died in the opening moments. Ebonheart just crushed her flat where she laid. I lost myself again right then and only awoke just as Rose fried Ikaros. The Mogwai tried to retreat but I ordered my newborn daughter to destroy them. Each one just fell to ashes where they stood. Ebonheart pleaded for mercy. I told Hope to bind her soul permanently to her host. Once that was done, I took Rune Breaker and ran her through. Fuck mercy"

"The Yaksha turned on us. They declared Hope to dangerous to roam free and said to turn her over to be bound until further notice. When I drew my sword, it shrank. It rejected me. No matter. Hope is more than enough to deal with them. I gave their forces a choice. Either surrender or have them homeland exposed. They surrendered"

"Reconstruction has begun. With our Yaksha "guests", it's coming along quickly. Very soon I'll begin the plan to create a safe homeland of our own"

"July 7, 2018 is a day we'll all remember. After submitting a request for borrower rights to Parliament, we waited hoping they would see reason. A protected land and recognized rights for our kind. Took them all of 6 hours to refuse. Fine. I gave them a chance. I had Hope cast a spell killing all electronic equipment in the UK. Like a magical EMP. Thousands died in the first hour. We watched as planes dropped out of the sky. London burned that night from looting. We returned to Parliament the next day and told them what had occurred, how, and if they didn't surrender to our demands...we'd do far worse."

"It was like they armed a junkyard. Machines not in service since the 50's tried to wipe us out. Technically, they're still out there. They got within a mile before being shrunk to the size of ants. Wonder how many are still alive. Lots of carnivorous bugs this time of year."

"I forged my own sword. I needed a symbol for myself. I called it Spell Edge. It relies on different forms for techniques and better yet it evolves. I made Oberon tell me how to create it. Didn't know a soul could feel pain without a body. Luckily it can. Just in time too as the entire British army is converging on me"

"I sent an envoy with a very special message to one of their generals. She arrived carrying a box. A box containing the city of Coventry. If they didn't surrender, more cities would be shrunk. 360,000 humans no bigger than dust mites as hostages. They surrendered by sundown"

"Well it was only natural. NATO tried to nuke me. Too bad that their electronic fuses didn't arm when it passed the dampening field. I sent them to Parliament saying "no thanks. They clash with the lawn furniture" I think they understand their place now. I opened talks about restoring power to basic infrastructure if they behave from now on"

"After weeks of working on it, I perfected Spell Edge. What was missing was a soul for it to anchor the enchantments. Of all people, Rebecca volunteered. I explained the consequences of her body not having a soul. "As long as it will keep our people safe" she said. It's clear she's still grieving over Claire and probably Aspen too. Not wanting Ritchie and Thomas to end up dead must be her worst fear now. Her body is like a robot now. Honestly, I don't know what her family is going to do about that"

"With their attack failed, Theresa May herself opened talks with me. She said I was like Hitler. No. I'm more like Moses leading my people to the promised land. She said I was mad. That was trying to conquer the world. No, I would be better than the humans. The world tried to conquer us and they failed. All they had to do was recognize our right to exist. I'll shove it down their damn throats if I have to"

"I didn't mean for it to happen. I swear I didn't. Lily and I got into an argument about the future of our people. How could I preach about freedom when I keep Yaksha in bondage? She actually asked me that. When I told her I would let them go when they decided not to attack my child she attacked me with magic. Said I went off the deep end and that she would fix what I did. I used the spell error technique as she used wind magic. The gust blew her right through the balcony window and she fell. She died instantly. If they knew the truth it would divide our people. I told them she committed suicide over Rose"

"Continued rebellions this week after I dissolved the Parliament. Naming myself chancellor certainly didn't help. I'm sending Briar Patch to deal with it. It might be heavy handed but I won't tolerate anything that may endanger our order"

"The rebellions have mostly ended. Guess seeing your friends shrunk and left to die takes away your urge to spray paint and break windows. I decided to ask Susan to marry me. With the loss of Lily and Rose, she's grown despondent. Sad that she can't have children because of what the humans did to her when she was a kid"

"It was a nice ceremony. Susan looked so pretty in her gown. Hope is very happy to have a new mom. I hope Susan likes having a stepdaughter too. With personal business dealt with, now the task at hand is Europe itself. France is open to negotiations. Good. They will make a nice ally when the time for Germany comes around. Susan proposed an interesting project. Mating borrowers with Yaksha. In theory the offspring would have our talents and theirs. I'm not too keen on mixing our species but a stagnant species is doomed to extinction. I probably will give her my blessing"

Susan sat there motionless. She regretted ever opening his journal. Lily and Rose was dead because of him. Thousands of humans dead because of him. He turned her organization into some kind of perverted nationalistic army. He conquered the British Isles and was set to move into Europe itself. He had set up rape camps and worse of all...she was married to him. She felt sick. "If I hadn't touched that mirror" she muttered. She shot up and began looking through the files on artifacts. "There it is. Yata no Kagami. Says here it was taken from Japan four months ago. Hmm....damn. Nothing on what it does. There has to be something" she said. "We're back mom!" Hope yelled rushing to hug her. Susan went rigid as the girl embraced her stepmother. Susan awkwardly patted her head. "I helped dad defeat the Americans!" she said grinning. Susan cringed as she could see bloodstains on her teeth. "That's right. You'd be proud" Keith said entering the room. Susan closed the files.

"Wish could've been there" Susan chuckled. Susan decided to play it cool. If Keith was capable of killing Lily with barely any remorse, no telling what he might do to her to protect his homeland. "I can show you mom!" Hope said as her eyes flared up.  Instantly, Susan felt strange. There was a softness under her feet. She found herself looking down at them seeing her toes painted black. Around her was small buildings. Then she heard a girlish giggle. "You feel okay honey?" Keith asked. "The grass tickles my feet" Hope replied. Susan gasped as she realized she was experiencing everything Hope had just hours before. She was in control of nothing. All she could do was watch...and feel.

"Don't worry about crushing the buildings. It's clear the people are in league with these bad humans that came here" Keith said. Hope looked down seeing a small group of humans fleeing. With childish glee, she raised her foot over them and slammed it down. Slammed it down with enough force to buckle the old street and shake old buildings off the foundations. Susan felt the wetness under her sole. How small they were meant Hope and Keith were easily over 500 ft. tall. Susan knew the humans didn't stand a chance against such power. Hope smashed her way through the city right to the docks where the Americans had landed their forces. "Wow. Haven't seen that shit outside of museums. Are those Sherman?" he asked loudly. The civilians retreated immediately leaving the soldiers with their tanks and artillery alone.

They opened fire and Hope just stood there grinning as their shells just went up in smoke literally. Hope bent down. "What should I do dad?" she asked. "Don't kill them all quickly. They need to understand what they're dealing with. You haven't eaten lunch yet have you?" he asked. She shook her head. "Eat a bunch of them up baby" he said riffling her hair. "Okay!" she yelled. Hope began scooping them up by the dozens and dropping them in her mouth. She giggled as after swallowing them alive she could feel them in her tummy. Keith watched for minutes on end as his giant child devoured an entire battalion. "The...hmmgh" she mumbled. "Don't talk with your mouth full" Keith said. She swallowed. "They taste salty when you chew them up" she said. "Yeah they do. Do overeat now" she warned. Hope nodded and finished off another hundred. The Americans were screwed. The giant and giantess blocked forward motion, the ocean was behind them and loading soldiers back onto landing craft was slow going. They had come with a force of 7,000 to prepare a beach head in Liverpool as they were told the civilians was on their side. They didn't know that Keith had stationed at least one human sized borrower at every port town.

Hope let out a colossal belch shattering windows. She patted her tummy. Keith watched as she stood back up and began squishing them a few at a time. Susan cringed as she felt their tiny bodies pop between her dirty toes. Bloody footprints littered the destroyed port. Bodies pounded flat scattered around. Keith took notice as Hope began to breathe harder. She grabbed at least 50 of them and dropped them into her panties. "Hope wait..." Keith said. She ignored him as her teenage libido forced her to push them en masse into her pussy. Susan could barely handle it herself. So much writhing in her cunt made her shiver as she was entranced. Hope let out a moan as she came. "I really wish you asked first" Keith said. "Why?" Hope asked trying to stand. "That's...big girl stuff. You're...damn that Japanese box" he hissed. "Just take it easy" he said. Hope shrugged as she cleaned herself out.

Those still alive and watching felt the helplessness of fighting them. She had just used them as loving sex toys. What else could she do to them. And worse yet, the older one had done nothing and commanded her. No doubt he was worse than she was. "Stop" Keith said holding his arm out. "Why? They’re gonna get away!" she said. "I know. If you kill them all it'll just piss them off. Leave some alive and they'll spread word about what we did" he replied. Keith took her hand and led her into the cool Atlantic water. Their thick skin insulated them from the freezing coldness. Blood, guts, and flattened bodies washed away like common dirt. They screamed at one another for them to go faster as the titans followed. Their footsteps so heavy the prints on the ocean floor would remain for months. "Take us home" Keith commanded. The survivors watched the gigantic beings disappear in a blast of light. Hope released Susan from the link.

"That's...nice" Susan said trying not to shake. "Hope. Get the servants to bathe you. Get that salt off ya" Keith said. "Can't you do it dad?" Hope asked. "No. I want to spend time alone with your mom. Now go on" he said ruffling her messy hair. "You ate dinner?" he asked when they were alone. "I had some...Asian cuisine" she replied with a fake smile. Keith laughed. "Fair enough. Just leave the girls to me. Come join me in our private bath" he said pulling on her hand. Keith led her to the private bath. A bath she knew well as it was Lily's in both worlds. One of the few luxuries Lily afforded herself. Keith took off his clothes and Susan reluctantly followed suit. The irony of not wanting to show her body to him was not lost on her. Susan nearly stepped on three attendants as she rushed into the water. Keith took his time however.

He eyed every servant (12 in all).  Handpicked just to wash their bodies. Needless to say, every one of them in their teens and attractive. Susan watched him put his feet up and lay still as half of the servants crawled on his chest to soap and wash it. Not wanting to stand out, Susan did the same. She watched them clean her belly, tits, and cleavage like a team. Four of them Yaksha and no doubt slaves. "So you approve of Germany's proposal?" he asked. "It...had merit. It does account for the gremlins" she replied. "Though so too. They would be a powerful ally in trade" he said. Keith moved his body placing servants in his short brown hair. His eyes closed as tiny hands lathered shampoo into his scalp.

"Hope did well today but she needs to learn constraint" he muttered. "You mean putting them in her panties?" she asked. "Yeah. We can't deny her instincts. We got a few years but we can’t keep pretending she doesn't have a sex drive" he said. That unnerved her. Not the response but the fact he sounded so much like her Keith back home. Keith flipped over for them to wash his back. It occurred to Susan she needed to move around as well. "Ireland has been toeing the line fairly well. I thought they'd give us more trouble really. They're offering full rights and sovereignty (like they got a choice) if we give them independence. What do you think?" he asked. Susan carefully placed her servants on her back. "I uh...think we should" she replied. "Oh? That's a big gamble. We lose valuable territory and resources" he said. "True but..eek!" she yelped as a servant found her asshole.

She squirmed naturally as the small young man cleaned her rectum and crack. Fighting the whole time not to clench up knowing it would doom him. When he stopped, she wasted no time flipping on her back. "You were saying dear?" Keith chuckled. "Yes. Our biggest issue is legitimacy right? Well, if we grant them independence then Ireland agrees we're the legitimate government of England. That would play well with other nations and keep others at bay for fear of pissing off Ireland" she said watching as servants took their time cleaning her pussy. One small person would hold their breath and dive down an inch or two, wash, and then come up for air. "That's a very valid point. Funny if coming from you though. You're usually pretty gung-ho about sticking it to humans. You seem different today. Very...different" he said narrowing his eyes.

Susan got very worried. She took whomever was washing her cunt, rubbed them violently in it and then tossed them into the water grinning. "A girl can't have a good day?" she asked. She was relieved that the servant survived. Coughing and gasping for air but alive. "Fair enough" he said scooting closer and opposite of her. He placed three servants on the tops of her feet. "Gentle you shits. Her toes are sensitive" he growled. He looked pleased as they washed and scrubbed between her toes. Susan bit her lip as he didn't know how truly sensitive her feet were. "Your scar. Where is it?" he asked. She tensed up. "Scar?" she asked trying to follow his eyes. They were locked onto her upper crotch. "You know the scar. The one the human girl gave you in that pet shop" he said. She realized that since this world was different, there would be some subtle changes that took place well before all this.

"You mean that" she said playing it cool. "Yes that. You said you'd never fix that scar as it reminded you of the cruelty of humans. It did leave you sterile" he said. Susan cocked an eye. "Now it makes sense. In my world, she sprayed bleach in my eyes. In this world, she must've used a needle or something to stab me down there" she thought. "I can't live in the past. I have more than enough reasons to hate humans" she replied. She held her breath as Keith looked at her hard. Keith kept an eye on her as he sucked her big toe. His lips moved to another and she could hear the servant in the way screaming for him not to. Keith ignored her pleas and slurped her right off her second toe. With a grin he swallowed. "Full of surprises today" he said. Their bath done he took her back to their bedroom.

Keith pushed her onto the bed. "Aren’t you tired?" Susan asked as he climbed onto the bed. "Not too tired to love you" he replied. Her heart skipped a beat. It was his voice saying this after all. She pushed it out of her mind remembering this was not her Keith. Susan did not want to have sex with him, but he already noticed some odd things about her today. Denying him would certainly put him on notice. She looked at him trying to hide her fear as his cock pushed into her. "Jesus. Were you always this tight?" he groaned as he bottomed out. He leaned in sucking her nipples as he began to slowly fuck her. Susan didn't know what to truly make of it all. She wanted Keith to fuck her. To breed her but not this one. He looked the same, sounded the same, smelled the same so her instincts said it was him. Her mind knew different.

She grew frightened of herself as she admitted she felt good. He was gentle with her. Nibbled on her instep as his cock poked her g spot. His teeth on her toes as he sped up. "It isn't him! IT'S NOT HIM!" she screamed in her mind. And she moaned loudly as his warm seed filled her up nicely. She hated herself so badly right then. Her body felt like a betrayal.  Keith lay next to her panting. "I wasn't too rough was I?" he asked. "No. I'm fine" she muttered. "Just wish you could get pregnant. I know how badly you want a kid of your own and I want to give that to you" he said. Susan barely nodded as she wanted to scream that she very well could. She inwardly panicked as she didn't know any contraceptive spells. She always had someone else do it for her as it was a more complicated one. The fact he could knock her up filled her with dread...and curiosity.     

Susan waited very patiently for him to fall asleep. The idea was to sneak back to the vault and try to get the mirror to work without being disturbed. She waited and waited until she heard him snoring. She put on a simple robe and snuck out of their bedroom.

Back in the normal world...

Susan looked at the clock. 12:04 a.m. She had stayed to herself to avoid any suspicions. She knew Keith was in his room by his smell along with his daughter. Rose had eaten a snack and went back to bed leaving Susan one of the few people still awake in the house. She preferred that. She held the silver sword in her hand making sure not to touch the tip for if she did it meant death within a minute. Just an hour ago, she coated the tip with deadly arsenic made from the extract of the Nightshade plant. Quick and magic free so nobody could use spells to track it back to her. She stayed borrower size to sneak under his door. Once inside, she grew human sized. On his nightstand was Hope sleeping peacefully in her handmade bed like a tiny princess. Susan stared at her. The best thing would be to simply snap her little neck with her fingers to avoid her waking up seeing her father writhing in agony before death...so she thought.

Keith mumbled in his sleep. Susan feared he was waking and chose him to be the first target. If she was fast enough, she could just crush his daughter in her fist when the groaning began. She aimed the sword at his jugular. Cutting wouldn't be enough. This was a man who fought of an elite Mogwai with a missing arm after all. She did her homework on him. She almost regretted her decision as this Keith was more...pleasurable than her own. But he had two things going against him. One was his position. To take over he had to go. And second was his face. He had his face. Susan had been looking over the proposals from France last week and stumbled onto Mirror Keith's journal. Or more importantly his confession in killing Lily. He had killed her lover and savior and since then acting like it never happened. Smiling in her face. Rubbing her feet and saying nice things. Fucking her. One of the first things she did coming to this world was discarding her wedding ring. She had planned the murder Keith in his sleep like right now but feared Hope. The girl was fast learning to be as ruthless and unforgiving as her father. She once watched her turn a teenage boy into a gummy bear on a whim. Not just shrunk him but transmogrified his body into a sweet. A sweet that still contained his soul. Not out of spite or anger either. She wanted to see if she could.

Here she could have a clean slate and rise in power. All she had to do was murder the father and child and place blame on the Mogwai. "They assassinated him! Who'll lead us now?!" she could imagine them saying. And all she had to do was step forward. The blade was centimeters from his throat and she grinned evilly. Just then, his hand gripped her wrist and his foot kicked her so hard she flew into the bookcase. It came crashing down and Hope awoke screaming. "What...the fuck?" Susan groaned climbing out from under the bookcase which had fallen. "You...were asleep!" she groaned standing. "Keith was. I wasn't" Oberon said using a wind spell to suck the air out of her lungs. "Fuck is going on?!" Keith yelled inside his mind. Oberon didn't answer him and kept the spell going as Susan staggered to him. Oberon broke her wrist making her drop her sword. She passed out seconds later. "Hope. Oberon let go. She's freaking out" Keith said. Oberon gave him back control so he could comfort her.

"Daddy...why did you hurt her?!" Hope sobbed. "You heard her. What the fuck man?!" Keith yelled. "She tried to kill you in your sleep" he replied. He placed his crying daughter back in her little bed and picked up the sword. "Holy shit. Is that poison I smell?" he asked. He looked down at Susan. "Control. Meet me in the conference room in the cellar...and bring iron chains. Small ones" he said on a magical link. Keith picked her up as being unconscious meant her growth spell had worn off. "What...what is happening to you?" he asked upset.

Susan awoke feeling cold. Judging by the size of the table, she was her natural borrower size. Her wrists and ankles where tightly bound in iron shackles to prevent any magics. She couldn't even scrape out an arcane with her toenails. She was almost impressed with their thoroughness. "Idiots. They don't know about my escape arcane" she mused rubbing her big and second toes on her left foot together. Nothing happened. "That's unique. Tattooing an arcane between your toes that would activate when pressed together" Keith said standing behind her. He sat in a chair next to her. "Of course I had to strip you naked. Standard protocol. If it means anything, only I inspected your body" he said looking at her. "Like what you see? I can show you a lot more" she said grinning. Keith flicked her in the face making her spit out a tooth. "I don't know what you are but you ain't Susan" he said coldly.

"Please. Don't hurt me Keith. You have any feelings for me...don't hurt me" she begged. Keith flinched for just a moment before taking ahold of her right ankle and squeezing. "Try that shit again and I'll break you...slowly" he growled. She could see something familiar in his eyes. She began chuckling. "What's so funny?" he asked. "Some things change. Others don't" she replied. "I know you're not her. You got a scar above your vagina. An old scar. I know for a fact the real Susan doesn't. Saw her naked just the other night and believe me her pussy was one of the things I was looking at. So what the fuck are you? Clone? Homunculus? WHERE IS THE REAL SUSAN?!" he screamed. She simply smiled at him.

Keith bit his finger and began drawing an arcane. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Drawing a very special arcane. It's a kind of truth spell but it has a tweak. Every time you lie or avoid the answer...you get a nasty shock. Shut up Oberon. I'm not in the mood" Keith barked. The spell was done, and he placed her small form in the center of the circle. It flowed around her for just a moment. "Why did you try to kill me?" he asked. "Fuck...AHHGH!" she screamed as a small shock of lightning coursed through her body. His finger lifted up her head. "Why did you try to kill me?" he asked. "To...take your position" she replied. "One of the reasons I guessed. Who sent you?" he asked. "Nobody" she replied. Another shock. Her toes twitched from the pain.

"Zodiac or at least that's what they said they work for" she said. "Who is they?" he asked. "Don't know. A teenage boy and girl. Offered me a deal. Kill you and get THORN off their ass" she replied. "Now we're getting somewhere. Where the fuck is Susan?" he asked. "Back where I come from" she replied. "And where the fuck is that?!" he yelled. "Another...world" she replied. "How and when?" he asked. "Through a mirror this afternoon" she replied. Keith sighed. "Control. Pull the security feed for the house this afternoon" he ordered. "You better pray we get her back" he said. "Or else what?" Susan asked. "I will break every bone in your body and then I'll eat you alive and moaning in agony. Don't think for a fucking second having her face is gonna stop me" he said coldly. 

"Hehe..he...hahaha! Now that's the Keith I know! Sweet in the beginning and a sadist at the end. Things went better for you here but you're still a cunt hair away from becoming a magnificent asshole" Susan laughed. "...what was I like there?" Keith asked softly. "You sure you want to know? Is your sweet little heart prepared?" she chuckled. "I've never hid from an adversity" he replied leaning down to her level once more. "I'll remind you that you said that" she told him. Susan began telling all his deeds as he waited for the security footage.

"Sir I have something. Sir?" a voice asked. "Yes...send it to my phone" Keith said visibly upset. "I warned you" Susan snickered. Keith wanted to flick her again it stayed his finger. He looked at the footage of the living room. "Who are...the fuck?" he asked seeing the twins and Susan suddenly disappear. He rewound the footage and froze it. "Is this the mirror?" he said showing it to her. "That's the one. A trinket we acquired from Japan" she replied. "And how many did you kill to acquire it?" he asked zooming in on it. "Me? You led the assault. Poor Hikari. She didn't even whimper as you swallowed her alive" Susan sighed. Keith clenched his fist tightly. "You blame me for everything..."

"We were living our lives happily before you darkened our doorstep. You fucking believe I blame you. You took EVERYONE I loved from me" she spat. "And yet you're here to claim your own throne. You might've become whatever the fuck you are because of that Keith...but you never tried to walk away from it" he said coldly. Keith dialed a number. "Keith? It's the early evening for me but it's the middle of the night for you. Are you feeling...lonely?" Hikari chuckled. "Hikari it's serious. I need your input on an artifact from Japan. I have an agent missing because of it" he said sternly. "Describe it for me" she said. "I can do better. I'll send you a screenshot of it" he said before sending the MMS. "Kuso! Keith where...how did you find this?!" Hikari yelled. "So you do know what this is" he said. "Keith. That's one of the three imperial Japanese regalia!" she replied.

"Regalia?" he asked. "You already know of one the sword Kusanagi. The other two are the Sacred Jewel Yasakani no Magatama and the Sacred Mirror the Yata no Kagami. You stumbled onto a relic that's been lost for nearly 900 years!" she said. "Lost? How?" he asked. "It was lost in the final battle of the Genpei War in 1185. It was lost at sea with the flagship of the Taira clan was sunk. People have searched for it but it's never been found. How did you find it? Where?" Hikari asked. "I didn't. Some very bad people did and used it to send my agent to some twisted world" he said. "And did someone else just like her take her place here?" Hikari asked. "So you do know how the fuckin' thing works!" he said. "Only from bedtime stories my father, Emperor Meji told me."

"Story goes that the mirror was passed down from generation to generation until it ended up in the hands of the Taira clan. One day the princess fell into melancholy due to her sheltered and lonely life. To cheer her up, the onmyoji of the time enchanted the mirror as a way to bring her the perfect friend; herself from another world. However, onmyoji magic works in a form of balance. For her other self to appear, the princess had to cross over to her world. In irony, the princess found that in the mirror world, she was a simple peasant. Of course the mirror princess found she was royalty. Not liking being poor, dirty, and living in a drafty leaking hut, the princess wanted to return home. Unfortunately for her, her counterpart refused to return to her common life and ordered the mirror to be sealed away. The legitimate princess was trapped on the other side for the rest of her days. Father used this story as a way to teach me to be grateful for the life I had. Keith, whatever you do, you must not kill or lose the counterpart that came over. If you do, they will be stuck on the other side for the rest of their life" Hikari strictly warned.

"So they need to both touch the mirror at the same time?" he asked. "So the story goes" Hikari replied. "Thanks. I'll be in touch" Keith said ending the call. He looked at Susan. "Fuck you smirking about?" he asked. "Guess you can't eat me after all. And here I was wondering if you keep your word" she smiled. "Maybe not but I have full reign to make you wish I could. She said I can't kill you. Nothing said about turning you into a cripple. So keep pushing my buttons" he said with an icy stare before leaving the room.

He returned with a sleepy Hope sitting on his shoulder. "Daddy..." she said looking at Susan. "That's not our Suzie. She's someone that looks like her" he said. "That's right sweetie. I'm the boogeyman...or girl" Susan said. Keith glared at her. "You know she's my stepdaughter in my world. I like her kind of. Scary though how she barely hesitates to use magic to murder people. Now don't look at me that way. I'm only speaking the truth. Remember that spell under my naked ass is still in effect" Susan said. "Honey. I need you to find something for me. Can you do that?" he asked Hope. "I think so. Is called...Clair....Clair..."

"Clairvoyance" Keith finished. Hope nodded. "I need a picture dad" she said. Keith showed her the screenshot. Hope closed her eyes. She strained. "I...I can't" she said. "She might need something more than a grainy pic" Oberon interjected. "We don't have anything else" Keith said. "Yes...we do" he said having him look at Susan. "What do you...oh no. No way am I having my child touch her sick mind" he said. "...I understand your concerns. I have them too but the clearest picture is in her mind" Oberon said. Keith grit his teeth for a moment. "Point made" he said. He bent down very close to Susan. He put his thumb on her bare back and positioned his fingernail on the middle of her spine. "You feel that right? My nail on your vertebrae? Focus ONLY on the mirror. You slide one demented thought or memory into her mind and I'll push my nail forward snapping your spine right at the L4. Last thing you'll feel below your waist is a twinge of pain for a split second. I'll make you a paraplegic as god as my witness" he warned.

Susan turned her eyes away from his gaze. He lowered his daughter to the desk. "Sweetie. I need you to read her mind" he said. "But you said not to unless I get permission from people" she said. "This time is different. Go ahead honey" he said. Hope touched Susan's forehead and began to concentrate. "She's very angry dad. She wants to hurt us" she muttered. Susan flinched as the pressure of his nail increased. "I...I see it in her mind. It's in a room with stuff. It's pretty" she said. "Okay. Now here's the hard part. I need you to find where the mirror is now" Keith said. Hope nodded and began to lift off her feet. Magical power coursed through her. He hadn't seen her this amped up since the battle. She looked like she was in pain. "I'm being blocked. I'm pushing through..." she groaned.  She glowed brighter and brighter as she poured more power into her clairvoyance. She cried out as a bright flash enveloped her. Keith caught her in his hand as she fell. "Hope!" he yelled. "Found...it. Paris. A room in Paris" she muttered.

Back in the mirror world...

Susan made her way towards the staircase that would lead to the cellars below. So far she had seen any guards but that changed as she saw four guarding a room. In her world it was a simple guest room so she wondered why the security. As she approached it though, the overpowering scent of pregnant women filled her nose. "Jesus" she muttered at the strength. The guards saw her towering over them and released the arcane locking the door without a word. They bowed before her. Intrigued, she entered. "Jesus Mary and Joseph" she said under her breath as row after row of small beds contained women in various stages of pregnancy. With ten rows and 20 beds a piece, there has to be a minimum of 200 girls in there. A few at their feet were cribs with sleeping infants. Her bare feet were not light enough to completely mask her footsteps. A girl rushed to her toes.

"Please. Please don't take any of them. Take me and spare the others" she begged rubbing her toenail. Susan bent down and plucked her up. She couldn't believe it. The girl was clearly Yaksha, naked, and no more than 15. Her chest trembling so much her breasts leaked milk. She looked around to see her breathern staring hopelessly at them. "Take you?" Susan asked. "As in...eat..." she said before crying. Her heart broke at the realization. The other Susan preyed on them. For whatever reason, her counterpart delighted in eating them. She didn't know who was sicker, Keith's counterpart or hers. "I'm not going to eat you" Susan said softly petting her face. None believed her. Susan sat down for a moment and placed the girl back on the floor. "How many of you are there?" Susan asked. "188 of us. 31 more with infants" she replied. "Can you all walk?" Susan asked. "Most of us" someone replied. A young woman stepped forward breastfeeding her baby. "You still have magic?" Susan asked. They didn't want to answer. "Please. I'm not who you think I am. I really need to know the answer though" Susan said. "Yes. Weakened but yes" the first girl replied. Susan crawled to the wall and felt around on the baseboard. "There it is" she said turning a square indention with her fingers. Out popped a small door.

"There is a passageway through the wall. It will take you under the house and lead you to the statue in the front yard. You can escape from there" she said. One by one they quickly made their escape not wanting to miss this chance at freedom. It took a half hour to clear them out. A half hour she wasn't sure she could afford. "At least I could save them" she muttered. Susan emerged from the room belching. "Thanks boys. Nothing like a midnight snack" she grinned selling her ruse to the guards.

She had no more time for detours. She quickly made her way to the vault. "Stand down and let nobody enter" she ordered the guards as she scanned her hand. The vault sealed behind her and began to study the mirror. "There has to be a way to activate it" she muttered feeling the ancient kanji inscribed on it.

Keith awoke finding Susan gone. "Honey? You alright? Bad dreams again?" he asked on a magical link. No answer. In reality, the link was to HIS Susan and not the one he slept with hours before. "Why is she not answering? She's been strange all day" he wondered as he cast clairvoyance. "What the hell?" he asked not seeing her anywhere on the grounds. He rushed into the hallway. He could faintly smell her scent. He began following it until he saw the guards that guarded the room of pregnant women. "You seen my wife?" he asked. They didn't wish to answer as the other Susan had sworn to kill them if they told Keith about her snacking. Keith grabbed them both up. "Your chancellor asked a question" he growled squeezing them. "She...entered the room and ate some of the women. She then went below!" one squeaked out. Keith opened the door to inspect the damage. He turned the light on. "Morons! She didn't eat anyone!" he yelled dropping one and slamming his foot down on him. The male guard barely made a sound before she was crushed flat into the hardwood floor. "But...she said she did! She always does!" the female guard stammered. "Nearly 200 of them including the babies?! Even I can't do that!" he yelled.

"They escaped on your watch. Precious infants carrying our bloodline into the next generation. A generation of magic users. You failed your people miserably. You know the punishment, don't you?" he asked opening his palm. The woman tearfully nodded as she took off her uniform. He grew impatient as she took off her bra. "Now!" he yelled. She jumped in his hand and slipped her panties and socks off. She made a pitiful whine as he popped her into his mouth and prototype swallowed her alive. "She's in the vault for sure. The iron walls are blocking me. Why? Why would she turn...she used my computer. She knows" he muttered stomping down the stairs.

"What's the trick? What's the fucking gimmick in this thing?!" she yelled flipping it all around inspecting it. Suddenly, the vault door began to open. Susan quickly put the mirror back in its place. "Susan. Little late for work isn't it?" Keith asked. "Couldn't sleep" she said. "Oh? Normally you get sleepy after you eat your fill. That's why you visited the maternity room right?" he asked. Susan tensed up. "Oh it's alright. Plenty more to knock up. I lost count how many bearded my child. Missing one of two won't hurt me" he said. "That's good to hear. Though you might get angry" Susan chuckled. "But I would miss the whole fucking lot" he said coldly. Susan tensed up more. "Yeah I know. You've been acting strange all day. Now I see you free my slaves and sneak into the vault. You saw something on my computer didn't you?" he said holding his hand out.

Her heart beat faster as she knew that stance was for summoning something. Her Keith had shown her it before to summon Rune Breaker. "Just come with me and we can talk" he said calmly. Susan used her abnormal speed to step forward and pivot her right leg. With blinding speed, her right bare foot connected with the side of his head spinning and knocking him into the wall outside the vault. Just in time as his sword Spell Edge arrived. Susan slammed the vault closed, smashed the scanner and shorted it out with her own blood leaking from her hand. "Well he's gonna kill my ass for sure now" she said going back to the mirror.

Back in the normal world...

"Even if you get over there you have no idea what's waiting for you. And that's fucking assuming your Susan is touching the mirror" Susan said. "I believe in her" Keith said trying to wake his daughter. "Pfft. You need more than faith jackass" she said. "Susan has a knack to make the impossible possible. I believe in her because she believes in me. I'm not just her boss. I'm her brother. The one that will always have her back" Keith said tapping Hope. Susan clenched her teeth hearing that. Tears fell from her eyes. "Hope honey. Wake up" he said. Hope finally began to stir. "Dad?" she asked. "Just hold still while daddy transfers some stamina to you" he said working on the spell. Keith staggered slightly as his own strength was drained into her. "How you feeling?" he asked. "Better. Can we get Suzie back now?" Hope asked. Keith held his hand out. "Absolutely" he replied.

Back in the mirror world...

"So this is what it comes down to" Keith hissed as he took ahold of his sword. "Spell Edge 3rd form. Blue Crimson" he said. The sword split into two blades. One made of gleaming ice and the other a blade that emitted blood red flames. He slashed the door with Crimson. A slight cut but nothing else. "Those old timey magic defenses are impressive. But even those have to bow before thermodynamics!" he yelled slashing the door with Blue. A sheen of ice coated the metal until he slashed it with Crimson. Ober and over he slashed. Slowly the door began to weaken and groan. The idea was fiendishly simple. Chill the metal well below freezing and then quickly heat it up. The constant contraction and expansion of its molecular structure caused extreme metal fatigue. Soon, the door would be as brittle as a cracker. Susan heard him grunt and slash. The door groaned more and more and when it fell, she knew he would kill her...and probably not quickly. She had seen that he drew out punishments personally no matter what else was going on around him. The question was what he would do? Shrink her for sure but would he crush her under his foot, eat her, or shrink her so small even ants would be deadly to her.

Back in the normal world...

"Damn this weather! I do not like being stuck here!" the male twin said. "It'll pass brother" the female one said patting his head. "Listen to your sister. Stop being such pessimist" Libra said looking out the hangar window. "I'm not a pessimist. I believe in prudence. We should be halfway around the world far away from Yorkshire" the male Gemini said. "Relax. The barrier surrounds us from perception and we have guards armed with silver rounds" Libra said. Suddenly, a flash of light appeared in the middle of the hangar. "You were saying?!" the male yelled. "Hope take cover!" Keith yelled as 6 guards surrounded him. Hope flew away as fast as the wind. "If you don't want to die, I suggest you hold onto me!" he yelled to Susan. They drew down on him as Keith pulled out a note. "Been awhile since I did this!" he yelled activating the fortification spell. They opened fire.

Keith dodged the rounds barely and blocked two of them with the sword. He threw the sword into the chest of one man as he ran towards him. He yanked it free and dove down as the next one fired. The round grazed his forehead. He slashed quickly cutting the legs of the guard and swung up bisecting him. Seeing one of their own split in half stunned the others. Keith used the blood to fire off a simple lightning spell throwing one right into the metal walls. He tensed up and dashed for another taking their head clean off his shoulders. He glared at the last two who wisely ran out the hangar. "Don't move or I'll squish her where she stands!" Libra said placing her sandaled foot on her small body. "Daddy...  " Hope whined. Keith felt a rage build in him. A rage he hadn't felt since that day. "Good. Adet. Keith McCormick walked towards Libra" Libra said writing in her book. Keith staggered towards her. "That's it come closer" the male Gemini said picking up a dropped gun.

"Keith..." Susan asked. "Daddy don't! She'll kill you!" Hope yelled. Keith staggered closer until he was only 6 feet away from Libra. "Bye bye asshole" the male Gemini said aiming the gun at him at point blank range. Keith grabbed his arm, swung it around breaking it, caught the gun dropped by male Gemini, and shot him in the heart. Without missing a beat, he turned it on Libra. Libra stepped back instinctively as he fired. The round went high striking her in the shoulder. "Impossible! How could you possibly resist when I had your full name?!" she screamed as Keith aimed at her once again. " So that book controls people if you know their full name. My last name isn't McCormick. Only three people alive know my true last name" he said. "Sniper!" Susan yelled seeing a red dot on the back of his head.

Keith jumped aside just as a high caliber round zipped by his ear. He took cover as the laser sight followed his movement. There was a flash of light and Libra was gone. "No don't leave me here!" the female Gemini yelled. With blood still on his hands, he began writing a very high-level spell. He barely observed the fact the mirror which sat non chalantly on a table not far away had begun to glow. GÁE BULG!" Keith yelled tossing the spear of ice as hard as he could out the front hangar doors. It stayed level for a few seconds until it began curving upwards the sniper saw something shining in his scope. Thinking it was raindrops, he wiped it until the spear skewered him dead in the forehead. "It's glowing. Now or never" Susan said. "Don’t think this squares us. You come back here your life is forfeit" Keith said moving his hand with her in it to the mirror.

The vault door cracked and finally collapsed.  "Here's Johnny!" Keith yelled. "...always wanted to say that. Hmm...not even one trinket to defend yourself with? You have lost your senses" he muttered. "Says the guy who believes murdering and enslaving others is the key to borrower freedom" Susan said. Wind blew in her face from the collision of hot and cold air from his blades. "I won't beg, cry, or scream" she said quietly. "I know you won't. You're not that type of girl. Figured this would happen. Everyone I ever loved has died before me" he said. "Some by your hand. You can make rape babies till the cows come home but nobody will ever love a cruel sadist like you" she said. Keith raised Blue. "I'll find someone just like I found you" he said as cold as his blade. There was an immense flash before he could deliver his killing stroke and when it faded, a chained up tiny Susan lay at his feet. "Uh...I can explain" she said. Keith dismissed Spell Edge and bent down. He held her in his hand as he narrowed his eyes. "You'll do far more that that my dear" he said closing his fingers around her.

Susan felt a cold wind on her skin, the cold concrete under her bare soles. "Oh thank god!" Keith said going to hug her. Susan stepped back slipping in blood. Keith stopped seeing the terror in her eyes. She shook her head as he extended his hand. She stood back up shivering. Keith took off his shirt. "At least put this on" he said quietly. Susan slipped it on and covered herself back up with the robe. He heard scampering and saw the female Gemini running for the open doors. Keith took his sword and threw it missing her by inches and stopping her cold. He picked up another discarded gun and walked right over to her. Keith roughly kicked her onto her back, placed his foot on her chest, and pushed the gun barrel into her mouth. He cocked the hammer. "Keith...don't" Susan muttered. Keith turned to her. "...why not? After all they done why not?" he asked. Susan didn't answer.

"Look around you! You of all people know what must be done with people like this! You can't imprison them! You can't rehabilitate them!" he yelled. "Danica" Susan said. "She had no choice. Her mother was a fucking immortal monster!" he yelled. She could see the look in his eyes. That same look as the other Keith. "Keith...can't you hear her?" Susan asked with tears in her eyes. "All I hear is whimpering and pissing" he growled. "Not her" she said. Keith listened hard. "Oh no" he said. Hope was 20 ft. away and still her tiny size but her father could hear the girl sobbing. Susan approached him. "She is a threat. She is dangerous to us all but what is worse? Risking her living or burning the memory of her daddy blowing a defenseless girl's brains out?" Susan asked. Keith’s hand trembled as Susan took the gun from him.

Keith staggered over to Hope. He picked her up and held her in his cupped hands. "Shhhh....it's all over baby. It's all over" Keith muttered cuddling her. "Thank you...thank..."

Susan pressed her dirty, blood stained sole over her mouth. "Don't thank me. Don't you fucking dare. I didn't save you. I saved him" she scowled. She pushed her head as she took her foot off her leaving a bloody footprint. With a look that could freeze a soul, she wrote a shrinking arcane on her forehead. Susan picked up the three-inch girl and squeezed her for good measure. "I'll...I'll call the house and have them send the private jet. She's uh...no good to send us home herself" Keith muttered. Susan nodded.

4 hours later...

She was too wired to sleep even thought her body craved it. The spare clothes felt good on her. The scent comforting. "Glad they fit" Fiona said sitting next to her. "These are yours?" Susan asked looking at her sweatpants. Fiona nodded as she stretched. "I'm glad you're safe" Fiona said. "It was like walking through a waking nightmare" Susan said. "I heard. I was one of the guards present when Keith interrogated your counterpart" Fiona said. "What was she like?" Susan asked. "The worst of you times a thousand. She tried her best to hurt Keith during that interrogation" she said. "Like what?" Susan asked. "Seducing him. Laughing at him. I think how she laughed saying you weren't coming back set him off. Didn't think such a relaxed guy could get so rattled" she replied. "He's not kidding when he makes this speech about caring about us" Fiona said. Susan looked at Keith who was sleeping with a curled-up Hope in his hair.

"For a moment I saw the other Keith in his eyes. I think I hurt his feelings when I backed away from him" Susan said. "The other girl spilled what happened over there getting her shits and giggles. I'm sure he understands why if you met the bastard" Fiona said. "Humans have a saying. There but for the grace of God go I" Susan said touching her stomach underneath her shirt and feeling no scar.

"Guess I should go back to flying the plane" Fiona chuckled. Susan pushed her up the cabin. She turned to Keith and sat in the seat next to him. She hugged in tightly. "Hmm? Susan?" he mumbled. He felt her shaking. His hands hesitated. "If you don't hold me I'll beat you up" she muttered. "In that case" he said embracing her. He kissed her softly on her hair. "I should that you. We got a good source of intel now. We even know how Libra's artifact works. Thank god she didn't know my last name" he said. "...what is it?" Susan asked. "Only those I love and trust will all my heart know it. It's Acornwood" he whispered. "Mine was Peachtree" she muttered. "Only family knows my name Susan. You understand what I'm saying?" he asked. She looked up at him. "You got what it takes to be my little sister?" he asked. "I want to be spoiled now and then" she said. "Okay" Keith said. "Not finished. I want to be cuddled and petted. Told I'm loved when I need it" she muttered. "I can do that" he said. "Want my toes sucked now and then" she giggled. "Now you're just being greedy" Keith muttered. Susan smirked at him.

"Just...just stay who you are. Please" she begged with tears running down her cheeks. "Alright...sis" he said. Susan snuggled into him and soon fell asleep.

She had been here for half a day. Exhaustion had forced her to sleep and for a fleeting moment, she thought recent events were a bad dream. Her brother dead, their family artifact seized. Captured and brought back to Yorkshire. A guard stood outside her door while one kept a watchful eye on her just a few feet away. There was a knock on the door and she jumped. The outside guard brought in a tray of food. It appeared Keith would honor his promise of keeping her alive if she cooperated. ZODIAC's spy still lived in the colony and she thought maybe they would help her escape. However, since she'd been awake, there had been no attempt to contact her from any of the horoscopes. She grimly ate as the reality of abandonment sunk in. There was a knock again on the door, but it wasn't food that arrived.

"Did you rest well?" Keith asked entering the room. He calmly sat at the foot of her bed. "You treat your prisoners well" the girl replied. "As long as they behave. I wouldn't try anything funny" Keith said snapping his fingers. The roof was opened revealing a giantess Susan towering over them. "You wouldn't last long" Keith finished. The girl went back to eating her food. "Drugs, magic, or torture?" she asked. "Drugs are a mixed bag. Magic is good if you ask the right questions, and torture? Subjects tend to say anything once you've broken enough bones. Effective at first but tends to drop off over time" Keith said with an eerie grin. "Your name and age" he said.

Karolina Lee. I was born on May 23, 2003...along with my twin sister" she said. "You look Asian" Keith said. "Father is Chinese, mother was Russian" she said softly. "So how does a 15-year-old girl fall into an organization like ZODIAC?" Keith asked. "Family business. It's passed down from generation to generation" she said. "Like your mirror or did you just get it from ZODIAC?" he asked. "No, that's been in the Lee family since the Yuan Dynasty" she said. "750 years?" Keith asked. "Until yesterday" she finished. "Well, that mirror is the rightful property of the Imperial Japanese family. It's already on its way back there" he said. Karolina put her fork down. "I see" she said. "I expected a bigger reaction" Keith said. "The khan stole it from them in 1274 and it passed into my ancestors’ hands. ZODIAC will retrieve it one day. They are as relentless as the tides of the ocean" she said. "Where are they? Who are they?" he asked.

"Where I don't know. We meet in...there is no word to describe it fully. It's a collective mindscape is the best way I can describe it. Something we can all do instinctively. As for their real names...we don't associate that much. Ares and Libra might know" she replied. "Shit. So it's true ZODIAC's goal is to round up magical artifacts and use them to control humanity?" Keith asked. "A means to an end" she replied. Keith perked up. "End? To what end?" he asked. "Is it dark outside yet?" she asked. "...yes but I want you to answer..."

"And I will but it will be easier under the night sky" she said. "Susan. Take us outside" he said. Susan opened the roof and plucked them both up one at a time. She made sure to keep a tight grip on Karolina. "Outside of the dome please" she said. Keith nodded to Susan and she exited the dome. It was brisk outside. The air a chilly 27 degrees. Keith cast a simple spell to keep them warm with a bubble of hot air. "Okay. We're outside now" he said. Karolina nodded. "To understand their true motives, you must first learn how and why ZODAIC exists. The organization itself is over 2,000 years old. Creating empires and wars simply for the sake of finding lost artifacts. It's true. For example, The rise of the Third Reich. Historians always found it odd that Hitler scoured the world searching for the occult during the war. It was because we told him to. The Roman Empire expanded into Egypt not just for their grain but to find artifacts like the Eye of Bast. We have guided history from the shadows for a very long time as we prepared for their return" she said. "Who's returning?" Keith asked.

Karolina sighed. "You've heard of lost civilizations right? Civilizations impossibly advanced for their time yes?" she asked. "Like Atlantis?" Susan asked. "Yes like them. For every legend, for every myth there is at least some bit of truth. Long ago there was a place called Lemuria in the Pacific Ocean. An island the size of Texas, it was the home of a civilization that existed 20,000 years ago. A civilization that could rival our own. While our ancestors foraged for berries and hid from simildons, the Lemurians were perfecting calculus and hydroponics. The Lemurians were a peaceful people. A population of over 200,000 that knew nothing of war, disease, or pestilence. They melded magic with science creating fantastic devices that improved lives and furthered their understanding of everything" she said.

"How did they advance so much over other humans? Can't be just magic alone?" Susan asked. "Story goes that a young man with magic elevated a tribe of humans thousands of years before. ZODIAC thinks that man was the older brother of Pelé, but we have no way of knowing for sure" Karolina replied. Keith nodded as Pelé said she had two brother and a sister. One had died in a fight between them. The sister died (or counted as dead during the battle that summer) which left the fate of the other brother up in the air.

"If they're so advanced, what happened to them? Where is the archeological record of them?" Keith asked. "Etherion happened. The Lemurians had discovered the source of all magic when an Etherion user was born among them. To further their own power, an array of magics was created that divided that power among 13 elected officials. Each one carrying a portion of fantastic power. And thus ended the golden age of Lemuria. What came next we call The Fall. The officials decreed that only those gifted with magic had the right to rule the Earth. Armies were sent out all over Asia to conquer the primitive tribes that lived there. The people enslaved and shrunk down to be pets. It was so prevalent...Keith, do you know why shrinking magic is so popular among magic users?" Karolina asked. Keith shook his head. "Genetic memory but I'm getting ahead of myself. It was so prevalent that stories say as many as 50,000 shrunken humans lived on the island."

"The humans considered Lemurians as godlike beings and worshiped them so. They had no qualms about feeding themselves to them or simply dying at their whims. It became a leisurely thing to pit a shrunken human against one another of have mothers or fathers sacrifice their lives for their children. Imagine it for a second, your young child dangling over the mouth of a giant or giantess and being told you can save their lives by letting yourself be squashed flat under their feet. And their cruelty only got worse. Forced breeding only to be eaten or pedigreed. Orgies leaving the dead and dying in their wake. And the experiments..."

"And then the end came upon them. A group of Lemurians began to protest the treatment of the humans and soon it boiled over into a full-scale civil war. When the Etherion users began slaughtering the civilians to end the war, the most powerful mages of their civilization defeated them in a grand display of magic" she said. "How? I thought Etherion users were nearly invincible" Susan said. "As Keith can tell you, even an Etherion user is mortal. They need to eat, drink, and sleep just as we do. 1,000 mages besieged them over the course of four days relentlessly until they faltered enough to be imprisoned. Imprisoned in a way not even they could break free" Karolina replied. "Where is the prison?" Keith asked. "Above you" Karolina replied. Keith looked at the sky. "I'm not following" he said. "What do you see?" she asked. "Just the stars and the moon" he replied. "The stars. What do the stars make in the sky?" she asked. "...you mean to tell me"

"Yes. The constellations in the sky are the 13 Lemurians that were imprisoned 20,000 years ago" Karolina finished. "Let me get this straight. Long ago there were a race of magic users that enslaved primitive humans, fought a war against one another, and the leaders were imprisoned in the fucking sky?" Keith asked. Karolina nodded. "And ZODIAC wants to free them. Why in the holy fuckery would anyone want to do that?!" Keith yelled. "Because humanity is heading down the path of destruction" she replied. "And here we go. I heard this line of bullshit from Ebonheart before. Jesus. And here I thought it might be different" Keith hissed.

"Ebonheart was a fool. Killing 90% of humanity would only hasten the end of our world, not save it. What we have planned is the solution. The true solution" she said. "The final solution?" Keith quipped. "Compare us to Hitler all you wish but logic doesn't lie. Look at what has become of humanity and the world in the last 50 years. Ozone layer depletion. Global warming, rising sea levels, coral extinctions. Bee colony collapse. Record breaking hurricanes every year. A result of humans polluting the very air. And what does their leaders do about it? Delay change, say it's too expensive, or downright call their own scientists liars. No that's nothing compared to the rise of violence and inhumanity. They conscript children to fight and die over family lines. Bomb school buses because their God tells them to. Build nuclear weapons because a leader who claims he never took a shit said so" she said.

"Humans are far from perfect but they have the capacity to change. They do not deserve being shrunk and kept as slaves and fucking food" Keith said coldly. "And the ZODIAC's agree. We do not want this nor does our ancestors imprisoned in the very stars" Karolina said. "Ancestors?" Susan asked. "Before the fall, the 13 officials had offspring. Offspring that survived the destruction of Lemuria along with thousands of other citizens. Those survivors went on to breed with humans and help evolve humanity into what it is today. ZODIAC itself are the descendants of those original 13. We are more alike than unlike.  Borrowers carry human blood so it's likely you have Lemurian genes in you just like me. We estimate as much as 85% of humans today carry Lemurian DNA" she said. "We'll stop you" Keith said. "Keith, this isn't about you, or her, or any of us. Nature itself has decreed that humanity is coming to an end. Birth rates plummeting, super bacteria, diseases like the measles and deadly influenza coming back. And that's not to say allergies to food. Either by humanity's hand or Mother Nature, one way or another humanity's days are sorely numbered" she replied.

"And these zodiacs are gonna save us all. No strings attached. No enslavement. No domination" Keith said narrowing his eyes. "Come now. You know the will be dissent among some people. Those that are deemed dangerous will be cut out like any cancer. Humans already do it. It's just we'll have better management helping us" she said. "And only those that go along with their ideals make the cut. Listen to yourself. You're taking about extinguishing the very aspect of what makes us individuals. The freedom to have a different opinion. You can tie it up all in a neat bow all you want but I know elitist totalitarianism when I hear it. Thanks but no fucking thanks" Keith said.

"Your approval is not necessary nor is it expected. We care not about your organization however ham handed it is nor do we care about borrowers. We do care about your child though" she said looking at the sky. Susan didn't know Keith could move that fast. In a flash he had lept from the hand he sat in to Karolina's. He gripped her throat. "I'm about to rescind the deal if you do not explain that threat RIGHT NOW" he ordered. "She...is the key!" Karolina coughed out. Keith released her for the moment.

"They are imprisoned in the sky, but it is not permanent. There is a way for them to break free so they can usher in the new age" she said holding her throat. "I suggest you explain faster girl" Susan said. "It is called the Great Alignment. A time in which planets will align and weaken the prison holding them enough that they can be freed" she said. "By an Etherion user. By my daughter" Keith said. Karolina nodded. "Planets aligning?" Susan asked.  "It is true. The prison began weakening in 49 BCE when the Big Dipper shifted. Weakened it enough for them to communicate with us and tell us of our destiny" she replied. "Stellar drift" Keith said. "Come again?" Susan asked.  "It's not just planets that move. The stars do too. Back in the day of the pharaohs, some constellations looked different. If a magic array was based on where the stars were way back then, it is possible the spell could weaken if they moved enough" Keith said.

"Who was that with you in the hangar?" Susan asked. "My twin brother" Karolina replied. "Wait. You said you had a twin sister" Keith said glaring at her. "I do" she replied. "Don't play word games. You're wearing me thin" Keith warned. "I'm not playing word games. I do have both a twin sister and brother...until you killed him. My sister was born with severe complications. Umbilical cord wrapped around her throat cutting off oxygen to her brain when she was born. It caused brain damage severe enough she was little more than a vegetable.  When I was five, my father used the mirror to um...swap out my sister for a brother. In that world there were twin brothers. A Lee for a Lee. Father gained a male heir and I gained a brother" she explained. "How did you even know me, or your brother would touch the mirror at the same time?" Susan asked. "The mirror can draw the person reflected to it or in my case speak through it" Karolina said. "The stars are very pretty tonight" she muttered.

"Take her back. We're done for now" Keith said. Susan carried them back to the house they were using in the colony and dropped her off. Under his direction, she carried him into the house to the living room where he sat quietly on the table. "What do you think?" Keith asked sitting on the coffee table. "About what?" Susan asked as she took off her shoes and placed her socked feet on the table behind him. She began staring at the fire in the fireplace. "Is she telling the truth?" Keith asked. "I smelled no deception from her" she replied. "Then she was telling the truth" he said. "More like what she believes is the truth" she said. "The way she acted. Calm and content" he said shaking his head. "Now that was an act. She was terrified" Susan said. Keith turned to look at the giantess. "The smell of her sweat. Her heart racing the whole time" Susan said. "So she's not so inclined to be a martyr" Keith said softly. There was a pause between them. "That's good we can possibly change..."

"No. People like her won't change their mind. Danica was born into the legacy but she chose to be different. She decided that humanity had possibility and wanted to break the cycle. Karolina, she had facts and reasoning to back up her beliefs. She'll cling to those to legitimize her understanding" Keith replied. "We have one other concern" Oberon said. "You've been extremely quiet. Must be big for you to speak up" Keith said. "I'm troubled by how the girl that used the book summoned it" he said. "Wasn't that sympathetic magic like we use?" Susan asked. "No. That was a different order of magic. A type called null magic" he replied. "What's null magic?" Keith asked. "As you know, magic comes in different types mostly according to forms of nature. Fire, water, wind and whatnot. Then there's non-elemental magic like growth, shrink, healing, and fortification. But there's a third type of magic known as null magic"

"Null magic is very specific in spell. For example, Elena uses sound for spellcraft. Hikari and that Mogwai woman summoned family bound familiars. That girl from the hangar, she used a high-level translocation spell to summon her book and to flee. She invoked it with just a word. Adet" Oberon said. "I heard others use it" Susan added. "That's even more disturbing. Null magic is blood specific. It's an inherited ability. Usually, only those with a very powerful magical ancestor can use null magic. It would seem Karolina was truthful about her being a descendant of a user of Etherion...or at least a portion of it" Oberon said. "Hold on. I was told when Hope was born that Etherion's power was transferred to her. Wasn't that why Ikaros attacked her?" Keith asked. "That majority of Etherion was but its remnants can remain in previous hosts. After all, Pelé didn't lose her power when Hope was born and neither did Ikaros" Oberon said. "Question. What do we do with her? She cooperated so we can't just kill her. You said she doesn't want to change. So what do we do? Erase her memories?" Susan asked.

"And leave her with a ten-year gap in her mind?" Keith asked. "So then what do we do? Imprison her for the rest of her life?" Susan asked sighing. "Don't know. If we defeat ZODIAC, maybe...just maybe she'll change" Keith said. "In any event we'll discuss it tomorrow" he said leaning against her socked sole. He rubbed his eyes. "You should get some rest" Susan said scrunching her toes. "Still have a few invoices to sign. The festival of lights starts tomorrow" he said. "We're still in for that?" Susan asked. "It's important that we keep going. Ebonheart took the lives of loved ones but she won't take our fellowship and joy" Keith replied. He started nodding off. "Maybe you should go to bed instead of using my stinky sock as a backrest" she said. "I said I can't. I should go to my office though" he said stretching. Just then the front door opened. "Thank god. Thought we'd never get here" Aspen huffed as she entered. "Wasn't me that caused us to miss our flight" Claire said sitting on her shoulder. "Didn't know you guys would be back. Thought you had a shoot in Milan this weekend" Keith said yawning. "Missed everyone. Strutting on a foot-long stage in designer clothes is more tiring that it sounds" Claire said as Aspen pulled their suitcase into the foyer. A maid rolled it to their room.

"Did we interrupt something?" Aspen said flopping onto the couch. "No. Just resting after a hard day" Keith said using Susan's leg to climb onto the couch. He made his way to Aspen until Susan grabbed him in her hand. "Didn’t you say you had invoices to do before bed?" she asked. "Yeah I guess I did" Keith said hopping onto the floor. He grew himself to human size and left the three. Aspen and Claire looked at each other. "So anything happen while we were gone?" Claire asked. "Oh the usual. Ancient evil wants to rule the world and enslave humanity" Susan shrugged. "Again?!" Aspen yelled. Susan cringed at her voice. "Yes Aspen again. Me and Keith have been working hard to stop them" she replied. "I can help you know. I still have the power Pelé gave me" Claire said. "I'll let you know when we need you. For now me and Keith are doing fine. We even have ourselves a prisoner" Susan said coldly. "...have I said something to upset you?" Claire asked. "No. Nothing at all. If you excuse me I need to take a bath before bed" she said staying up and leaving. "What crawled up her ass?" Aspen asked.

Susan shrunk down to her normal height and quietly bathed in her sink. She grit her teeth at the fact she could smell Keith's pheromones spike when Claire and Aspen entered the living room. "Jesus he didn't waste time" she growled as she shampooed her hair. "I understand he has feelings for them but he could at least be sensible enough to wait till I left the room" she said as she rinsed her hair. She held her hair in her hands. It wasn't blond like Claire’s nor was it as long as Aspen's. She glanced at her tits. Having had a child, both women had bigger breasts as well. She got out of the sink and dried off. She cupped her breasts and pushed them up slightly. She shivered as her fingers brushed her nipples. They were slightly more sensitive than usual.

Keith had told her her nude body aroused him, but she had some pangs of inadequacy. The only part of her body that she felt was superior to the others were her feet. Being extremely sensitive, she rarely went barefoot preferring to wear comfortable wool socks. She lotioned them every night keeping them as smooth as baby skin. Having regained her sight, she now pampered them with pedicures every week. A few males stared at her feet when she was at the pool although the one she wanted to notice above all barely gave them a glance.  Susan slipped on a robe and went to the kitchen to get a cup of soothing tea. She startled Aspen who was not expecting the now human sized woman to appear. "Leftovers are in the lower shelf" Susan said pointing to the fridge.  "Uh thanks. Are you alright?" Aspen asked. Susan sat down to take s sip of her earl grey.

"Between us girls. Is Keith a good lover?" Susan asked. Aspen nearly dropped the loaf of bread with n her hands. "Wha...why would you ask that?" Aspen asked. "I'm curious. He's a loving guy who wears his heart on his sleeve but how is he in bed? Surely you'd know having a kid by him" Susan asked. Aspen pulled out some ham and cheese. "Attentive. Gentle. A kind man who considers your wants" Aspen replied softly. Susan sipped her tea. "Does his kindness piss you off when he shows it to other girls?" Susan asked. Aspen sat down with her sandwich. "Is that what this is about?" Aspen asked. "Does it?" Sudan asked softly. "I admit it irked me when he was close to Claire and Elena" Aspen replied. "And his wife?" she asked. "It hurt very badly" Aspen replied. "Yeah I can imagine it would" Susan said.

Upstairs...

"Came to check on you before I went to my parents" Claire said entering his room. "Oh I'll be alright" Keith said signing papers. Claire floated onto his desk. "I got the feeling that Susan is pissed at us" Claire said sitting on an invoice. "Susan is extremely lonely right now and lately has been going through some rough missions. She's looking for someone she can feel safe with" Keith said. Keith put down his pen and rubbed his eyes. "I'm scared I'll break her heart" he muttered. "Keith. You always put your wants behind others. What do you want?" she asked. Keith placed her in his hand and bent his head forward. "I want to fuck her so bad it hurts" he whispered. "What else?" Claire asked pulling her clothes off. "I watched her teeter on the edge for months. Worried I'd get the call she hanged herself or something. She's...she's so fragile Claire" Keith said shedding tears. Claire wiped away the giant tears on his cheeks.

"Being who we are is a balance of emotional and physical needs. We're borrowers. We like to fuck and be pampered. But denying our wants can be just as hurtful" Claire said. "So I pissed her off" Keith said. "Keith. You two were intimate right until the second we walked in. Hell, you used her as a literal bridge to get to us on the couch. So yeah. I'd be angry at you and at us" she said. Keith grew quiet. "Keith, sweetie I love you more than you know but when you focus on something, you grow blind to everything else" she said. "That's not true" he muttered. "Keith. I'm butt naked in your palm and you haven't noticed at all" she said. Keith blushed. "Go be with her. The bills can wait" she said. Keith nodded at left her in the room. Claire looked at the pictures he had on his desk. Pictures of Luke, Lawan, Kannika, her and Aspen. But there was one she took note of.  A picture of Keith with Hope laughing. In the background was Susan looking at them with her head hung low. "Dumbest genius award goes to..." she muttered.

"Aspen I'll see you tomorrow. Me and Susan need to get some sleep" he said plucking Susan off the table. Keith carried her to his room. "Stop fidgeting. You'll fall" he said as she wriggled in his grip. He found Claire had left the room as he returned and sat on the bed. "Really Keith?!" Susan yelled. "I was very rude earlier" he said. "I'll say. I wasn't finished with my damn tea and you just waltz in and snatch me up!" she yelled. "No. I meant earlier in the living room. You wanted a moment with me and I brushed you aside" he said. Keith shrank down to her size. "You're putting me on the spot" she said. Susan scooted close to him and whispered in his ear. "That's all? Susan, I don't mind us doing more than that" he said. Susan used an arcane to grow and placed him on her bare breast. "All I need tonight is me knowing you're close" she said. She closed her eyes and laid back on the bed.

She felt safe feeling his small body lying right above her heart. She wanted more from him. Her instincts screamed more but what would come would come she figured. And a humbling thought occurred to her. Of all the people in her life at that moment. It was safe to say Keith loved her the most. "Susan? Your heartbeat" he said. She opened her eyes and her lip quivered. She was scared and part of her wanted to tell him why. Tell him what happened the last time "a" Keith slept with her. "...I'm fine. Just nervous with you inches from my nipple" she said grinning. "Your nipple is safe around me...for now" Keith chuckled. She wanted to cry right then. She knew from his long gaze that he could sense something was wrong with her, but he chose not to ask. He chose to give her time to talk to him when she felt ready.

The next morning...

Scrambled eggs and bacon with a side of toast. Fresh coffee. Karolina almost forgot she was confined to this house. She wondered what her future held. Left shrunken forever on house arrest? Would she see the glorious revival of the 13 ancients chained in the very constellations? Fate would answer her questions very shortly. Two guards stood outside her door yawning. Two more stood outside the house watching the people pass by going about their morning. They took no notice at first of a young woman walking towards them. She stopped in the middle of the street. "Is there something we can help you with?" a guard asked. "Adet" she muttered as a helm and set of armor appeared and wrapped itself around her body. She took ahold of a necklace and crushed it effortlessly. The guards readied swords and watched as the woman's looks changed from the average brunette into a stunning Indian woman with black hair to the small of her back.  Stunned, the woman took advantage and gripped both their throats and twisted hard snapping their necks. A passerby screamed at the sight and others took off running. The woman shrugged as she opened the door.

"Halt! Who the fuck..." the female guard asked just before the woman punched the girl in the chest so brutally her ribs shattered. She fell to the floor vomiting blood. The second guard swung his sword only to watch it snap in half on the chain mail armor. She punched him hard enough to ram his hard through the wall killing him. Karolina looked as the broken lifeless face jutted out of the wall in her room. The door opened. "I didn't know if you'd come Cancer" Karolina said. "You're alive Gemini. We still have use of your true power. But I see the plan has borne fruit" Cancer said. "It has. However, the entire area is enchanted under a spell lock preventing our escape" Karolina said. "Leave that to me. We still have the matter of capturing the Etherion child" Cancer said. "The spell lock prevents enemies from coming in and us translocating out. It does not hamper my Absolute Reflection. All that held that back was the arcane carved in that oak door. Thanks for coming" Karolina said. "...the child will be with the others at their school at this time of day. Grow and follow me" she said as they walked out of the room. "St...op...don't...move" the girl from earlier said grabbing Cancer's ankle. "Borrowers are sturdy" she muttered before slamming her dirty bare foot on her cheek snapping her neck.

Two minutes earlier...

"Deep in thought?" Susan asked enjoying her own breakfast. "Something Oberon said yesterday has been bothering me" Keith said staring out through the sun room. "Such as?" Susan asked. "He said that adet word is a type of teleportation magic. We saw that it can teleport people too in the case of that girl with the book" he said. "Okay. And?" Susan asked. "So we know that Gemini can use it too. So why didn't she use it to escape the hangar? Instead of running for the fucking door, why not just adet herself out of there?" he asked. "She was too scared?" she asked. Keith turned to look at her. "Yeah. Not buying that myself. So what...she wanted to be captured? Why?" Susan asked. "Help...intruder...great...power...attacking...prisoner...free!" a broken voice carried on a magical link to Keith and Susan. "She's escaping? How?!" Susan yelled as they dashed through the sunroom.

Keith and Susan stepped into the main entrance of the colony. "Nothing makes sense! Why get captured and then decide to escape?!" Susan asked. "...oh my god. She's after Hope! She needed to get captured to get close to her!" Keith yelled. They watched aghast as two girls grew in the middle of the colony. "Who the fuck is beside her? And is that armor?!" Susan asked. Keith was about to take off running before Susan stopped him. "Don't! The street is filled with people!" she yelled as she looked for the emergency alarm button. She pressed it. A klaxon went off. "All citizens to emergency shelters. All citizens to emergency shelters" a voice said. "Control! Dispatch agents to the hostel and to the elementary school now!" Keith yelled on a link.

"Hear that?" Karolina asked. "How could I not? This way" Cancer said. They didn't get far when the first group of soldiers stopped them. They unleashed heavy volley shots from their arcane guns left over from the battle. Clusters of ice, fire, and lightning impacted Cancer. The smoke and steam cleared showing the giantess was unharmed. "Know your place" she growled slamming her foot into the street so hard it bowled. Houses shifted off anchoring, soldiers thrown into the air, groaning and screaming all around them. A few staggered to their feet. Karolina saw water gushing out of broken mains. All that she needed. "Absolute Reflection" she muttered as globs of water rose into the air smoothing out into fine perfect mirrors of ice. They fired once again only to have their own spell thrown back at them with deadly force. Another group appeared behind them and Karolina directed her mirrors to them. Wisely, they used fire to try melting them. It was working only to watch as the sheets of ice lower right on top of them. Karolina watched with slight amusement as a dozen soldiers were flattened gruesomely.

One very brave THORN agent lept from a roof right at Karolina's throat. Cancer grabbed him in midair. He had only his pants on. It was a Sunday and he had the day off. But when he heard the call he got dressed as fast as he could and grabbed his sword as the pair of giantesses approached his home. His pregnant wife crying as he yelled for her to get under their bed. He headed up to the attic and opened the window. He watched as soldiers were easily decimated by the one in armor. Her beauty and rarity matched with her deadliness. But the one behind her wasn't armored. Her nightclothes had no defense against him. He figured if he took her out than half the danger would be gone. His toes gripped the thin frame of the windowsill and he leaped. His 16-year-old heart pounding. His training (as he had graduated from the academy just months before) still fresh in his mind.

"Humans are huge beings but they feel pain and bleed like anyone else. Their lips and soles of their feet are sensitive, their fingers too. A good cut will stagger or at least give them pause. Use that time to aim for vulnerable spots. A good follow up to their eyes will cause them to panic. They will flail about with their hands up. Use that moment to ready the killing blow. The artery in their neck." he remembered his instructor say once. He saw no time for all that. Another group turned to paste on the street, but her focus was below. He readied his sword and then a massive hand swooped from the side grabbing him. His arms still free he went to cut her fingers. That is until a crushing pressure broke his spine. He screamed in pain as he lost feeling below the waist. He dropped his sword. Cancer tore away his pants leaving him naked. With not a speck of mercy, she placed his body in her mouth and let him slide down her throat. His wife heard his screams and then the loud gulp. Their heavy footsteps left her street leaving her and many others a widow.

"Out of the way! Out of the godamnned way!" Keith yelled as he tip toed down the street with Susan behind him. His own defense plans worked against him. After the battle, Keith had the entire estate placed under a spell ward keeping any magic users from popping in or blowing them to smithereens with a heavy-handed spell from afar. After all, they were still locked in a cease fire with the Mogwai nation. If that failed, shelters built under the street could protect some of the population...if one was close to one. A Cold War era solution to a magic problem. Those that didn't make it to a shelter hid in basements of their homes. Therefore, Keith and Susan couldn’t simply run right through the colony. They could flatten people in their own homes. The attackers thought had no such qualms. 

"There. Watch my back" Cancer said planting her bare feet deeper in the street. Her hand slammed through the roof of the school before she tore it open. "Doesn't that hurt? Your hands are exposed" Karolina asked. "The armor of Kavacha* protects even my exposed skin. From my fingers to my toes" Cancer replied. She hummed to herself seeing nobody in the classroom. "I know she's here" she muttered slamming her fist down breaking open the floor. "Ah. There you are. I could sense your power" she mused seeing Hope, a teacher, and three dozen students ranging from 6 to 10 years old. There were hundreds of students that attended the school, but Cancer used clairvoyance to hunt Hope out. The children whimpered as the giantess grinned showing her teeth. "You won’t hurt my friends!" Hope yelled firing a very powerful bolt of lightning at Cancer. The thunder itself shattered windows for blocks. Cancer shielded her face and lowered her hands. "Excellent power. You will serve us so well" she said reaching into a hidden pocket. She dropped golden dust in her palm and blew it on Hope. Hope coughed and tried to use wind magic to get it off. Nothing happened.

(Authors note: Kavacha is the mythical armor of Karna a demigod of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Said to neigh invulnerable, the armor protected Kavacha until a fatal flaw was exposed...)  

"Iron pyrite. Useful for jamming magic" Cancer said as she drew arcane in the rubble. A powerful sleep spell knocked out each borrower in the shelter except one. The teacher was a part time THORN agent. 22 years old and trained to resist spells. However, that didn't mean she was immune to them. She barely had enough strength to climb out of the shelter. He heels were missing as her bare feet stepped on bits of wood and brick. Her feet hurt so badly but it kept her awake. Her desk was turned on its side and she yanked her sword from its hiding place. "You won't touch them" she growled as she readied herself. Cancer lowered her hand to her. The woman grunted as she slashed her dark-skinned fingers to no effect at all until they gripped her arms. With a pinch her tiny frail bones were pulverized. The teacher shrieked in pain and fell to her knees dropping her sword. Cancer picked her sword up and ran her through with it.

She pinned her to the wall as she convulsed. Two or three at a time she pulled out the children. Pulling off their clothes one by one dropping them on the floor, as one was stripped bare, they ended up sliding down her throat. "Is that necessary? They're getting closer" Karolina said watching Keith and Susan just minutes away. "You had breakfast and I didn't. Takes energy to invoke this armor. Or would you rather me lose this power and you fight them off by yourself?" Cancer asked as she stripped more. A minute had passed and half of them were in her belly. Piles of little, pants, shirts, shoes, socks, and undergarments gathered on the floor while the teacher dying slowly could only watch. The last one, a boy, laid on her tongue and she titled her head back. His taste slathering her palate as he slid to the back of her throat. Cancer patted her now full tummy before picking a sleeping Hope up.

A blade impacted Cancer right in the throat hard enough to send the woman flying. "You ain't going nowhere. Couldn't help yourself. Couldn't play nice. That's good. I get to kill ya" Susan growled as Karolina backed up. "Hehe...you gonna get what you..." the teacher said before finally dying. "You broke the deal. Don't cry about what comes next" Keith said aiming Rune Breaker at Karolina. "Don't cry about what comes next? Take your own advice" Cancer said sitting up. She wriggled her toes as bits of debris were caught between them. "Impossible. I sent you a fucking 15 feet. Should've broke your neck with that hit bare minimum!" Keith yelled. "Lucky shot. I just finished eating and I'm slightly slower than usual *burp*" she said clearing air from her gullet. Susan looked down at the school. "Keith she's not...oh god in heaven. She ate the kids" she muttered. Keith watched Cancer stand up still holding Hope. He could see his daughter not moving. His eyes narrowed as he gripped the sword so tightly his knuckles turned white. "She's not dead. That would defeat the plan. Oh. You're angry about the children. Just make more. Your kind does like to fuck after all" Cancer said popping her neck.

Keith used his fingernail to carve an arcane into his wrist. His body glowed as fortification took over. "Give her back or you will die one cut at a time" he said coldly. "Fight us and die. Leave us and live. We have what we came for" Cancer said. Keith charged her. His feet shook the colony and broke the street and he bore down and slashed downward. He was stunned to see her catch his blade with her bare hand. "Your answer has been received" she said throwing the blade aside and spin kicking him. Keith was slammed into the street hard. He spat out a bloody tooth as he collected himself. "Keith!" Susan yelled. "Focus on your opponent!" he yelled. "Yes Susan. Attack me if you so dare" Karolina said as she gathered water. Susan went for her sword and quick drew. The strike shattered a reflection. Sheets of ice surrounded her and Susan began breaking them with her sword. "I can make them faster than you can break them" Karolina said. "How is a human doing this?" she muttered. "I told you my father was Chinese, but I never said who my grandfather was. He was mogwai" Karolina said.

Her laughing was getting to her. Karolina kept moving around as Susan kept shattering mirrors. Like some sick funhouse, it reflected Susan and Karolina. The worrying part was Karolina had to be inside the circle of mirrors at one point for it to work. She was being toyed with. "Fuck with me? FUCK WITH THIS!" Susan yelled jumping in the air. She fired her Taurus Silver sitting on lightning cast as her height revealed where Karolina was. "Fool" Karolina muttered angling her mirrors upwards. The bolt reflected right back at Susan striking her in midair. Without even being remotely grounded, she took the full force of the shock and landed hard. Her body lightly sizzling.

Keith slammed the hilt of his sword down as hard as he could on the most vulnerable spot he could see. The smallest crack was heard as he broke her big toe. "You little shit!" she yelled going to crush his skill with her other foot. Keith spun his body off the ground finding his stance. "Seems like your exposed skin isn't as protected as the rest of your body. Stronger than normal for sure...but not invincible" he said. "Will do you no good. You can't cut my flesh" she said coldly. "Wasn't planning to. I might not be able to breach your armor, but I can fuck up the squishy inside. Even you have to give way to kinetic energy" Keith said boosting his fortification. Cancer chuckled. "Interesting. The irresistible force versus the immovable object. Who will win?" she asked dangling his unconscious daughter upside down by her tiny ankle.

His movements were so fast the slipstream around his body picked up dust and debris. His stroke to her chest resounded with a thunderclap. She jerked her arm down trapping the blade in her armpit. She went for a head butt and Keith let go of the sword and drop down with a punishing kick to her kneecap. Normally, with that much force would’ve nearly broke her leg in two but all it did was dislocate her kneecap.

"Keith. Focus your energy starting with the toes. Let it flow past the tendon, up your calf until you feel tightness. Now pivot your foot up one foot. Now strike down!" Lawan yelled. Keith broke the small twig in two. "This is stupid honey. Anyone can snap a twig" Keith said. "This twig is as thick as a human femur at our current size. Stronger too as it is freshly cut. It takes eight pounds of pressure to break a human leg or kneecap. An experienced fighter can strike with as much as 20 pounds. You have a unique advantage as your race is four times stronger than a human in scale. You can easily strike with 80 pounds without fortifying" she said before taking a sip of water. "These attacks look like Muay Thai" he said. "It originated from us. Now let's begin again" she said.

Keith remembered his sparring lessons and immediately jumped up slamming his knee into Cancer's chin. The woman flew off her feet destroying another city block. He tried blocking out the groans of the dying as he rushed to catch his daughter sailing through the air. Cancer backflipped, her toes on her right foot catching Hope in midair as she found her footing. With creepy dexterity, she raised her right foot up to her arm and took Hope back into her fist. She jiggled her left leg until a loud pop could be heard. "Motherfucker" Keith hissed not knowing to be irked by her popping her dislocated knee back in place or the fact his strike didn't kill her. Anyone else would've been killed instantly as their brain stem separated. Keith boosted even higher before attacking with a blinding flurry of strikes. The sounds coming from his blows like a howitzer.

Karolina kept Susan at bay as the woman grew increasingly irritated. Her body trembled as the lightning strike hadn't left her body in good shape. Speed didn't work. As layer after layer of mirrored ice kept distracting her. And worse yet, when she broke one, it exploded like frozen shrapnel. Air trapped between a razor thin sheet of ice released with punishing pressure. "Keep breaking them. You'll get more than seven years of bad luck breaking my mirrors" she taunted. And that was Karolina's downfall. Her power could perfectly reflect her image and magical attacks but it couldn't reflect sound. With no echo, Susan's sensitive ears caught where she was standing. She realized her sight had ironically become a liability. She quickly took off her shoes and socks and closed her eyes.

She felt the miniscule tremors in the ground. Keith moved so fast his footsteps were a constant rumble. She could faintly sense the wounded survivors crawling in the rubble of their homes and businesses. Her ears picked up the raised heartbeat of Karolina. She could smell the anxiety and sweat on her hands and soles of her dirty feet.

"Again" her instructor said. Susan held her wooden sword nervous. The blow hit her in the ribs. She clutched her side. "Again" her instructor said. "I can't! I can't see the fucking attack!" she yelled. "Then you'll wash out" the instructor said walking away. Susan stood there alone. Her feet, more sensitive every day now, uncomfortable on the concrete ground. Barely 13 years old and only two weeks into the academy, she was terrified of failing. She had gotten in after Lily vouched for her.  Nobody wanted to train a blind girl and one a year under the age requirement at that. She couldn’t go back and tell Lily she failed. She felt tremors in the ground as a human sized person got close. "H...hello?" she asked. She tried smelling the air but whoever it was was upwind of her. The person bent down very close to her. With no warning, Susan was assaulted by a giant tongue as it gave her sweat soaked body a long lick. Susan backed away terrified. "Please...whoever you are don't hurt me" she begged.

No answer. The person blew their breath on her and she took off running in the opposite direction. She crashed into an open palm. Susan backed up. She could hear the sound of giant lips being licked. "Please don't eat me!" she cried. There was a sigh above her. "Then avoid my tongue little treat" came the faintest whisper. Susan felt it lick her again nearly off her feet. He tiny teen panicked and scrambled back and forth only to hit a hand. Then another lick and this one did take her off her feet. Susan landed on her butt. "You're going to get eaten" the voice said even quieter. Susan paused as the voice even though fainter sounded louder and familiar. She calmed herself as best as she could. There was sounds she couldn't hear before. A heavy heartbeat not hers. The strain of neck muscles. The wet smack of saliva on a tongue. Susan quickly sidestepped as a tongue went down for her. It missed.

It happened again and Susan avoided it. "Good job" the person whispered. "Lily?" Susan asked. "Took ya long enough kiddo" Lily chuckled. "You scared the shit out of me! Thought someone snuck in and was gonna eat me up!" Susan said shaking. Lily picked her up in her hand. "Sorry but you needed a push. You've shown already your senses are sharper than the others but you let your emotions dull them. Stay calm and focused and you'll be fine" Lily said. "It's hard. My fucking ribs ache and the instructor keeps hitting my ass regardless how much he sees me hurting" she said. "Humans won't give a shit about your pain or feelings. He's trying to toughen you up. We're not sending out those we love and care about on suicide missions" Lily said. Susan was quiet. "Uugh...you're all dusty and sweaty" Lily said using her wettened finger to clean off the dust on her tiny feet and face. "You can uh...suck on me to clean me up" Susan muttered blushing. "Tempting but you're still on the young side. Rain check for now" Lily said kissing her. She placed her back on the ground.

"Remember what I said. Calm and focused" Lily said walking away. A hour later her instructor returned. Susan held her wooden sword. "Again" she said before he could.

"Thanks Lily" Susan muttered as she focused her senses to the extreme as the crackling of ice caught her hearing. Susan heard it zip through the air and she used her sword to deflect it. She turned her head towards the direction it came. The sounds of crackling again but more numerous as jagged panes of ice flew at her from all directions. Susan sidestepped and deflected them. Some exploding sending shards of ice into her flesh. She ignored the pain and drips of blood on the ground. The sound of bare feet on concrete, not her feet, moving to the left. The sound of muscle fingers stretching like bungee cords. Karolina was raising her arm.  The attack came from above threatening to skewer her. One missed her arm and slashed her leg. Another deflected and exploded sending a shard into her jugular. The third cut her back. Susan was bleeding badly now. Again, bare feet moving left. Susan finally locked onto the sound making out the exact stance the Gemini girl would take. "She favors her right foot. She arches her left foot slightly placing weight on the ball of her foot" she thought. Susan put her hand on her neck staunching the blood for a moment. Very cautiously, she placed a strand of hair on her sword. She threw it three feet to the left. The mirror exploded sending more shrapnel into Susan. "Tsk....tsk" Karolina said.

Susan scrunched her eyes as she heard the girl shift left as she reformed her mirror. "Checkmate. Return" Susan muttered using sympathetic magic to bring the sword back to her. The sword was directly behind Karolina and skewered her from behind dragging her body to Susan. Susan grabbed the hilt sticking out her back as she opened her eyes. "Your friends are next. Tell the devil they’re coming. Make sure old Roger got room for 'em" Susan hissed and she yanked her sword free of her body. Karolina dropped to her knees and fell forward. The last thing the giantess saw was the small corpse of the teacher from earlier sticking in the barely standing wall of the school. She gave a creepy grin as the gruesome sight reminded her of the atrocities of the Lemurians of ages past. "To have seen it myself...glorious..." she muttered before finally dying.

His body battered and bruised. Muscles torn from over extending. Cancer nursed some bruises and cracked bones but nothing else. Keith swung his sword again, but his speed plummeted as damage to his rotator cuff hurt him deeply. She caught his wrist easily. "This has gone long enough!" Cancer yelled yanking him off his feet. She delivered a massive blow to his ribs pushing the air out of his lungs. Keith coughed blood as a rib punctured his left lung. "You killed Gemini but at least I can remove the king from the board" she muttered. Keith could see a streak of orange light coming towards them. He chuckled at her. "What did the five tiny fingers say to the face?" he asked. She narrowed her eyes at him.  Suddenly, a punch to her left cheek hard enough to break her grasp came from the side. Claire in her borrower size hovered in the air in her fiery fae form. "Keith!" Claire yelled as blood seeped from his lips. "*cough* forget about me! She has my daughter!" he yelled. Cancer encircled Claire with her fist to crush the girl. A blast of intense flames shot from her enclosed fingers until she opened her hands. "Release the child or burn" Claire said.

"This armor was forged by a sun god. Your pitiful flame won't do shit" Cancer said. "Your skin wasn't" Claire said with ire. Claire concentrated her power in her fist and began zipping around punching her face. Keith took the moment to stabilize his body, but his stamina was dangerously low. Cancer staggered as she couldn't keep up with her speed. "Annoying insect!" Cancer yelled tossing Hope into the air and clapping as hard as she could. The pressure wave made Claire crash into the ground. She raised her foot to squash the fae. Susan kicked Cancer in the face. Her bare foot did little to nothing. "Claire. Go away and hit her from behind as hard as you can. I'll...hold her" Keith said on a closed magic link. Claire flew off as fast as she could. "Your feet smell" Cancer growled before using her arm to break Susan's leg. She screamed in pain.

Keith grappled Cancer using his right leg and locking his arms underneath her armpits. One head butt, another, and another. Keith was losing consciousness. He could see Claire arcing back as she reached the edge of the dome. Citizens below heard the small sonic boom as Claire flew overhead. The sound rattled windows and dinnerware. She channeled all her might into her fists as she aimed for the giantess' back.  She knew full well it could kill her like a bug on a windshield, but she had to do it. How many times did Keith risk his life for her? He even gave her a child. "Faster than a speeding bullet. Stronger than a locomotive!" she yelled as she got close. "Last words before your skull splits open?" Cancer asked. "Force equals mass times acceleration" he replied. Claire slammed into her back at twice the speed of sound. Cancer froze and gasped as her spine broke like a breadstick. Keith could hear the pop of vertebrae but there was another sound as well...

Cancer fell on her back. Her legs paralyzed. Her armor protected her from being hulled out but not the kinetic energy. "Hope! Daddy's got ya. Daddy's...here..." he said pulling her from Cancer's weakened grasp. His heart stopped. "Hope? Honey wake up. Okay this isn't funny! Hope?! HOPE?!" Keith screamed as the girl wasn't waking up...or breathing. A trickle of blood seeped from her mouth. "No...no nonononono NOOOOOOO!" he shrieked. "You're own fault. When you struck me from behind, I clenched my fist from the pain. Must've crushed her. ZODIAC will have to find another way I guess” Cancer muttered. Keith grabbed his sword. "YOU SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" he screamed shoving the tip right through her mouth and out the back of her head. Cancer died immediately.

"Heal! HEAL! HEAL GODDAMIT!" he yelled casting it over and over. "Oh god..." he groaned. Keith cuddled her body to his check breathing in her scent and the smell of blood. He let out a wail of grief and sobbing so profound borrowers walked out of their homes, shops, and shelters to see the giant they grew to love mourning his child. Susan looked on at the devastation. Hundreds were dead. City blocked razed to the ground and in the middle of it all, a man consumed with grief for his child. "I failed. Daddy failed. I'm so sorry baby" he muttered. He picked up his sword. He raised it up near his throat. And then...he went limp.

"Oh gods. I have lived for a long time and not ever have I seen such pain in a soul" Oberon said. "Keith?" Claire asked. "Suppressed. I had...I had no choice. Please...please excuse me a moment" he said sitting down in Keith's body. The old fae King himself burdened with loss as she held the tiny broken body of the girl. "Aspen. She...she doesn't know" Claire said. "How...how can I even tell her that her daughter is dead" Claire asked. Susan felt the loss as much as they did. Maybe more so as she grew to love the troublesome girl but to see Keith just shatter wounded her soul. The pain on their faces wouldn't go away anytime soon and seeing Keith nearly take his own life...

Susan nodded as she had an audacious idea. She bent down and kissed Keith's cheek. "I'll fix this. I'll fix everything. I love you all so much" she said to them as she walked back to the house. "Susan? What are you doing?" Oberon asked. "What must be done" she replied. Oberon stood up but found the body he was in weak, battered, and injured. He couldn't stop her if he tried. Claire flew after her. "Don't. If you love them. Don't" Susan said. Claire stopped. Susan trodded through the street. Her body growing cold from blood loss. She couldn’t heal herself. She needed the stamina for what she would do. People watched the giantess track blood through the street. Her bare feet growing slower as she made her track back. She stumbled through the sunroom past the guards and servants. Walking to the vault, she smiled. Her plan would kill her for sure but if it worked save them all. Down the stairs past the cellars to the vault. They keypad code unlocked it and she found what she was looking for. "Here it is" she muttered slipping it on.   

"What's the most dangerous artifact you have here?" Susan asked. "I'd have the say the Ring of Shishak" Lily replied taking it from its case. "What's so dangerous about it? Is it cursed?" Susan asked as Lily placed her on the base of the case. "Let's find out" Lily said dropping the giant ring around the small teen. "Feel evil? The desire to murder and enslave?" Lily asked. Susan was frozen in fear. "Kidding. It's not cursed. What makes it so dangerous is two things. First of what it can do. The user of the ring can use it to travel in time" Lily said. "For real?! So if it fit on my finger I could go back in time?!" Susan asked. "Yes, you could but it comes with a heavy price. You can't see it, but the jewel is made from a philosopher stone, one the color of Opal" she said. "Opal? I thought those stones come in red only" Susan said.

"They do. Shishak used a alchemical technique lost to us to forge the stone. It was made under the order of Saladin in an effort to quickly win the Crusades. However, when the ring was used it became clear the price to use it. Time is one of the cornerstones of reality itself. To manipulate it takes a huge amount of energy. Energy most mortals don't have. The first one to wield the ring went back three days and was barely able to walk. The next went forward a week and was comatose for a month. The last one went back a year and died instantly. The ring was found by a servant of Saladin almost a year to the day as if fate bound it to that time. I shudder to think what could happen if someone with immense energy put it on" Lily said. "Don't you have a lot of magical energy?" Susan asked. "I'd be lying if I said I never thought about using it. Going back to save my kids. Time isn't something to meddle with. It's not a plaything or something to pervert because life doesn't go our way. It's a reminder to cherish every moment" Lily said placing it back in its case.

Susan looked at the jewel as light danced off it. "I'm sorry Lily but you didn't see what I saw. You didn't hear the agony in his heart or smell the grief in the air" she muttered as she concentrated. The ring felt like it grew tighter on her finger. Her body felt a chill as it began sucking her very life force away. An aura of rainbow surrounded her body and then...she was gone.

23 minutes earlier...

She staggered out of the vault. Her breathing ragged. She knew in her heart she was close to death. Barely had enough energy to keep her growth spell going. Her wounds got worse as her own body was giving up. She got close to the kitchen and could hear herself talking to Keith. "Is this milk fresh?" she heard herself ask. "If it smells like your gym socks I'd say no" Keith said. "I'll have you know I wash my socks immediately afterwards" Susan said pouring Cheerios into a bowl. "In what? Pickle juice?" Keith laughed. "Oh so funny" Susan growled as she poured milk into the bowl. Future Susan snuck to the sunroom by the way of the living room side entrance. She couldn't risk telling them and alerting Karolina and Cancer. If they rushed, they would prepare themselves. Susan entered the colony and quickly made her way to the house Karolina was kept in. She hid her wounds as beast as she could but those at her giant feet could smell the blood.

Her vision was blurring worse now. The coldness clung to her bones. The blood loss was approaching terminal. Like humans, a borrower could only withstand the loss of no more than two pints of blood. Any more and death was certain. Susan didn't mind. She had her last mission in mind and as her shuffling feet made the corner she paused. Passerby’s gave way to her remarking on the smell and soiled clothes she wore. The woman below had her gaze. She wasn't Indian but she stood right in front of the house. Nobody else had reason too. The woman didn't even notice the giantess behind her as she was too wrapped up sizing up her first opponent. The guards however did see the bleeding half dead titaness towering over them. Susan motioned for them to scatter at once. Cancer saw them flee and for a second thought they recognized the threat he made. "How would they..." she muttered before noticing the morning sun was being blocked from above. She turned around to find a massive sole stained with the blood of its owner and caked with dirt and dust. "Ade..."

*BOOM*!

Cancer didn't get to finish her summon as Susan slammed her foot down on her with all her dwindling might. With good measure, she used the ball of her foot to grind the shrunken woman into a smear. People took off running and screaming thinking that Susan had lost her mind and oblitered a random citizen.

"Durmont just killed a woman! We need backup!" someone yelled over a link. "This is Keith! What the fuck do you mean she killed someone?! She's right here eating Cheerios!" Keith yelled looking at Susan. "Sir...look for yourself" he said. Keith and Susan went into the sunroom and looked at the colony. "What...the...fuck?" Keith asked seeing another Susan in the distance. They took off to stop whoever...or whatever that was standing in the city.

Susan tore open the roof and grabbed Karolina from her bed. "Your plan failed. Cancer is a fucking smear under my foot" Susan said coldly. She had almost no energy left. Her breathing almost hyperventilating at that point. People looking out the windows saw the giantess holding a flailing girl in her hand. Her fingers tore her nightgown off and let it flutter to the street below. "I surrender! Surrender!" Karolina yelled. "Ask your...Lemurian friends to save...you" she slurred as she jammed her upper body into her mouth. Her unholy shriek was ended abruptly as Susan clamped down with her teeth and gruesomely tore her in half. Her dizziness took over and Susan collapsed hard on the street narrowly missing shops and homes. She spat out the upper half of Karolina's corpse and let her lower half fall from her hand. She could see two human sized figures approaching.

She held on as hard as she could. There was one final thing she had to do. Something personal to her. Hey, got closer and closer. Keith held his sword out taking lead until he got close to the young woman dying in the street. "Keith?" she asked trying to turn her head. Spent, her growth spell had run out and she shrank down to her normal size leaving the ring sitting on the street. Susan picked it up as Keith carefully picked up future Susan. "She's wearing the same clothes as you" he said. "...she is me. She's really me" she said. "How?" Keith asked. Susan showed him the ring. "She me from the future. That's it isn't it?" Susan asked. Future Susan nodded.

"All a trick. Plan to capture Hope. Won the fight...lost...lost..." she muttered. "Hold on. I'll heal ya" Keith said. "No. Can't. Not enough time...Give me to her" Future Susan said. Keith handed her to her past self. "One last thing...tell him. Tell him what you wanted to tell him last night. Tell him what you didn't say since you came back from that world. Has the right to know. He...will be there. Won't...won't...don't...let it...take away...your wish" Future. Susan said. Her head lulled to the side and her breath was still. Susan fell to her knees as she held her own corpse. In a somber moment, they watched as her tiny corpse shimmered and disappeared into nothingness. "...what happened?" Susan asked quietly.

"She changed history. Her timeline was erased" he replied softly. "This ring can kill the user. Whatever happened must've been so terrible she gave her life to change it" Susan said. "...yeah. I can only guess what happened. Was it me who died? Rose?" he asked. Susan didn't answer as she began to walk back to the house. Susan followed him wondering what would push her to do it. She figured it was Keith somehow as her smile seeing him was one only a person could have close to death. A smile of relief, contentment, and peace.

Keith poured him a glass of scotch as Claire entered the kitchen. "Jesus Keith it's not even noon" she said. She paused in midair seeing his sad, hurt filled eyes. "...its five o' clock somewhere" he said leaving the room.

Susan laid on her bed reading. The book "A Tale of Two Cities" which she had read at least three times. There was a knock on the door. "Come in" she said. "Just checking on you" Keith said poking his head through the door. "Haven't seen you since this morning" she said. "I needed time to collect my thoughts" he said softly. He went to close the door. "Don't leave. Please...come in" she said. Keith entered her room and sat down when she patted it. "The other me wanted me to talk to you about something" she said. Keith nodded. "I told you what happened on the other side except I left out one thing. Your other self...raped me" she said. Keith tensed up and drew his breath in. "Is that why you looked scared last night?" he asked. "It reminded me of it" she replied. "I get it" he said.

"No you don't. You shouldn't have to deal with that weight. It's wasn't you. You've been nothing but kind to me" she said. Keith could see how nervous she was. Without notice, he shrank himself down to borrower size. "You should feel easier around me now" he said. "That's not why I'm fidgeting Keith" she said quietly. "I'm confused" he said. Susan took ahold of him and tore his clothes off in a fury. Her breath was sharp and quick. "Oh" he said. She said nothing as she smelled his body. His male virile scent filled her nose. Her tongue licking him over and over. "I'm...I'm sorry" she said. "You shouldn't be. We both knew it was coming. We just let human values get in the way. But we aren't human are we?" he asked. Susan sat him down and took off her bed robe revealing she wore no panties underneath. "I know you won't hurt me Susan" he said. "I need you. I need you so badly" she whimpered as she held his body and guided it to her pussy.

Keith fucked her giant cunt as her hand held him in place. She moaned as she grinded him gently into her. And with a shudder she came coating him in her fluids. She wasn't done with him. Not by a long shot. Inserted feet first, Keith became her living dildo. He was concerned, not for himself but for her because during that time she was grunting and pushing him in and out. He could see tears rolling down her cheeks. "How can someone so big look so fragile?" he thought. And her hand slapped him deep inside her as she moaned loudly. Her pussy walls contracting in its wet steaming sticky vice like grip to milk his very soul. She pulled him out panting and flushed. She cleaning him off (barely) and held him in her hands. "Slow down...we got all night if you want" he said. Susan sobbed before him. "I don't wanna be alone anymore! I don't wanna die alone!" she sobbed heart fully. "Susan? Sweetie? Can you look at me?" he asked. "You won't be alone. I promised you that remember? You won't to be cuddled I'm here. You want to be kissed and appreciated, I'm here. You want to feel loved...I'll always be here" he said. Susan watched him jump onto the bedsheet. He walked over to her feet.

"You need these sexy toes worshipped I'm your man. Look. Getting in between" he chuckled as he licked and stroked the flesh between her big and second toe. Susan sighed contently. His hand rubbed the ball of her foot. "You are deserving of being worshipped. You've gave so much to so many" he said kissing and licking the pad of her big toe. "He came inside me" she muttered. Keith paused. "Do you think..."

"I don't know. What will I do if I am?" she asked scared. "I think you heart is big enough to love it" he replied. Susan laid down on the bed after picking him up. "...if I have it...what about you?" she asked placing him on the pillow next to her. "Susan...I'm a dad to kids not even related to me. The battle left a lot of orphans. I'm a father, brother, and protector. Choose one or all the above" he replied. "...I love you" she said softly kissing him on his chest. She licked her lips tasting the salty sweet sweat on his skin. "Can I trust you not to eat me in my sleep?" he asked. She smiled at him.

"Uhh...you didn't answer me. Susan?" he asked. All he heard from her was giggling.    

"Now we have lost both Gemini and Cancer!" Aquarius yelled. "Your cause for concern has been noted" Ares said. "Do not downplay it Ares. The survival of our plan has become tenuous" Libra said. "Then it is up to me to preserve it" a figure said stepping out of the shadows. "Virgo. We weren’t expecting you until later" Ares said. "Circumstances forced my hand. I will deal with Keith and Susan Durmont myself" she said before disappearing. There was silence. "She creeps me out" Aquarius said. "If you lived as long as she has, you'd be odd too" Libra said. "You take up for her because she's kin to you" Aquarius said. "I merely point out facts. Like the fact you're only on this council because you murdered your sister and that left you the only one to control your artifact" Libra said coldly. "Enough both of you. None of us are blameless in what we have become. Nobody is wholly innocent and that is why Virgo is perfect for this job" Ares said.

The woman sighed as she looked upon the shrunken teenager before her. "I was called away for a second. Now I'm back I can finish my work" she said. "Please...let me go" the young man whined. "There's nothing to be afraid of. You'll be pure...for eternity" she said picking up her artifact... 

"Please. We haven't heard from her in months" a borrower woman begged standing on his desk. "I assure you I'll look into the matter" Keith said. "She's all I have left. My husband died protecting...I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"I understand. I'm a parent myself. I can only imagine what you're going through" Keith said softly. "Anything. Even if she's...dead I want to know. My baby..." the woman said before sobbing. "You can't think that. There could be a bunch of reasons she hasn't called you. What you need to do is go home and rest. Worrying yourself sick won't help anyone" Keith said. The woman slightly nodded. He picked her up, kissed her little head and placed her on his floor. Susan had been standing in the doorway the whole time and watched the woman walk between her feet and down the hallway. "What was that about?" she asked. "Her 15-year-old daughter hasn't called her in a month. She thinks something happened to her" he replied. "Well, things do happen" Susan said. "It's the circumstances that worries me. That's the 9th borrower to suddenly up and disappear like that in three months" he said. "Keith. You do know humans can kill us and... well they can just eat us and not leave a trace" she said.

"Every disappearance connects to the same thing. The Church of the Small Order" he said. "The what now?" she asked. "A new fringe church the sprang up shortly after borrowers got rights. The congregation is mostly for borrowers. They recruit to spread the word of God to borrowers now that the law says they aren't pets or food. Hypocritical if you ask me" he said. "But you think they got something to do with it" she said. "Every disappearance coincides with two things. One the church and two those that disappeared are in their teens" he replied. "Then can't we call the police?" Susan asked. "No evidence of a crime. No phone calls aren’t exactly probable cause. Not to mention the police has a bias about solving crimes involving borrower victims" he replied. He began typing on his laptop. "Take a look at this" he said. Susan plopped on his lap. 

"This is uh...the person who runs the church" he said. "She's a woman? I thought women couldn't be priests" Susan said. "Not with the Vatican. Technically, they are priests in name but not authority. She seems to be with the Anglican Church*" he replied shifting in his chair. "Am I too heavy?" she asked. "No. You're umm...waking up mister happy" Keith said. Susan blushed as her butt felt his erection. "Are you using a different shampoo or soap?" he asked. "Nope" she replied. "You smell different. Very...*sniff sniff* different" he said. "Keith. The woman" she said. "Woman? Oh the woman" he said clearing his throat.

(Authors note: Doing the first bit of research here, I found out there ARE women Catholic priests. However, they're called deputies and have very little power. They can preach, collect tithes, and hear confession but that's about it. The Anglican Church is a different matter. There aren't many, like 32 I could find, but they have full authority)

"Yes. Mother Catherine Bloom. Age 24. Birthplace is Lancaster England. Unmarried. Ordained in 2017. Mother is of Greek descent. Father unknown" he said. "Unknown?" Susan asked. "The article doesn't elaborate. Says here she's a respected sculptor and sells her work to fund her church. She's a devout Christian who preaches chastity as the path to God" he replied. "And she specializes in preaching to borrowers" Susan said. "Because nobody else was according to her" Keith said. "Keith. Enlarge that picture of her" Susan said. Keith clicked on it. "Look at her right hand" she said. Keith squinted. "I'll be damned. A ZODIAC ring. Which one though?" he asked. "What's her birthdate?" Susan asked. "August 26, 1995" he replied. "Virgo. Her sign is Virgo" Susan said. "Whatever they have planned we have to stop it" Susan said hopping off his lap. "Slow down there. They know exactly what we look like and I don't trust a glamor to hide you. We send in Briar Patch" he said. "If she's keeping borrowers against their will then she has a shitload of hostages. We don't even know what she's capable of" Susan said.

"I'm not sending you in there" Keith said sternly. "Is this because we fucked?" she asked quietly. "Agent Durmont...you are dismissed and confined to the estate until further notice" Keith snapped. Susan grit her teeth and slammed his door almost breaking it. "Trust me baby it won't get weird...well it got weird. Way to go Keith" he muttered.

A few hours later...

"Thanks for coming to see me on short notice Ruth" Keith said. "Not a problem Keith. What's the problem?" the borrower psychiatrist asked. "Susan is the problem. I think I made a mistake" he said. "How so?" the small woman asked sitting on his coffee table. "Well, she's in a rough spot in her life and I took special care about that. And last week...we had sex. Not full penetration though. You know the uhh...size difference kind" he said. "Did she complain? Said it was a mistake?" she asked slipping her heels off. "No" he replied. "So why do you think so?" she asked. "I always have issues sending agents out on dangerous missions but it's worse with Susan" he replied. "Keith. It's natural to get attached to someone though sex or simply intimacy. And yes, our instincts say to keep them safe, but you must understand she's a woman who takes pride in her work" the woman said rubbing her feet.

"And I belittled that" he said. "Yeah you did. Jesus, how do humans wear these things?" she asked for rubbing her tiny soles. "Didn't mean to. I lost my family as a kid. Losing someone else I love puts me in a panic" he muttered. "What you're describing is classic PTSD. All you've been through I can imagine your fears" she said. Keith remained quiet. Ruth stood up. "I should apologize shouldn't I?" Keith asked. "I'd say so" she replied. "You give great advice and you're pretty. Why aren't you married?" he asked. "Looks like we ran out of time today. Shall we continue next week?" she asked suddenly. "...sure doc" he chuckled. He placed the small woman on the floor and watched her leave. "Why isn't she married? She's sexy as fuck" he thought.

"Susan? Can we talk?" Keith asked on a link. No answer. "Okay you're still mad. I just want to say I'm sorry. Susan?" he asked. Again, no response. "Out of range?" he wondered. He used clairvoyance to look for her. "You got to be shitting me!" he yelled not finding a trace of her aura anywhere. He rushed down to the garage to find the Range Rover missing. "Rose is still in class so that explains the Jag" he muttered as he pulled up the security app for the cars. "I fucking knew it" he hissed seeing the Rover in Lancaster. "If I intervene, I blow her cover" he thought as he went down to the armory. "What did Durmont take?" Keith asked. "Only what you told her sir" the woman replied. "I never gave authorization! What did she take?!" he yelled. " A high caliber glamor charm and S class magic cloaking suit...sir" she replied nervous. Keith angrily left her and stood outside. "At least she had the sense to take the suit" he said. The cloaking suit was a one-piece suit that had very fine iron strands woven into it. The cold iron could obscure clairvoyance depending on the caster. However, it was not as resilient and combat effective as the Kevlar combat suit equipped with an impact absorbing gel. Susan had sacrificed fighting mobility and impact protection for stealth.

She parked on the far side of town and called a taxi. "Right here sir!" Susan shouted sitting on a bench in her natural size. "Barely saw you there miss. Where to?" the driver said placing her in his cup holder. The Church of the Small Order" she replied. The taxi turned onto the old main road and began heading in that direction. "Something the matter?" she asked seeing him glance down again and again. "Just never seen a borrower your complexion. You must be rare" he said. Susan has forgotten that she used the glamor to appear African American. "Well there aren't many of us that's true" she said. "From America?" he asked. "Georgia" she replied. "Peaches. Lots of peaches down there I hear" he chuckled. "We got more than that. Sweet tea and the Atlanta Braves" she chuckled back. "Hold on" he said using his hand to gently cup around her upper body as he hit a rough patch of road.

"Sorry there. Didn't mean to spook you. Seeing you're wary of men and all" he said. "Why would...oh. Yeah..." she replied remembering where she was going. Although, the details of the church were still lacking. "Not the first to go there?" she asked him. You mean me taking borrowers? No. Most of there for sanctuary and to find a place in this big world of ours. Good for them. Always said your kind has souls" he said making another turn. "Sounds like you have a high ideal for the church" she said. Mother Bloom shelters wounded souls especially tiny ones. Shows them there's more to life than being bred. Last month I took this girl the same age as my teenage daughter there when she refused to bear the child of her brother. Family disowned her poor thing. Mother Bloom took her right in" he said. "She sounds nice. I'm going there for similar reasons" Susan said. He hit the main back road leading to the church.  

"That’s a beautiful figurine on your dash" Susan said admiring the 3-inch-tall ceramic angel figurine. "Thanks. A gift from Mother Bloom. My daughter went missing 3 months ago and when Mother Bloom found out she gave me this. Said this angel would look after me and ease my suffering" he replied. Susan stared at the figurine. The wings so lifelike it seems it would flutter away. The face expressive with its smile and perfect eyes. Astounding details so fine Susan could make out its toenails. "Well here we are" he said picking her up. As they for out, Susan glanced at the figurine once more. "Huh?" she wondered as the eyes were glancing slightly aside. "Must be my imagination" she mused.   

"Another one for the flock. The man said handing Susan to a young woman. Thank you Brother Rubens" she said. "Wait! I still owe you for the ride" Susan said. "Free of charge. Just doing my part for the Lord" he said smiling as he got into his car. Come sister. Welcome to the Church" the young woman said to her. The church was located on an old farm that was converted.  The barn was the congregation where services were held. The greenhouses sheltered borrowers. "You are very unique" the woman said. "Yeah I get that a lot" Susan said. "Well don't worry. Nobody here will pressure you to bear children" she said entering the guest house. She placed Susan on the floor near her sandaled feet. "Please go through that door there" she said. Susan was wary but she did. "Hello. You must be a new arrival. Please strip off your clothing" an older woman with glasses asked.

Susan saw it was some kind of doctors office. The smell of antiseptic heavy in the air. "We must make sure you're healthy. Not every that arrives is" she explained. Susan took off her regular clothing. She stared for a moment at her coco colored skin. "Up we go" she said picking her up and placing her on her desk. "My my. I've never seen a black borrower before" the doctor said as she readied a stethoscope. "A small colony living in Macon Georgia" Susan said. "Interesting. Take a deep breath and this might feel cold" she said before placing the scope on her bare chest. Susan nearly jumped out her skin as the cold metal chilled her tits. Her nipples grew firm and erect from the chill. Susan took deep breaths and exhaled. "Good now stay still" she said. The doctor nodded for a half minute. "No respiratory issues and a strong slightly elevated heartbeat. Now lay flat on your back" she said. Susan did staring up at the ceiling.

She could feel the giantess poking her soles with tweezers to see her reaction. "Please keep those little feet as still as possible" the woman said. She was permitted to scrunch her tiny toes at least. Fingers propped her legs up slightly as she gently tapped her kneecaps. "Good reflexes. Now this will be very delicate so no fidgeting" she warned. Susan cringed as she felt a slight probing of her pussy with a cotton swab. Not deep, just a few millimeters. The giantess propped her legs high and suspended them over a finger as the swab penetrated her asshole. Again just a few millimeters. "You’re a virgin?" the woman asked. "Yeah...ahhh...I am. Does...it show?" Susan asked. "Yeah I can see your hymen. Doesn't seem to be any anal...ahem...activities either. Rare for your kind" she said. Susan breathed a sigh of relief not just because she stopped poking her ass but the fact the glamor hid the fact she had no hymen to speak of.

"Okay. You can get dressed now" she said handing her her clothes. "You've done this a lot?" Susan asked. "For about 20 years or so. Before I came here, I was a veterinarian for your kind, so I know a thing or two about borrower health and medical care. You're one of the healthier ones. Not all that I've seen have come here as fit as you" she said. "Is it that bad?" Susan asked. "There was a borrower boy here two months ago. 14 years old and... gelded" she said. "Gelded?" Susan asked. "Nice way of saying he had his testicules cut off. His previous owner didn't want him mating and knocking up his pedigree girls" she replied. Susan felt a cold hatred in her heart. "But Mother Bloom herself took pity on the boy and inducted him into secular studies" the woman said smiling. Susan finished dressing.   The woman held her hand out for Susan to climb into. The doctor carried her out of the office and to the woman from before. "Fit as a fiddle. A virgin too" the doctor said. "Praise the Lord. That's excellent news. Come sister..."

"Susan" Susan said. "Come Sister Susan. I shall take you to our tailor" she said. The woman left the guest house and headed to a brick building not very old. "Welcome to Haven Hall. Here we have schools, theaters, workshops, and various other things" she said as she carried her to a room.  Susan couldn't help but note a similar system back home. "Brother Holmes, I have a new addition that needs fitting" she said as they entered. "That's always good news. Please place her here" he said. He took out a ruler and measuring threads. "Now dear I need you to take off your shirt, pants, shoes and socks" he said. "Uhh...Sister?" Susan asked. "Do not be alarmed. Brother Holmes is a gentleman, but we must get accurate measurements" the woman said. Susan nodded and took off her clothes leaving her in just panties and a bra.

"Okay let's gets started, shall we?" he said holding a ruler. He placed it next to Susan who was standing up. "3.25 inches. Slightly tall. And the waist..." he said picking up a measuring thread. "Size 8 borrower female. You're not sucking your gut in are you?" he asked smiling. "No, I just work out a lot" Susan replied. "Good for you. I myself diet. Cake and biscuits for me" he laughed patting his belly. Susan relaxed a bit around him. "Now sit on the edge for me" he said. Susan sat on the edge of his work table. His fingers holding her delicate ankle. He placed a very accurate and small ruler under her bare sole. His face leaned in extremely close. "You take great care of yourself" he said. "You mean how I paint my toenails?" she asked. "Part of it. Nothing to be self-conscientious about. He made us ALL in his image. It is only right we take pride in His work. And what a work it is" he muttered. His nostrils flared slightly. He was smelling her feet.

"It's important to get the right fit of sandal. Unlike humans, borrowers have extremely sensitive feet. What might pinch or rub for us could be stabbing or abrasive for you. Can't have that can we?" he said. "Size 11. Slightly larger than usual" he said. Susan flinched at that. It was true her feet were larger than average and in earlier times caused her some embarrassment. "That's not an insult. God loves diversity in all forms. From your beautiful brown skin to your long narrow feet" he said petting her head. "Thanks" she said softly. He handed her some clothes which she tried on. "How is it?" he asked. "Perfect! The fitting is perfect!" Susan shouted. It wasn't loose or tight. Even her sandals hugged and supported her delicate feet without having them feel trapped or exposed. "Great. It's satisfying to see my clothing put to good use" he said. "You made these?" Susan asked.

"Yes, I did. Each and every one of them" he said showing off dozens, maybe hundreds of sets of clothing and sandals from child to adult size. "I did it professionally for years. Owners would bring me their borrowers and have me size them for a dress or uniform. Even maternity clothes" he said. "You wouldn't happen to be Christopher Holmes, would you?" Susan asked. "Why yes I am" he said impressed. "I heard about you" Susan said. "Oh? Didn't think anyone knew me outside of the U.K." he said. Susan froze. "Oh, I heard about you online" she quickly said. "Ah, that makes sense. I did advertise online before I retired" he said. "You retired? But it looks like you still can do very good work" she said looking at his hands. "Set of you to say. I... lost my desire when I saw this young borrower man wearing my clothes...murdered on YouTube" he said softly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked" Susan said. "Mother Bloom came to me saying I had a calling if I was willing to partake it in" he said smiling.  "If we're done, I'd like to have our new member settle in before evening mass" the woman said. "Of course Sister Agnes" he said. The man waved bye to Susan as she was carried away.

Susan was amazed at how beautiful the greenhouse was. Finely trimmed grass lined the walkways like trees. Flowers of all colors towered over the people walking to a fro between buildings 6 ft. long and a foot tall. Four of them in all. "How many live here?!" Susan asked. "At last count, 207 oh...208" Agnes replied giggling. People politely bowed and smiled at the familiar giantess walking among them. "Ah. Sister Wraith. We have a new member to our flock. Can you settle her in for me?" Agnes said bending to address a woman sitting oddly under a daisy. "By all means" she replied standing up. She slipped her sandals on her feet and walked over to them. Susan was placed before her. "Susan Jones. Nice to meet you" Susan said holding her hand out. "Annabel Wraith. Come sister" Annabel said. Agnes waved bye and walked away.

"This here is dormitory A. Please place your sandals here" she said slipping her own off and putting them in a named cubby. Susan followed suit. "Do families live here?" Susan asked. "Some. Parents and children have come here seeking salvation and guidance. However, most of our flock that live here are young" Annabel replied. "That's unusual. Our kind is extremely hesitant to let our children out into the world on their own until at least 18. Unless...something happens" Susan said. "Well, more than a few did live on their own or escaped mills" she replied. Susan was familiar with the term mills. It was a place where borrowers were forcibly bred. The term was coined after puppy mills. "That's so sad" Susan said. "Many don't even know who their father was" Annabel said as they walked.

"Here we are. You can stay here. You don't kinda roommate do you?" Annabel asked. "...the more the merrier" Susan replied. "You can leave your things with me" she said looking at Susan’s satchel. "You won't need your clothes" she said holding her hand out. "Just a moment" Susan said. She pulled out a small bottle. "Anxiety meds" Susan smiled. The middle-aged woman nodded before taking her satchel away. Susan breathed a sigh of relief as the woman left her thanking herself with the foresight to shrink her stealth uniform tiny enough to smuggle in a pill bottle her scale. She entered the room. She found herself standing behind a girl on her knees facing away praying quietly. She lifted her head and stood up. "Oh! How may I help you?" she asked. Susan was surprised to see how young she was. 13 at most, long red hair, ginger freckles on her cheeks and a warm smile on her rosy lips.

"I'm your new roomie!" Susan said holding her hand out. The girl hugged her instead. "Thank god! It gets kinda lonely just by myself" she said. "Susan"

"Ruby" she said back. Susan sat on the bed. The girl stared at her. "Never seen a black borrower before I take it?" Susan asked. The girl blushed. Susan got up and sat beside her. "Don’t be embarrassed. I don't see many Ginger borrowers either" Susan snickered. "You from America?" she asked kicking her bare feet. "Yep? You?" Susan asked. "Scotland" she replied. The two talked for awhile. "So you like it here?" Susan asked. "Very much so. It all makes sense now. How our savior suffered and found salvation. Peace through prayer and meditation. It's all right here" she said holding a book. Susan noted on the cover was the symbol for Virgo. "That's not the bible" Susan said. "No. The bible was written by humans for humans. This is the teachings of Mother Bloom" she replied. "I see" Susan said. Ruby opened the book.  "There are many paths to salvation. Prayer, forgiveness, good deeds, but the way of the righteous is blocked by earthly desires. The principle one is sex" she said.

"So sex is bad?" Susan asked. "Mother Bloom teaches us that sex is the path to lust and lust is the path to sin" she replied thoughtfully. There was the sound of a bell in the air. "Perfect. You can hear it for yourself at evening mass. Come with me" she said pulling Susan to her feet. Susan walked with her as throngs of other began to fill the small street. She found it weird and unsettling as each one has the same smile on their face. They all sat in the congregation hall with a few humans in attendance such as Agnes, Holmes, and the doctor from before.

"Evening my family. We have a new member among us. Please show yourself to everyone" Bloom said. Susan stood up. She paid no attention to those looking and clapping. Her sights were set directly on Mother Bloom. Her dress was very similar to theirs except a few slight differences. Her hair was jet black and went down to the top of her ass. Her skin was slightly tanned so the rumor of her being part Greek had merit. Her eyes were an eerie hazel with hints of gold. And around her neck was something strange. A small chisel and hammer tied to look like a cross. It was more than enough to pique Susan’s interest. "We're so glad to have you with us dear" Bloom said as Susan took her seat again.

"God made us in his image. Human, borrower, it is all the same in the end. We live, we bleed, we dream...and we sin. How many times did your parents say "bear a child. You're not getting any younger"? "Or how many here were forced into laying with strangers to get pregnant? And for what reason? To beat out the odds of survival? To make someone money? To fulfill a tradition? But Mother Bloom you can't know what it's like. You were blessed not being the size of a human finger. That is what they tell me out there. You don't have to suffer to understand the suffering of others.  Brothers and sisters, I'm here to tell you there is another way. The days of sexual slavery is over, the days of hiding from cats and snakes is over, the days where you loved by the whims of humans is over. God is here to deliver you to salvation!" she yelled. The congregation clapped and hollered.

Susan watched with bated breath. "The path to righteousness is filled with pitfalls and the greatest one is lust. So many here today is teetering on the edge of the abyss. A kiss, a hug is all fine and dandy until one confuses love with sexual gratification. Jealousy, anger, violence, is the fruit that is borne. If one decides to answer His calling one must abstain from such temptation! Who will give testimony today?!" she yelled. "I WILL! I WILL MOTHER BLOOM!" Ruby shouted standing. People clapped as the borrower girl approached the giantess. "Praise God! Sister, do you promise to abstain from sex and devote your body and soul to the Lord?" Bloom asked as she now held the small girl in her hand. "I do!" Ruby replied. "Then by the power vested in me by God, I will induct you into the Order of ZODIAC" she said. Susan wanted to jump out of her seat hearing that.

Ruby was allowed to return to her seat next to Susan. Susan clenched her teeth and listened as they sang hymns and prayed. When the service was over, they were ushered into the Haven Hall for dinner. "So I got to ask. What is this Order of ZODIAC?" Susan asked. "They're the anointed brothers and sister that will serve as mediaries for the coming of the 13 apostles" Ruby replied. "Apostles?" Susan asked. "Soon, the apostles of the Lord will appear on Earth once more and eradicate the evil men in this world leaving the righteous and worthy to inherit it" Ruby said. "The pieces are starting to come together" Susan muttered. "So what does being in this Order take other than no sex?" Susan asked. "Private seminary with Mother Bloom and when that is done, they are sent to a secluded estate to protect them from temptation until the Day of Return" she replied. "So you don't see them again?" Susan asked. Ruby shook her head. Susan tapped her foot agitated.

Curfew was at 8:00 and Ruby and Susan had returned to their room. "Nice bath" Susan said coming out in her wrapped towel. "It's nice. A far cry from bathing in cold streams and worrying about hungry frogs or foxes" Ruby said smiling. Susan put on her panties and bra. Ruby looked away blushing when their eyes met. "It's okay" Susan said smiling. "Wish I was pretty as you" Ruby said. "Give yourself time. I didn't hit my growth spurt until I was 14" Susan said. "I did grow a few millimeters this summer. And my boobs are coming in" Ruby said looking at her chest. "We'll hold on tight cause you'll go through a bunch of changes soon" she said. "Like what?" Ruby asked curious. "Your parents didn't say anything to you...oh. That's right I'm sorry" Susan muttered.

Ruby had told her earlier her parents were eaten by an adder, a very dangerous snake native to her country. Her father bought her enough time to escape at the cost of his life. She was 7 at the time and lived on her own ever since. "So what happens?" Ruby asked. "Well you butt gets bigger and you grow hair down there" Susan said. Ruby looked weirded out. "And your feet get more sensitive" she added. "I noticed that. It tingles funny when I wash my feet" Ruby said. Susan got on her bed and sat behind her. She took her brush and combed her red hair. "I can do that myself" Ruby said embarrassed. "Yeah I know" Susan said. Susan felt herself caring about the girl like she was her little sister. Explaining the facts of life. Grooming her. Giggling with her. There was a knock on the door. "Sister Ruby. It's time" the headmistress said. "You'll come back right?" Susan asked worried. "Yeah. This is kinda like an interview" Ruby replied. Susan watched her leave. Not even five minutes had passed before lights were turned off. It was bedtime but Susan had no intention of going to sleep yet. She changed into her grown up stealth suit and snuck out of her room by the window.

Her spell locked onto her aura. She kept her profile low as she ran. In the far distance was a human sized woman carrying a lantern. "They even have a guard" Susan thought as she zipped through the grass undetected. The trail led to a small and very old two-story home. Probably the original home of the farmer family that first owned the property.  Ruby and one other was upstairs on the second floor. The other human sized. She didn't see anyone on the first. "Damn" she hissed as she couldn't see a decent way in. The door was sealed as well as the windows. Not even the basement Windows could be budged. Susan didn't dare use magic to open them. The light from the activation could alert someone and if Bloom was up there, she might be able to sense it. Then she saw a way in. A dangerous one but she had come this far and her worry over Ruby was growing.

Susan climbed up the drainpipe on the side of the house. Her bare feet getting as much traction as she could as she shimmied up. Once she was on the roof, she made her way to the chimney. Gentle smoke billowed out of it but nothing was gentle down below. Susan could feel the heat as her toes were on the edge of the brick. She jumped. Her descent was angled in an odd way. Using her momentum, she richoeted from one side to the other. One bad move and she would fall right into the burning wood below cooking her like a chunk of pork.  And when she got to the bottom she jumped out with all her strength and mercifully rolled on the carpet floor. "Shit! Fucking shit!" she yelled patting her feet. She gave herself a minute to recover. The borrower woman made her way to the stairs and began jumping up each one. "This...would be...easier if I fortified!" she thought as she got halfway. Susan was out of breath and her feet were sore when she got to the top. She could hear Bloom talking from a room nearby.

Susan stayed to the shadows and hid near the doorframe watching and listening. "Don’t mind me dear. Just making a fresh batch of plaster" Bloom said. "And upon their return they will user in the new age" Ruby said. "What the hell?" Susan asked seeing Ruby stark-naked standing on a desk. The earthly smell of crushed limestone and old wood heavy in the air. "And what will be the new age?" Bloom asked. "The age where the worthy and followers of the apostles will live in peace and harmony" Ruby replied. Bloom put down her pestle and sat down. "This is a big responsibility dear. To deny the flesh is no easy task for someone your age" Bloom said. The giantess played with her hair for a moment studying her body. Susan got ready. She did NOT like the look in Bloom's eyes. "I think you will make a good addition to our...collection" Bloom said. "Thank you Mother Bloom! I won't disappoint you!" Ruby said happily bouncing up and down on her small feet. The giantess had her dress and carried out of the room. Susan looked as they went downstairs and quickly went into the room.

"This is...creepy" she muttered seeing dozens of figurines on shelves. Books, very old books and paintings on the wall. Paintings of the same woman. "Kinda vain" Susan said seeing the resemblance and thinking it was Bloom herself. However, she saw nothing truly strange or sinister. She climbed up onto a shelf to see one of the books. "Religious texts" she said. Susan was perplexed. She knew who this woman was and it was becoming clear what her agenda was. But nothing stuck out. No smoking gun. She saw a figurine and was taken aback by its beauty. The curly hair, the eyebrows, the toes, even an erect penis. A perfect figurine boy a teenage boy in the pose. "Like Michelangelo’s David" she muttered. It amazed her how lifelike it was. "Susan the job at hand" she said to herself leaving the room.

She made her way downstairs to find Bloom and Ruby talking. "It won't be easy saying goodbye" Ruby said. "Friends?" Bloom asked. "One. She's very kind to me and I only met her today but...I feel close to her" Ruby said. Susan sighed hearing that. "I understand but the seminary awaits. When the new age has begun, you'll see her again" Bloom said petting the girl. "I know. It's just gonna be hard to tell Susan goodbye" she muttered. "Susan? You said her name was Susan?" Bloom asked. "Yeah. A black girl from America" she replied. "The one that sat next to you today?" Bloom asked. The girl nodded. "Fuck me..." Susan hissed. She couldn't believe how stupid a mistake she had made not using a different name.

"Maybe I can meet her tomorrow" Bloom said. A knock on the door. "Ah. The sister on duty is here to take you back. See you tomorrow night" Bloom said handing the girl off. Susan rushed out of the door as it was still open and ran as fast as she could back to her dorm. Not an easy task to stay ahead of a giantess strolling along. She had made it back barely a minute before them. Her lungs burned and her feet ached. "Susan are you in the shower?" Ruby asked. "Yeah. Forgot was the night to wash my hair" Susan replied. In truth, she had to scrub off the smell of smoke and hopefully ease her aching muscles. She emerged shortly after. "So she said I'd be perfect for the Order. That means though I have to leave tomorrow" Ruby said lying in bed. "But we just met" Susan said. Ruby nodded. She could hear a sniffle from her. "I'm gonna miss you red" Susan said. "You too. You..." she said turning in her bed crying. Susan petted her hair softly until she settled down. "It won't be forever. Mother Bloom told me a special blessing from her native country. "Egy nagy figurát készítesz" she said. Susan let her go to sleep as she laid in her own bed.

The evening had been strange for sure but there were two things that bothered her. One was the figurine of David. Something was off about it. Other than the life likeness of it there was something peculiar about it. And the other was what Ruby said. "That prayer. Ruby said it was from Bloom's home country but that wasn't Greek at all. Sounded like Polish but it wasn't" she muttered. "Talking to yourself?" a very weak voice asked. Susan shot up in her bed. "Easy dammit!" the voice said from her pillow. Susan made out a very small figure rolling around until she grabbed it between her fingers. "Susan that's tight!" the voice squeaked. "...Fiona?!" Susan yelled. Ruby shifted in her sleep. "Shhh! Who else would be crazy enough to shrink to a millimeter in size to check on your ass?!" Fiona yelled.

"I'm surprised you found me" Susan said. " Clairvoyance and your scent led me here. After that a 50/50 chance. It was either the ginger kid or the black girl" Fiona said. Susan pulled the covers off her and placed Fiona between her feet. "Bit safer here" Susan said. "If you say so" Fiona said looking her enormous toes. "So I take it Keith knows?" Susan asked cracking her toes. Fiona flinched for a second.  "Oh he knows" she replied. "On a scale of one to ten...how pissed?" Susan asked. "5...followed by a zero" she replied. "Oh damn..." Susan muttered. "This was reckless Susan even for you" Fiona said. "These people were bold enough to infiltrate our home. Twiddling our thumbs ain't gonna make this any safer" Susan said slapping her feet down on the bedsheet. Fiona was thrown swiftly up into the air and landed smack dab between Susan’s toes.

"Susan a little help?" Fiona asked as her hands tried pushing her toes apart. "I've seen some shit. God knows I have but these ZODIAC people are like wolves preying on the weaknesses of others. Millions are dead because of them. And now they want to sell us out to some ancient star gods whatever the fuck they are" Susan hissed. "Your sweaty toes are crushing me stupid!" Fiona yelled. "Oh shit. Sorry" Susan said plucking her from her foot. Fiona breathed a sigh of relief free of her prison of footsweat and scented lotion. "And Keith gets that but not this cowboy crap. He's sitting in the car right now chain smoking and scared for your life" Fiona said. Susan lowered her head in guilt. "We had a big fight before I left. We had sex and now I'm worried it was a mistake" Susan muttered. "And that's a conversation for another time. What have you found out so far?" Fiona asked getting comfortable in her palm.

"She talks a very big game for sure. A lot of borrowers here believe what she's selling" Susan said. "How many we looking at?" she asked. "Ober 200 not including human staff" Susan replied. "Magic?" Fiona asked. "Not that I've seen. Her cross might be an artifact though. Very unusual design" Susan said. "What else you got?" Fiona asked. "The woman takes borrowers away for something called seminary. She claims it’s to induct them into a select branch of the church. They have to be virgins though" Sudan replied. "Virgin borrowers? I can see kids but teenagers? Adults?" Fiona said. "Sounds impossible I know but she's had converts. That kid there is one of them. She leaving tomorrow" Susan said pointing at Ruby. "What will you do?" Fiona asked. "Follow her. If this woman tries anything I'll move into action" Susan replied. "Her followers Susan. What you're doing is tantamount to killing Jesus for them" Fiona said. "We're THORN agents Fiona. We do what's best not what's easy" Susan said. "Anything else?" Fiona asked. "She said something odd. One second" Susan said. 

Susan repeated the phrase. "That's not Greek or Polish. Romani?" Fiona guessed. Susan shrugged. "Alright. Take me to your window" Fiona said. Fiona climbed onto the windowsill. "I'll check back at noon. Be ready" she said as she crawled through a very fine crack under the window. Susan watched her jump off it and glided away in a custom wingsuit. "Gotta get me one of those" Susan muttered.

""Jesus you scared the fuck out of me!" Keith yelled rolling down the window. "I made contact. She's fine...for now" Fiona said climbing into his hand. "What are we dealing with?" Keith asked. "Bad. David Koresh* bad but Susan hasn't found anything conclusive yet" she replied. Keith was quiet. "Her disguise is awesome. Didn't recognize her at all other than her scent" she added. Keith flicked his cigarette out the window. There was worry in his eyes. "She's a good soldier Keith" she said. "I don't look at you as soldiers. I look at you as family" he said starting the car. 

(Authors note: For our non-American and younger readers. Google David Koresh Waco Texas 1993 to get the idea)

Fiona tapped his phone as it sat it its holder in the center console. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Susan gave me a phrase in a foreign language. Seeing if google translate can tell us what it was" she replied. She spoke it. "Please try again" it said. Fiona did it three times. "Still nothing?" Keith asked. "Yeah. Weird" she said. Keith pulled into a petrol station. He left and returned with a flower. "I have a contact at Oxford that can help. She's a linguistics expert" he said driving. Fiona was curious about the flower. He was quiet on the way back. After parking the car, he gave it to her. "Thought this was for..." she said before stopping.

"? It's for you. Sorry about missing your baby shower" he muttered as she placed her in his hand. "Didn't think you knew" she said. "Family remember?" he replied. Fiona watched as the worried giant disappeared up the steps in the house.  Keith rounded the corner to find Claire rubbing her eyes and walking down the hallway. He grabbed her up suddenly causing her to make a funny squeak. "You're doing okay right? Healthy? Eating properly?" he asked. "I got my wife taking care of that" she said irritated. She could feel a tremor in his hand. He was headed to her room until Claire told him to keep walking. "Thought you were going to bed" he said. "Thought we could talk more" she said as he sat down. He looked long and hard at his reflection in the mirror.

"Is it a bad thing when you wish you didn't care so much?" he asked. "Keith? What's going on?" she asked walking on his bed sheet.  "How did Lily do it? How did she manage so many without having panic attacks worrying about their lives?" he asked tears running down his cheeks. "You need a vacation" Claire said. "A vacation won't fix this. A vacation won't stop the nightmares" he muttered. "You're having nightmares?" she asked concerned. "At least once a week and the scene is the same. Different people but it's the same. I'm out in the far field in the cemetery. A stack of shoeboxes to my left. Dead bodies to my right and I'm digging holes. I place a body in the box, cover it up, and scribble the name on a rock for a headstone. And at the end of it is someone I love. Ritchie, Rebecca, Thomas, you, Aspen, Lawan. And sometimes the boxes are matchboxes...for the babies" he said voice breaking. His hid his face from her crying. It worried Claire so badly to see the giant hurting so much.

"You never told anyone?" Claire asked. "People look up to me. They need to see me strong. I... I can't be like this" he muttered. Claire got close to his forehead and touched it. Her hand glowed for a brief minute. Keith gasped when it was over. "Was that..."

"My memory of that day I gave birth. All the fear and panic in my heart and it was washed away when I saw yours and Aspen's faces. I knew then I would be okay. I had been eaten, injured, and barely got to the hospital to give birth but it turned out okay because I had people in my life ready to give it their all. Trust the people around you to be alright Keith" she said. His nose nudged her as he took in her scent. "It's nice having you around again. You and Aspen" he said. "Truth be told, we kinda miss your touch" Claire blushed. "When this is over, I'll make time for you guys. Damn that reminds me..." he said scratching his cheek. "What?" Claire asked. "Things got complicated with Susan. You know me. Get close, night of passion, gets awkward" he said. "...did you get her pregnant?" she asked softly. "Yes and no....maybe?  It's complicated" he replied. "Complicated? Either you stuck your dick in her pussy and came or not" Claire said exasperated.

"Evil universe me fucked her. Long story" he said. "And on that weird shit, goodnight" Claire said leaving.  Keith looked at his erection. "And I’m too tired to even jerk off" he muttered closing his eyes.

The next morning...

"Good morning everyone!" Keith shouted as he entered the briefing room. The agents saluted. "At ease guys. I don't stand on formality. What's the top stories?" he said taking a seat on the floor. Some agents cocked an eye as they hadn't seen him this energetic in some time. "We got scouts in place keeping an eye on the church" Fiona said speaking. "In cover?" he asked. Fiona nodded. "And the status on Bloom's comprehensive check?" he asked. "So far nothing strange that doesn't comply with the standard one. Well, there is one thing. Not many pictures of her. Just two or three. For someone so famous that's odd" Fiona added. "Forward what you have to my email. What's next on the agenda?" he asked. "You've been asked to perform the commencement ceremony today for the Festival of Lights" she replied. "Today is December 1st. I'll do it around seven this evening. What else?" he asked. "The children science fair is Monday. You're the guest judge" she replied.

Keith smiled. "Nothing like inch tall kids wanting to become the next Einstein. Count me in. It'll me a nice change of pace to hold some tiny kids in my hand besides intelligence reports.  Hold on..." he said as his phone began playing "You got the Touch" by Stan Bush. "I like 80's music. Sue me" he shrugged seeing her smirk. "Yes, this is Keith McCormick. Oh thank you for calling. Yes...okay...whoa you sure? Alright. Thanks for doing this for me. Just something I overheard. No, I don't know who spoke it. Thanks again" he said ending the call. "Fiona...that was the linguistics professor from Oxford. She was able to translate that phrase. "It was no prayer. It said, "you'll make a fine figurine".

"Oh my god" Fiona muttered. "I want team leaders to begin preparations for an extraction. You got a half hour. Fiona, stay behind" he commanded. The others left the room leaving her and him. "There was one other thing she told me. The language she spoke was Hungarian. A dialect not spoken since the days of the Ottoman Empire. I want you to look up the following keywords..."Hungary, chisel, hammer Nyírbátor, old dialect" he said.  It crushed her to see the worried look again in his eyes. He seemed so happy earlier. "I'm asking you since you're in command of Intelligence. Time is a factor here" he said softly. She walked up to his shoe. "We'll get it done boss. Count on it" she said patting it. Keith cracked a smile and nodded.

Meanwhile...

Susan watched as Ruby packed what meager things she had. "You sure this is what you want to do?" Susan asked. "I want to serve the Lord" Ruby replied. Susan saw her pivoting back and forth on the ball of her bare foot. She could smell the anxiety in her sweat. "Will you at least write?" Susan asked. "...sure" she replied. Susan was very conflicted at the moment. She did not want her to go. It seemed to fishy for her. She wanted to protect the girl, keep her close, teach her about their ways. She knew firsthand how difficult the fourteenth year for a borrower girl was. Going into heat for the first time. Changes in her body. The desire to be with someone. Teach her traditions like hunting and gathering. Susan smiled for a second remembering how Ruby had lived. The girl could probably teach her a thing or two on that. Desperately she wanted to grow right then and there, snatch up the small girl in her hands and run back home. But the dirty truth was Ruby was bait. If Bloom was going to make her move it would be on Ruby. Susan counted on her speed and skills to save her.

"Make sure you comb that hair. Looks like it gets frizzy easy. Eat your vegetables and proteins. Your body will need them as you mature. Make sure you take care of your feet. They'll sweat more and get more sensitive. And..." Susan stammered. "You sound like my ma" Ruby chuckled. "Or a big sis?" Susan asked. She couldn't bear to look at the girl then. "God will look after me" Ruby said standing on her tip toes wiping Susan's tears away. Susan bent down slightly a gently kissed her rosy lips. "For luck" Susan muttered. The girl deeply blushed and nodded. Ruby went to leave and turned to wave bye. Susan just nodded slightly. She followed them and sure enough it led back to Bloom's house. "Are you ready my child?" Bloom asked. "Yes Mother" Ruby replied. Bloom shut the door just as Susan slipped in. Her worry was making her bold. Too bold...

She followed them right to the same room as last night and Bloom placed her on a very fine cloth sitting on a desk. Susan walked along the edge of the wall and began climbing onto the shelf above. "Susan looked so upset I left" Ruby said. "...sounds like a good friend" Bloom muttered. "I got so used to her in such a short time. She doted on me. Answered questions with that funny accent" Ruby chuckled. Susan watched as Bloom was using the pestle to mix plaster. The giantess studied a picture of Mary Magdalene. "Accent?" Bloom asked. "A American southern accent" she replied. Susan tensed up. She listened for Bloom's heartbeat to rise signaling anger, anxiety, or fear. "The hell?" Susan wondered as she heard nothing. Absolutely nothing. "You familiar with the story of Mary Magdalene? She was a disciple of Jesus, one he trusted first with his news of resurrection. Do you know why?" the giantess asked as she put down her pestle and mortar. "No, I don't Mother" Ruby replied. Bloom had her sit down.

She began removing her sandals using her fingernails. She smiled warmly as her tiny toes curled on her fingertips. "Because the Lord knew she suffered the most among his flock. And he knew the suffering to come. The names she would be called, the doubters of her love. So in his divine grace, he cleansed her of mortal sin. Made her a virgin in the eyes of God. A way she could have a fresh start and hope. And this is why virginity is the highest sacrifice we can offer other than our very lives. And the greatest may do both" Bloom replied pulling her dress off. Ruby shivered as the cool air touched her skin. With gentle care, Bloom pulled off her panties leaving the girl exposed. She had the girl stand once more. Bloom dipped her pestle in the plaster and dropped a small pool of it on the cloth. With no word of warning, she picked Ruby up, held her legs together, and pushed her bare soles into the plaster. "M... Mother?" Ruby asked.

Bloom gave her little notice. A look of rapture in her eyes. Ruby tried to move as the plaster seeped between her little toes. Her feet wouldn't budge as the plaster hardened. Bloom got together a large wad of plaster and dropped it on the girl. With a small thin putty knife began to spread and shape the plaster around her thighs taking exquisite care not to injure the girl as she spread it around her crotch. "Mother...please what are you doing?" Ruby asked frightened. "Don't fidget. I don't want to ruin you...especially down there" Bloom replied. Bloom dropped another wad right on her head. "I change my mind! I don't wanna do this!" Ruby sobbed.  "Shhh...you'll be perfect forever my child. Forever" Bloom muttered. A sick realization had occurred for Susan. It was clear what Bloom was doing to Ruby, but her mind had solved the oddity of the figurine from earlier...the one that looked like David.

"It had no balls. The figurine had no balls. And that Doctor said she helped a boy that had his cut off. Oh fuck...that boy was entombed in that figurine! Each and every one of them...she killed them all to make them" Susan muttered turning her head to look at them. Her heart stopped as when she did, the figurine closest to her was looking dead at her. She moved her body and the eyes followed. "Take her. She's seen enough" Bloom said. A plaster covered hand gripped Susan's wrist crushing it. The girl yelped in pain. Susan went to punch it nearly breaking her hand on it. "Fuck are you made of OOOMPH!" she said just before a fist impacted her cheek. Susan was out cold.

Back at the mansion...

"Keith. We found something you should see. Control send it over" Fiona said over a link. Keith saw his email light up. He opened the attachment. He was very quiet for a few minutes. "What are you saying?" he asked. "That Mother Bloom isn't who she says she is. We have reason to believe this is who she truly is" she replied. "I admit the resemblance is striking but these are old paintings" he said. "Face recognition hit on the eyes, nose, chin, and earlobes. Unlikely it's a coincidence" Fiona said.  "Ancestor?" he asked. "That person came up under the keywords you gave me except the chisel and hammer part. Looks the same and speaks a dead dialect of Hungarian?" Fiona asked. "She would be centuries old. Fae?" he asked. "Don't know but if that is who she is then we have a bigger problem on our hands. Every virgin girl there is her potential victim" Fiona warned. "Assemble Briar Patch. I want a full division ready for sortie in 20 minutes. I'm calling Protocol Omega" he said. Fiona was speechless. As far as she knew that protocol had never been enacted. "Yes sir" she said.

Back at the Church...

"Goddamn my head hurts" Susan groaned. She tried to move but found her ankles and wrists tied together by string. She glanced around her surroundings to find she was in the doctor's office and not alone. Bloom, the doctor, and Holmes the dress fitter stood on different sides of the table. "You took me away from my pastime. I don't appreciate that" Bloom said standing over her. "Fuck you and the horse you rode in on" Susan hissed. "Brother, Sister, there are some that will never accept salvation. There are some that are...sent by the devil himself" the giantess said eyeing Susan hard. She bent really close and used her fingernail to tear off her earring. Susan yelped in pain from her torn earlobe. Immediately, her glamor disappeared regaling her true looks. "As you can see, the works of the devil" Bloom said as she ground the enchanted earring into dust.

"I'll kill you for what you've done!" Susan yelled. "Dear child. You and your friends are no threat to me. I know they're coming. I know that sinful debauchery you call a man is coming. And he will meet his end accordingly" she chuckled. The doctor took her tweezers and pulled apart her pussy lips. "As you thought, she is no virgin. An awful trick Mother" the doctor said upset. "One must steel themselves in the face of evil. You may leave if you wish. In fact, go check on our breathern. Make sure her deceitful ways have not sullied them" Bloom said. The doctor smiled at the honor and left. "Worried...that she will see you true colors?" Susan groaned as her pussy hurt from the rough treatment.  "I would spare that gentle soul what is to come. Yes, my trap has sprung beautifully if you're here. What? You think it was coincidence I let myself be photographed wearing my signet?" she asked. The giantess stood back up. I must finish my work. I only have to finish the hair on my Mary Magdalene. Brother Holmes, do as you will. Show her no kindness as she is an agent of Satan" she said before leaving the room.

"...as you say" he muttered. He closed the door behind her and looked out his window. "Please Holmes. Do hurt me. She's insane. She killed innocent teens because they're virgins" she stammered. "Blasphemy" he said. "I saw her do it! She covered my roommate in plaster till she fucking suffocated! She made her corpse into a statue!" Susan screamed. He ignored her as he took out his phone. "She's the voice of our salvation and savior of hundreds of your kind. And there you lay transformed before my eyes. Surely the work of the devil" he said aiming his phone at her feet. "What...what are you doing?" she asked. "I'm not perfect. I have my own vices. One is the pretty little feet of borrower girls" he said taking pictures.

"I'm begging you here to let me go. She's dangerous. I'm trying to help people!" Susan screamed struggling. He put the phone down. "I used to have a borrower as a pet. A model to work from. I loved her very much. She liked having her feet pampered and they were works of art. Perfect toes. Smooth soles. Nice curved arches" he muttered sitting on a stool at the edge of the desk. "She must've loved you very much. We don't let anyone worship our feet. Pet or not" Susan said trying to appeal to him. "One day I did a forbidden thing. I held her down and injected my semen into her. She cried and fought me the entire time, but I loved her so much I wanted a baby with her" he said softly. "She got pregnant, very pregnant. When it came time to deliver...they died. I had killed them both with my sin" he said shedding a tear. "I'm sorry for your loss" Susan said. The giant reared closer. "Bloom showed me there is forgiveness even for a man like me and I'll let nobody take that away" he said coldly.

His nose smelled her feet. Susan began to struggle anew. "Amazing how there is a scent even with feet so small" he said. His lips enveloped her feet. Susan whimpered in disgust as she felt his mouth sucking her tiny feet. His saliva between her toes. His finger pushed on the top of her head as he sucked more and more of her into his mouth. "No...no! Don't eat me! For god's sake...I'M PREGNANT!" she screeched. He let her lower body fall out of his mouth. "A lie. A lie by a blasphemer" he said. "I'm not lying! I missed my period!" she sobbed. He looked distraught. "Bloom wants you gone but you carry an innocent" he said rocking back and forth.   Suddenly, the window was blown out by a gust of wind. Five small figures flew through it and landed on the desk. "Take aim!" Fiona shouted. The giant looked stunned as small people holding guns with barrels glowing aimed at him. "Hold! Hold fire! Disable only!" Susan shouted. The hesitated. "Follow my order!" Susan yelled. They fired.

Holmes was struck by hurricane force winds and thrown violently into the wall knocking him out. "He was going to devour you alive! I saw it!" Fiona yelled cutting the strings that bound Susan. "He's...disturbed.  Troubled and Bloom took advantage of him. He's not evil" Susan said rubbing her cut skin. Fiona began healing her. "Well it's unlikely anyone else that works for her is getting the same mercy. Protocol Omega is in effect" Fiona said. Tossing a spare uniform to Susan. "Omega?! There are innocent people here! Only twice has Protocol Omega has been authorized! Of all the reckless..."

"Bloom isn't who she says she is. If our findings are correct, she's the most prolific female serial killer in history" Fiona said. "What?!" Susan asked pulling the uniform over her bare ass. "That phrase you told me was an old dialect of Hungarian not spoken in over a hundred years and very remote when it was. We did some digging and found some old pictures that looked almost exactly like this woman" Fiona said. "So who the hell is she?" Susan asked zipping the uniform up. "Countess Elizabeth Báthory. A noblewoman from the 16th century that murdered hundreds of virgin girls so she could bathe in their blood to stay young*. You getting why Omega is in effect now?" Fiona asked.    

(Authors note: This is a real person and yes, she holds the record for being the worst female serial killer in history. Born 1560 and died 1614, she lured lower caste or peasant girls from ages 10-20 on the promise of good pay or lessons in etiquette. She killed them and literally bathed in their blood to stay young. She was caught and her title kept her from being hanged. She died in solitary after four years and was first buried in the village graveyard until the people were outraged enough to revolt. She was removed but her final resting place is unknown. It's said her body count was as high as 650 and was partly the influence of Bram Stokers Dracula)

In the far distance, they could hear a fire alarm. "And that would be Keith and his team" Fiona said. Susan looked at the emblem on the others' uniforms. A rose encircling the blade of a sword. "All of Briar Patch here?" Susan asked as she caught the sword thrown to her. Fiona nodded. "Leave her to me. I have a score to settle with her" Susan hissed. Susan saw no reason to keep her normally small form and grew to human size. "She turned them into figurines Fiona. She entombed them in plaster still alive and begging. I watched her do it to a girl I cared for" Susan said softly. Susan ran off so fast they couldn't keep up. Her body glowed as she fortified.

Keith walked calmly watching his footsteps to avoid crushing the fleeing congregation. Some however ignored the fire alarms and stayed. Forming a prayer circle around Bloom, who herself eyed the young man calmly approaching. "About time you showed. I was starting to get bored" she said. "I know who you are Elizabeth" he said pointing Rune Edge at her. "Or should I just call you Countess?" he asked. "A title I haven't had in centuries. A title for a dead kingdom. Knowing who I am won't help you in the slightest. And once you're gone...THORN will be a harmless rose to be cut from the stem" she said. "How did you do it? Cheat death I mean? Can't ask you after I pummel your abominable ass" he said closing the distance. "Who said I did?" she asked looking down at the five borrowers at her feet. "Which among you is a virgin?" she asked them. One held up his hand. She snatched him up and Keith took off running. Báthory threw the young man into her mouth and chewed him up. His screams of pain muted suddenly before she swallowed what remained. The others were shocked.

Báthory smashed her foot down on each one as Keith flattened tiny chairs. "Blood. The same after centuries. The souls of the clean nourishing me" she chuckled Keith swung hard to her neck only to see it clack hard on her skin. His eyes widened as cracks formed around his strike. "What...the fuck?!" he said before a punishing blow knocked him 15 feet backwards. When he looked on her again, he could see a faint glow of red coming from the crack in her skin. "Still alive? I should've devoured the soul of the red-haired child as well. That measly boy wasn't young enough. Not pure enough" she growled. Keith staggered to his feet. "Adet" she commanded. Dozens of figurines appeared on the floor around him. They turned to face him. He was too stunned to say a word. Susan arrived. "Mind if I cut in? I owe her pain" she said. "The statutes..."   

"Are moving I know. She encased the bodies of innocent virgin teenagers in them. I think we got a necromancer in our midst" she finished. "That explains how she's here now. Some idiot brought her back" he said. "That idiot was a good man...for a Jew" Báthory said. Susan growled and hurled herself at her. "You killed innocent kids. Turned them into tools and weapons. Perverted beliefs. And now show your hate from what is different from what you believe. I swear on whatever is waiting for us when we die...I will see you burn" Susan hissed as she brought her sword down. The blade made a loud clank and did nothing to her skin. Not even a crack. Báthory grabbed Susan by the throat and with inhuman strength threw her so high she crashed into the ceiling. Susan roughly landed on the floor.

Keith helped her up. "Burn it. Burn it all" he hissed. Briar Patch began lighting the walls on fire. "You seek to burn me? You're a bigger fool that I thought!" Báthory yelled stepping into the center of her figurine army. "Before I entered, I sealed the entire building with an arcane barrier. The last of it activated when they arrived. You won't get out. The trapped oxygen can burn at 4,000 f. Clay will shatter at 1,800 f. You do the math" he said looking at the fire spread. "You'll burn too" she said cocking her head. "There are protocols we follow. Protect the innocent. Keep magic out of the general knowledge. And preserve our life unless the other protocols take precedent. Then there's the other protocol. Omega. Eliminate the threat by any means necessary. Collateral damage is acceptable. Briar Patch! Engage at will!" he ordered.

Susan shook off the concussion to see Keith striking the woman. Insane as it was, she parried his attacks with her bare hands. "Then won't go down! THEY WON'T GO DOWN!" someone shouted as he laid into a figurine. Fire did nothing, lighting just scorched. Water and air didn't even slow them down. "STAY BACK! STAY BACK!" a woman borrower yelled as a figurine looking like an innocent cherub calmly took her sword strikes. He grabbed her throat and snapped her neck. "Alyssa!" a man yelled. A sword through his back from a figurine with wings ended his life. "Your flames won't burn me. Your weapons won't cut me. Your magics won't shatter their skin" Báthory laughed as she held his stomach and punched him over and over. Keith coughed blood. He spat and coughed out a word. "Harrowing"

The oxygen gathering around her due to the fire back drafted and blew her free of him. The air got hotter and thinner. Parts of the roof began to crumble. "If this is it...Susan I'll drop the barrier to let you out. Tell my kids..." he muttered. "Tell them yourself! We're in it to win it!" Susan yelled taking a stance before slamming her foot down on a figurine. She lifted her bare sole off him, and Keith held her to steady her. He roughly kicked the thing away. "And they mocked him as he preached his sermon" Báthory muttered as she stood up. Her skin was covered in cracks and red light shines out of them. "Fuck is that?!" Susan asked. "The answer to her cheating death I'm sure" he said. "Correct it is. What I did in life gave me a reach beyond death. Every virgin that died by my hands, their souls catalyze in me" she said. "Philosopher stone. Her goddamn bones are coated with it!" Keith yelled. "And Rabbi Loeb's writings paved the way to my resurrection. It was his student who found my bones and gave me this power. THIS power" she said holding her cross.

"Keith. This isn't just be necromancy. This is golem magics! Loeb was a master in golem magics!" Oberon shouted. "My squad is falling like flies and we're cooking in here! Get to the point old man!" Keith yelled. "A golem is a creature of clay animated by a magical or holy word inscribed on it! Break the inscription and they stop!" Oberon yelled. "Susan look for..." Keith said until he saw Susan gripping a figurine clawing at her throat. "Stop please! RUBY!" Susan screamed. She knew it was pointless. The body of her friend inside was quite dead and a puppet of this unholy woman. She grew tired as oxygen deprivation was kicking in plus fatigue. "Find an inscription! Destroy it!" Keith ordered. "WHAT?! NO!" Báthory yelled.

And with that the tables began to turn. In her arrogance, Báthory had inscribed "Emet" (the Hebrew word for truth), the word that gave golems false life, in the same place. The back of the head. The surviving Briar Patch members snuck up on figurines too simple to realize they were being flanked and slashed the inscription. Almost instantly, their skin shattered like porcelain revealing the horror within. Depending on the age of the figurine, what was inside was either a skeleton, a mummified body, or one very well preserved. Susan gripped Ruby as the thing broke her thumb painfully. Susan didn't let her out of her grasp as she spun her around. With her sword, she placed the edge of the blade at the nape of her neck and pulled right. The cut had found the only place the skin was vulnerable and revealed the dead pale body of her friend after a shedding of de-magicked plaster. "You're done" Keith said to Báthory.

"I don't need the artifact to animate the dead fool" she said waving her hand. Her exposed bones glowed as dead members of Briar Patch rose from the floor. Part of the roof caved in separating him and her.  Keith glanced for a second to see what he knew was coming. The members slew their dead comrades by cutting their heads off. "Shocked? They're trained to kill their target by any means. They don't have cute code names like Tulip or Daffodil. Nightshade, Bloodroot, and Foxglove to name a few. Names of deadly flowers. Now feel their wrath! Empty your clip! Maximum power! WIND!" Keith screamed. Báthory felt fear for the first time in centuries as three-inch soldiers pointed guns no bigger than tic tacs at her. They pulled the trigger as a hurricane level gust of wind raced around Keith who dug his feet into the floor. The wind kicked up a firestorm that blinded Báthory. Her vision as if sticking her face into a blowtorch.

The giantess staggered as Keith leaped high into the air over the burning rubble of roof and landed behind the woman. "RUNE BREAKER KUSANAGI MODE! KAMIKAZE!" Keith screamed as the blade transformed and sucked the flames into it. He swung with all his might at the nape of her neck. There was a loud crack. Cracks formed in her skin and expanded all over her body. Her enchanted skin flaked and fell off like fragile egg shell. "Please...help...me..." she muttered from her skull mouth. Keith looked at her bones in disgusted awe. Glowing and red as if someone melted ruby gemstone over them. "What temperature does Philosopher stone take?" Keith asked aloud. "1,000 at most" Susan muttered heartbroken. "Enjoy the sneak peek of hell you fuckin' monster" Keith said tearing the artifact from her neck before leaving her.

Keith dropped the barrier and ordered a withdrawal. Susan walked behind him. Her tears coating her cheeks. "I can't do this anymore. Give her back! Give her back!" she screamed with all her soul. Suddenly, everything froze around her. The smoke, the flames, everyone and everything went to pause...except her and a figure standing before her. "You can't stay here! Come with me!" Sudan said gripping a child with her empty hand. When she touched the young girl, a chill went up her spine. "I'm fine. I'm here because it's my nature child" the girl said in an eerie tone. Sparks of light, the very souls of fallen members of Briar Patch began collecting in her pale childish hand. Susan could see her eyes were unnatural. No pupils just blackness. "Morrigan. You're Morrigan" she gasped. The girl nodded slightly as she looked around. "Keith told me stories of you. How you saved him from death. Please. I have a young girl in my hands. She doesn't deserve this. Please bring her back. Please..." Susan said falling to her knees.

"You ask a deity of death to restore life? The audacity of your request...amuses me" the girl said. She bent down and seized Susan’s chin. It felt as if her soul was turning to ice. She looked up at her to see the face of a woman now. "Interesting. I'll grant your request but there must be payment" Morrigan said. Susan nodded. "Balance must be maintained. A life for a life" Morrigan said. "I know. Take mine" she said softly. "I will child, but you do know this girl will have no soul. She will be a meat puppet at best. No free will, no emotions. No dreams no desires" Morrigan warned. "Her soul is gone then..." Susan said. "I've not taken it nor has the woman known as Elizabeth Báthory devoured it. It remains in this world...for the next few moments before I collect it" Morrigan said. "Can you restore her soul too?" Susan asked. The woman nodded. "The offer still stands. Take my life, take my soul" Susan said. "No" Morrigan muttered softly.

"WHY NOT?! Didn't you just agree to the exchange?!" Susan yelled standing. She immediately saw the error of raising her voice to such a being as those haunting eyes seemed to pierce her soul. "Forgive my rudeness but didn't you agree on the deal?" Susan asked with a lowered tone. "This is a different deal. The last time I deferred the collection of a life and their soul was for the man you call Keith. Even then I granted that boon for exchange of the life of an immortal. As your kind say...a trophy kill. You are NOT immortal. Simply put, your life and soul aren't worth enough" she said coldly. Susan closed her eyes and wept. "However, you do have something else that barely has adequate value" Morrigan said pointing to Susan's abdomen. "My baby?!" Susan asked. "Which holds the beginning of its lifespan and all the possibilities it contains. Decide quickly before I change my mind" Morrigan replied.

For Susan, this was the most heartbreaking choice of her life. Save someone she had grown to love or save her unborn child. Her motherly instincts called to both. Whatever choice she made; she knew it would haunt her regardless. "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...do it. You have a deal" Susan said trembling. Morrigan took the body of Ruby from Susan’s hands and held it in her right. With her left hand, she placed it on Susan’s abdomen and turned her palm. Sudan felt a searing pain as Morrigan pulled her hand back. The spark of life floated out of her womb where the spark of Ruby's soul flew from the frozen skeleton of Báthory. The two dancing around one another. They floated into the tiny body of the girl. Susan watched in awe as the pale death color of her corpse warmed into the living hues of cream, rouge, and peach. "Done" Morrigan returned the girl to Susan.

"Tell me child. What do you know of your parents?" Morrigan asked. "My folks were simple borrowers. My mom was eaten by a human. Dad sold off leaving me behind. Never saw him again" she replied. Morrigan cocked an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?" Susan asked. "Because only those of archmage talent or high-born blood can interdict in my affairs like you did today" Morrigan said. "But I didn't. You appeared before me" Susan said. "Did you not scream with all your soul to "give her back"? Whom did you think you were asking?" Morrigan asked. Susan was silent. "There is more to your bloodline than simple borrowers. That much is certain. Farewell Susan Durmont. Pray we do not meet again for many decades to come" Morrigan said. Suddenly, the world began moving once more.

"Pick up the pace! It’s coming down!" Keith yelled. Everyone got out safely just before the rest of the roof caved in incinerating anything still inside. With her superior hearing, Susan could hear fire engines coming. "Keith. Fire trucks about two miles out" she said. "Understood. I'll pull the team out and call Rose. Since it's Sunday she won't be in class. We can use her status to spin this" he said watching relieved as the agents he dispatched to the greenhouse had succeeded in evacuating people. "I'll stay behind" she said. "You sure after everything. I can have Fiona..."

"No" Susan said abruptly. "Take her. She needs medical attention" she said handing the still unconscious Ruby to him. "Jesus! You had a survivor in your hands? Christ...she's just a kid" he sighed.  Keith went to the car and gave her a change of clothing. "Alright. We'll see you when you get home" he said kissing her forehead. He got into the Range Rover. He drove off with the rear full of agents shaken by this afternoon's events. Susan saw the woman who brought her in, the doctor, and the dress fitter standing their dazed. "Take a good fucking look. That's what evil truly can do" she said. They turned to see her and were aghast. "What...what are you?!" the woman asked. "Agnes was it? I'm that which keeps evil at bay" Susan replied. None could comprehend the tiny woman from before was as big as they were now. "Demonic magic" the doctor hissed. "The only demon was Bloom. Telling kids that they are god's chosen if they don't have sex. Answer me this, is that true then how the fuck do we have kids?!" Susan shouted at them.

"None of you bothered to fucking ask to see what this seminary looks like? Where it was? She murdered dozens of kids. DOZENS! And not one of you had the decency to question. Evil prevails when good men do nothing" Susan said coldly at them. "She spoke to our hearts. She gave our lives meaning again. Why would we question that?" Agnes asked. "Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" Susan muttered to them. Agnes broke down crying as she knew of that scripture. "I know of the bible. When I was very young, my parents took me to the church nearby. We even lived in it during winters. I know how it feels to feel lost, alone, forgotten. And when I lost them and my sight, I gave up on god. Faith isn't a magic wand to make you feel all better. It's a Band-Aid for your soul. The change lies in you not some person with fancy words" Susan said before leaving them.

She sat down and had the borrowers gather close to her. She kept an eye on the sky for Hawks and an ear out for field mice or snakes to would make a meal of the survivors. They watched crying and sobbing as the church burned to its bones. Many asked if Bloom had made it not seeing her. "No" Susan simply replied. The fire tricks arrived to put out the blaze and Susan had them give her a blanket for the people to sit and lay on. A half hour passed.

"One confirmed human fatality. Burned to her blackened bones. The corpse dogs got multiple hits. Won't know they tally until later" one fireman said to the chief. Susan cracked a slight smile to blackened bones and grit her teeth at the rest. Rose appeared in her Mini Cooper not long after. "My god Suzie. If you're here then..."

"Yeah Rose. We need to get these people back home" Susan said. "I'll call a rental van. How many are there?" she asked. "200 or so. Excuse me" she said leaving her. Susan saw a familiar face. It was none other than the taxi driver. "How horrible! Mother Bloom...is she alright?" he asked the woman approaching him. "No, she died" she replied looking at the figurine on his dash. The man hung his head. "Beautiful figurine you have. Make sure you never break it" Susan said. The man barely nodded. Susan saw no point in taking it as it gave him what comfort he needed. With Báthory dead and her artifact in THORN's hands, the corpse of his shrunken daughter would never move, and the secret would remain...as long as it was never broken. Susan glanced to see the first news reporters scrambling to the fire chief and Rose. She listened to Rose saying she knew little of the events and that her organization (the public face for borrower humanitarians) would shelter the survivors.

Later that night...

"Where are my dress socks?" Keith asked looking around. "Here" Susan said handing the pair to him. Keith sat on the bed and put them on. "You look nice" she said. Keith smiled and nodded. "The survivors are done being processed. Most have been assigned housing while the others are staying with volunteers" he said. "They're staying?" Susan asked sitting beside him. "Their beliefs were shattered. All of them" he replied. "So they know?" she asked. "Magic, those figurines, her real identity" he said. "Guess they deserve to know the truth" Susan said. "I'm glad that girl is gonna make it. A miracle she survived. When she wakes up, we can find her parents" he said. "She's doesn't have any" Susan said. "You know her?" he asked. "My roommate when I was undercover. She's got nobody" she replied. "Interesting that she happened to be right there in the thick of it. And of all people to save her it was you. Is there something I should know?" he asked. "Nothing of consequence" she replied. There was a pause between them.

"About earlier I'm sorry for sneaking out" she said. "Damn right you're sorry. Anyone else I'd have their sword and rank. However, I was wrong to let my personal feelings get in the way. We shouldn't have sex anymore" he said. Susan was quiet. "I still love ya and will hug and cuddle you when you're lonely. Even suck your toes" he stammered. "Keith. It's okay. I agree" she said squeezing his hand. Susan shrank down and sat on his shoulder. "Ready for that speech?" she asked. "We'll see" he said leaving his room.

The colony was unusually dark. Thankfully, nobody was in the streets as his socked feet stepped down. Only the center of town was lit. People who couldn't go sat in dark houses looking out of windows as the giant passed by. When he got to his destination, he stood before thousands. Rose stood to his side in a white dress. Her giant bare feet on the stone street was oddly kept warm by the crowds barely millimeters from them. Their body heat soothing to her. She didn't move a muscle as some of the tired citizens sat on her toes and feet. "Today is December 1st. The first day of the Festival of Lights. A festival that honors the memory of those that passed on. Each light a loved one or cherished friend no longer in our lives. But as we stand here tonight, we are reminded by our new guests that faith is what brought us here."

"Faith that there is something better for us. Faith that there is meaning to loss for if we never lose anything, we would cherish nothing. It's fitting that it's lights that are the symbol of that. For its the light that will vanquish the darkness that tried to hold sway in our lives" Keith said as he picked up a switchbox. "My family. I give you the light" he said flicking the master switch. Strings of lights turned on illuminating the entire city. It was as if the stars in the sky had found refuge in the colony. The people clapped and applauded. The survivors, given special setting up front were amazed at the sight. And at that moment, saw that their faith had not died. It had only been transformed.

"That was beautiful Keith" Susan said. "Is there someone looking over us Susan?" Keith asked looking up. "God is in his heaven. All is right with the world" she replied. As soon as she said that, a searing migraine struck her. She closed her eyes and found herself seeing a memory. In it was a congregation of churchgoers praying before her. She stood on a podium before an old hand plucked her up and placed her on the chest of an infant. The breathing was ragged and shallow. A warmer in her body and suddenly the baby cried. People chanted thanks to god and she looked up to the person picking her up once more. "You did well Suzie...you did well" he said. Susan opened her eyes. "You okay? You drifted away for a second" Keith said.

"I'm fine. Just...just tired" Susan replied disturbed.                                          

"Ruby, you're going to be late for school" Susan said on bent knee outside her apartment. "I know I know! Can't find my other sneaker!" the girl said looking under her bed. Susan stuck her nose in through the open window and sniffed the air. "Thought I told you to bring your dirty clothes down last night. Try looking near your door" Susan said. The girl found her shoe near the door and put it on. "Let's go" Susan said holding her hand out. The small girl climbed into the giantess' hand and held onto her thumb as Susan began walking.

"When will I learn magic stuff like you?" she asked. "Arcane is only taught to agents or self-defense soldiers, not civilians" Susan replied. But what if I wanted to be big like humans, like you?" she asked. "It takes years of training to use growth magic consistent enough to walk among humans. Concentration and stamina are key" Susan replied stepping over a group of people.  "Maybe I should just join the people you work for" Ruby sighed. Susan stopped in her tracks. "Absolutely not. Not everyone is suited for my line of work. It's dangerous Ruby. Extremely dangerous" Susan said. "I've had my share of dangers. I survived on my own since I was seven years old" Ruby huffed. "Are you fully capable of killing someone? To end their life under your foot as they beg and plead for forgiveness?" Susan asked. Ruby bawked. "Your reaction says no" Susan said.

"You've done that?" Ruby asked. "To protect innocent lives? To keep the knowledge of dangerous magic out of the hands of evil? Yes and then some. Some of their faces you don't forget. It stays with you" Susan replied. "You haven't said much about that day. It's been a week now. How was I the only one that survived what she did to me?" Ruby asked.  "Lucky I guess" Susan replied. "I was sealed in plaster with no air for hours. I may be a highland country girl but even I know I should be as dead as William Wallace" Ruby said. Susan said nothing and continued her walk. "Am I alive Suzie? Am I or am I just a thing walking around?" Ruby asked. Susan stopped again. "You're alive. You eat me out of house and home. You hog the bathroom. Your feet smell. And you cry yourself to sleep at night. Dead people don't do that" Susan said softly. "Then how am I alive?" Ruby asked upset. "Sometimes miracles just happen" Susan said to her.

Susan arrived shortly after. Kids of all ages ran between her giant bare feet heading to the first classes. "I feel weird going to a school where I'm one of the oldest kids in class" Ruby muttered. "The classes are mostly divided on general knowledge of the student. We try to keep the ages in a range for social reasons. If you think that's weird you should see the advanced classes. Teenagers with full grown adults" Susan said. "But why do I need to know where Boston is? I'll never go there. And math?" Ruby whined. "We live in a human's world. For our kind to prosper, we need to know as much as they do" Susan replied. Ruby scoffed at that. "I love you" Susan said. Ruby didn't answer. Susan lowered her head. "I'm trying Ruby..." Susan muttered. "Sorry. I love you too" Ruby said. Susan smiled and kissed her face before lowering her to the street. She waved bye before leaving her to go into the building.   

"Sorry I'm late" Susan said entering the briefing room. "It's alright. I know you got a lot on your plate" Keith said. "As I was saying, with another of their rank down, ZODIAC is only going to up their efforts. The trail went cold again so I need you guys to press on possible leads. Where do we stand on social media?" he asked. "We flagged any mention of the word zodiac but as you can imagine..." Fiona said. Keith nodded. "Their experts at info manipulation. Try the dark web where it's harder to censor. Tulip, they have been trying to control the flow of money. Any blips?" he asked. "It's Christmas time sir. Money is exchanging hands like it's going out of style" she said. Keith sighed. "Keith. If anything, they'll come to us. They need Hope" Susan said. "And the collateral damage in the process?" he asked. There was silence. "Dismissed everyone" he said. Agents filed out leaving him and Susan alone. "You should me on bed rest" he said as she shrank down to relax.

"The doctor cleared me" she said softly. Keith placed the girl on his desk. "You had a miscarriage. Our kind don't have miscarriages unless severe physical trauma occurred" he said. "I can try another day. Besides, I got my hands full with Ruby now" Susan said smiling. Keith now held her in his hands. "It's either smile or cry Keith" she said quietly. "The lawyer needs to get with you about her adoption papers. This is a big responsibility Susan" he said changing the subject. "She has nobody Keith. She alone and traumatized. She came into my life for a reason. I'm sure of it" she said. Keith nodded. He placed her on the floor. "If you need help remember to ask" he said. "Guess you're the expert with so many kids" she chuckled. "Susan. I'm winging it every day praying I don't fuck up" he said. Susan nodded and left him.  

She had some downtime before her scheduled session with Ruth the therapist. She found herself at the civic center idling her time watching people come and go. What she saw most though was parents with their younger kids. Kids not old enough to go to school yet. One woman looked utterly exhausted as she sat in a chair not far from her. The common grounds was an area exposed to the outside with small bonsai trees dotting the 3 ft by 2 ft square. Not as spacious as the park but considerably quieter. Susan watched the woman as she sat down a basket containing a sleeping infant. she slipped her shoe off and began rocking the basket with her foot as she pulled out a book from her satchel. Susan walked over to her.

"She's adorable" Susan said looking at the baby. "She is when she's not crying" the woman chuckled. "What's her name?" Susan asked. "Belle" the woman replied. Susan sat down next to her. She touched her abdomen thinking about her empty womb. "Is being a mother fulfilling as it sounds?" Susan asked softly. "Don't know. Never had one. Oh, you thought she's mine. No, I'm a nurse" the woman said. The baby woke up crying. "May I?" Susan asked. The woman nodded. Susan picked up the infant and began rocking it in her arms. "Forgive me but aren't you old not to have a child?" Susan asked deeming her age to be in her upper 20's. "Can't have one. My previous owner injured me badly enough I can't conceive" she replied. "I shouldn't have asked" Susan muttered. "It's alright. You're not the first" she said. "I miscarried last week" Susan whispered. The woman nodded.

"How did you come to terms with it?" Susan asked. "By loving the children of others" she answered calmly. "Thank you" Susan said. "For what?" the woman asked. "For confirming what I want to do" she replied handing the now sleeping infant to her. Susan left the civic center, grew to human size, and continued her thoughts as she walked to the grassy area on the north west side of the dome.

"Aspen. Didn't expect to see you here" she said looking at her sitting down. Oddly enough, a normal sized baby was toddling around her.  "Wanted to give my son some fresh air. Have him feel the grass under his feet. It's amazing his taking his first steps already" she said. "Borrower babies learn to walk sooner than humans" she said sitting next to her. "Has he been on his best behavior?" Aspen snickered. "A gentleman to a fault. I worry about him" Susan replied. "He looks tired all the time. I showed him my pedi and he barely bat an eye" she said. "He doesn't sleep well. Nightmares" Susan replied.  Aspen cocked an eyebrow. "You two..."

"Not exactly. We're close but not involved. He does confide in me" Susan replied. "He'll work himself to death if you don't stop him" Aspen warned. "He shoulders everything! Like he needs to fix every damn thing wrong!" Susan blurted out. "That's who he is. That's one way he shows his love" Aspen said softly bouncing Luke on her knee. It took me some time to truly understand his heart. When he chose to stay with Lawan it hurt so much I wanted to curl up and cry. I came to understand that he loved me, wanted to pleasure me, make me happy, but he needed something for himself. That perfect one meant for him. He gave me a precious gift here, well two in fact" Aspen chuckled. "I'm trying to adopt a girl I saved" Susan said abruptly. "That's fantastic Susan! I know you'll make a great mom!" Aspen smiled.

"Will I? I am boorish country hick whose day job is to kill bad guys. That's not exactly mommy material" Susan said. "Do you love her?" Aspen asked. "With all my heart" Susan replied. "That's a damn good start. Look, I'm in a same sex marriage with a magic using three-inch girl. It's not the Brady Bunch but we make do. I'd die for my family. They are my world. They complete me. This little guy bouncing on my knee here? I'm worried if he misses us. Will get a good education. Worried some asshole will come here and do something to this place one day. Being a parent always gives you doubts" she said. "I know I want to be one. I saw a woman earlier today that said taking care of someone else's kids gave her comfort. I want that for myself. I just don't know if I'll be good about it" Susan said. "You'll do fine" Aspen said patting her shoulder. Susan listened to her talk about her travels with a lighter heart soon after that.

"This is unusual. Normally you're human sized" Ruth said to her as Susan laid down in her recliner. "I had a good day so far" Susan replied. "Well that's nice. Care to share?" Ruth asked. Susan explained how she planned to adopt Ruby and her talks with other about her doubts of being a parent. "And yet you didn't try to have one yourself?" Ruth asked. "I miscarried last week" she replied. "How are you dealing with that loss?" Ruth asked. "I dealt with it" Susan said softly. "By jumping right into adoption?" Ruth asked. "Ruby was a girl I befriended on a mission. I saved her when the shit got real. She has nobody else" Susan replied. "I'm concerned you’re not grieving this loss Susan" Ruth said.

"I lost my baby! It happens!" Susan yelled sitting up. "For humans not us. I'm worried your physical trauma is blocking your emotional one" she said. "Physical trauma? Like me waking up with blood soaking my panties? Or how about I'm fucking lactating for a baby I won't give birth to? Hmm?" Susan asked angrily. "Okay that" Ruth said. "I'm fine Ruth. I'm fine with the reality I got denied from having something all borrower women think about since the first day they bled. I'm fine with the aching in my empty womb. I'm fine with...with the fact I'll never see what could've come of my child" Susan said shaking and crying. The woman sat next to her. "If I didn't go on that mission, I'd still be pregnant!" Susan sobbed. "And all those people, including Ruby, would be dead" Ruth said. "I've been so hard on her. I'm worried I'm taking out my anger on her. Blaming her in some way. Makes me think I'm not ready to care for a kid" Susan said. "Oh? Others disagree. You don't need to be perfect Susan. You just need to be there" Ruth said. The clock chimed. "That's it for this week" Ruth said. "I need to pick her up from school anyway" Susan said getting up. "Call me if you need me" Ruth said as Susan headed for the door.

Susan waited patiently as she towered over the school. Tiny little kids waving to the giantess as they passed by. Susan waved back as she waited to see a small tuff of red hair. Ruby exited the school to see a giant pair of bare feet. She looked up to see Susan waving. She plucked the girl up and placed her on her shoulder. "How was school?" Susan asked. "School was school" Ruby replied. "Make any friends?" Susan asked. "One girl liked my hair. The other girls are kinda bitchy at me" she said. "Because they're jealous. It's rare to see a borrower with red hair. It'll drive the boys crazy" Susan chuckled. "Well one boy keeps staring at me" she said. "Oohhh..." Susan grinned. "Cut it out!" Ruby laughed punching her earlobe.       

Back at home, Susan watched tv on a giant iPhone while Ruby did her homework. "I don't know this word" she muttered. Susan paused the video with her hand. "Faith. It means to believe in something or someone" Susan said. "I know what faith means" she grumbled. Ruby slammed her hand down on the coffee table irritated she couldn't understand some words. "Beating my coffee table won't help" Susan said. "Excuse me but I just started this crap. Bet you had problems too when you learned to read" Ruby spat. Susan calmly sat next to the girl. "You have it very easy compared to what I had problems with when I was your age. I learned to read in Braille" she said. Ruby looked confused. "It's a type used for blind people" Susan explained. "But you can see now" Ruby said. "I got my sight back this summer. I learned Braille, then when my sense of touch evolved, I could feel the letters on a page and relearned to read" she said. "Evolved?" Ruby asked. "A word than means for something to get better than it was before. My hearing, taste, smell, and sense of touch became far better than ordinary people" she said. "Sounds cool" Ruby said.

"No. It's very troublesome" Susan said as she closed her eyes.  "My hearing can detect your heartbeat. My sense of taste can be so strong I can't eat certain foods. My sense of smell so strong I can smell your feet through your shoes. And my sense of touch? I can't walk barefoot on carpet without getting wet down there. But...these sharp senses have saved my ass more than once" she said. Susan got up to check on dinner. "This Saturday we need to go into town to take care of business" Susan said taking food out of the oven. "But I want to go with Ryan to the park" Ruby said. "When we're done in town you can. Come to the table" Susan said. Ruby sat down at it. "How long will that be?" she asked. "Not a clue. Could be hours" Susan said. Ruby stared at her. "...whatever" Ruby muttered. The dinner between them was quiet.

The girl scowled as Susan had her bring her clothes to be washed. "I was thinking of..." *slamming of a door* "...making cookies" Susan sighed. Her phone rang. "Hey it's Keith. I know it's slightly late" he said. "No. Go ahead" Susan said looking at Ruby's bedroom door. "Control picked up something. Come to the briefing room" he said. Susan left the house and made her way to the briefing room.

"You look upset" he said seeing the small woman enter the room. Susan climbed up onto his desk. "Had better days" she muttered. She motioned for him to get on with it. Keith clicked on a file and opened it on his terminal. "This got flagged on social media. Check it out" he said pulling up a post labeled "crazy borrower says she's human Lol". "I'm human! Why won't you help me!" a small teenage girl said screaming from the cashier counter. "Miss. If you can't control yourself, I'll call the police" the barista said. "Call the police! Call them!" the small girl shrieked as she kicked over a tip cup. "Ma'am that's enough!" another worker said grabbing her. "Get your fucking hands off me!" the tiny teen yelled. Suddenly, the worker dropped her. "Shit! Fuck did you do?!" he yelled looking at his hand. "Are those burns?!" the barista asked seeing his hand. The barista slapped a cup over the girl and poked an air hole at the top. She held it in place as muffled screaming came from it. The video ended seconds later. "How does this relate to us?" Susan asked.

We did a follow up and got some info as this happened three days ago. The cops arrived and arrested her after drugging the girl. She was taken to a hospital where they examined her. While she was there, two EKG monitors were fried as they were connected to her. Massive electrical discharge" he said. "Lightning magic?" Susan asked. "Possibly. She's being held at a mental institution for borrowers as she still claims she's human" he said. "Any chance of it?" Susan asked. "We cross referenced missing persons. The name she gave does match a missing persons. A Candice Chambers reported missing February 17, 2017 out of Savannah Georgia" he replied pulling up the file. "The eyes and hair are different. The girl we saw in the video has blonde hair and blue eyes" she said. "Indeed. If this girl is who she says she is, then she's messing with magic. We can't let her tell anyone about it in that case. Last thing we need is a psychiatrist scribbling down a shrinking spell" he said. "If I go, what are my orders?" she asked.

"A truth spell will tell us what we need. If she's nuts let her be. If not blank her memory" he said. "This seems low key" she said. "Thought you might want to check it out since it's near your old home. The mental institution is in Atlanta. Since you know the lay of the land..."

"And my country fried southern drawl" she said. "I know some of your memories of the place isn't nice. I thought you might want perspective" he said. "I'll pack my bags" she said. Susan returned home and began packing her things. "What're doing?" Ruby asked. "I was assigned a mission. I'll be gone for a few days" Susan said packing her panties. "What kind of mission? You gonna kill someone?" Ruby asked. "Hopefully not. A simple recon mission" she replied. "Can I come with you?" she asked. "Nope" she replied. "If it's simple recon them it's no danger" she huffed. "All missions are dangerous" Susan said packing a few shirts and a dress. "I can handle myself" Ruby said. Susan was losing her cool fast. "You've never been in a human city. You have no training. No arcane experience. The answer is no" she growled. "I watched after my own ass well before I met you!" Ruby yelled. "And I didn't bring you back from the dead just to put you in harm’s way!" Susan yelled.

"You...you did what?" Ruby asked. Susan wiped her tears away as she zipped up her luggage. "I'll be back in a few days. Fiona will come by to check on you while I'm gone" she said as she walked past her. She ignored the crying girl as she closed the front door. Susan didn't even tell Keith goodbye as she took the Jag to the airport. She regretted her words as she waited for the private jet to get ready. She wanted the child to have a peaceful life but the balance between protecting her and exposing her to the world was still new to her. Ruby has said her birthday was in three months. By colony law, she would be an adult. Free to make her own choices good or bad. She couldn't live on her own out in the human world, but she was free to join THORN or live in a place of her own. "Dammit. She really hates me now" she muttered as mechanics went over the final checks of the plane.

"We can take off ma'am" the pilot said. Susan nodded and boarded the plane. She slept the entire 8-and-a-half-hour flight. The giant seat a good cushion for her as her magics waned. "Miss. We're here" the pilot said poking her tiny sleeping body. Susan yawned and stretched. She pissed and washed her face. The time back home was well past noon. "Did Fiona get her to school on time? Did she remember to take her homework?" she wondered. Susan found herself worrying about things she never had. Usually before a mission, she would think about her target, the mission details, the condition of her equipment. Entry and escape plans. Now she wondered if Ruby was alright. She was sobbing when she left. She was quiet as she got out of the plane as it sat in the hangar. She walked to the drop off and hailed a taxi. "Where too miss?" the man asked as she got in. "5th and Broadway" she said. "No hotel? I see no luggage and the address is not close to any apartments" he said looking at the GPS. "Just head there" she said. Susan wanted to get this out of the way fast and her luggage if need be was still shrunk and in her pants pocket.

After paying the man she stood in front of the mental institution. The windows were barred. One fire exit and one entrance. The building itself wasn't huge. A refitted elementary school by the design. Susan, like so many others, had kept track of the changes to human society to accommodate borrowers and gremlins. When it was revealed that the borrower population was over three times the expected size, it was clear that it would be so easy feat. Jobs, religions, housing, medicine, education, we're all hot topics for sure but one topic had slipped through the cracks at the start. Borrower mental health. It would be stupid to think three-inch people wouldn't have mental problems far greater in number than humans. Living your days fearing animals that could eat you. The instinct to breed. Human hang-ups concerning incest. And that's not to say the trauma borrowers received from seeing their families ripped apart by humans.

Seeing your kids sold off. Your husband or wife raped, crushed, or devoured before your eyes. And the child mortality rate for captive borrowers could be brutal. Any of them could leave one a twitching, screeching, PTSD mess. But it was downplayed due to their population. Only 13 mental facilities catered to borrowers in the US. A mentally ill borrower in Providence RI would be bussed to the nearest shelter...in New York.  The one before Susan catered to borrowers from Florida all the way to Baltimore. She didn't wish to think how many would be inside.

Making sure nobody was watching, she applied her enchanted lipstick creating a glamor to hide her appearance. Her hair turned dusty blonde with curls. Her eyes hazel and a small splash of freckles on her cheeks. She walked into the building past the two guards on the door to reception. "Rachel Hurst Center of Missing Persons. I'm here to see a Candice Chambers" Susan said. "Identification please" the receptionist said. Susan pulled out a fake ID laced with a perception spell. "Very well. Please take a seat while I get the general practitioner on duty" she said. Susan sat down and patiently waited.

She did not like the sounds and smell at all. Crying, wailing, muttering, and the smell of piss and bleach. She turned to look to see a young borrower man being fed by a nurse. "Manda? Where Emma?" he asked. "Asleep Jacoby" she replied. The young man nodded. "Poor thing. He lost his wife and daughter the same day they got rights" a nurse said next to her. "How many of them are here?" Susan asked. "Last count was...407 I think" she replied. Susan bawked. "Jesus. Are they all his age? He looks no older than 16" Susan asked. "No. We get all ages here. From young kids to middle aged" she replied. Susan's heart sank. "My god. You have enough staff for all of them?" Susan asked. "30 plus a couple borrowers for the younger kids. It's a full-time job within a full-time job" the nurse replied. The sounds of ranting filled their ears. "Excuse me" the nurse said rushing off. Susan went back to scanning the room.

Other borrowers played games pushing and carrying checkers. Children played hopscotch on a piece of paper with squares drawn on it. A nurse sat close by. One boy around 13 sat quietly alone near the edge of the table. Susan got up to get a closer look. "That's looks nice" she said. "One of their better days" the nurse said softly. "Why won't you play little guy?" she asked the boy. He glanced at the giantess and turned away. "Impulse control issues. He's prone to emotional outbursts" the nurse said dismissively. "Have you tried petting him?" Susan asked. "I don't know where you've been but they ain't pets no more" she said with disgust. "Didn't say that. I asked if you petted him" she said. The woman shook her head. "Thought not. Borrowers go through not just physical changes when they go through puberty but psychological ones too."

"Males get aggressive. The urge to mate gets stronger. Their extremities get sensitive and they need tactile release. Bottom line is he's horny and wants intimacy" she said. "You crazy? He's barely a teenager" the woman scoffed. "Your human ideals don't work with his kind. They're built different" Susan said bending down to pluck the boy up. The boy struggled in the giantess' grip. "There there. I won't hurt you. Let me see your feet sweetie" Susan cooed as she opened her palm. The boy settled slightly and straightened his legs. Susan pulled off his slippers and began rubbing his little feet. "Put him..."

"Be quiet and learn something" Susan hissed at her. The boy relaxed as her fingers kneaded his small soles. She let go of his feet and used her finger to push his shirt up to rub his small delicate chest. His eyes looking at the giantess so softly. "That's right. It's okay" Susan said. The boy looked dazed as she brought him to her lips. She could smell his arousal on him. Pheromones topped off with the sweet smell of teenage testosterone. Her own instincts whispered to her. She planted soft gentle kisses on his face until he seemed to doze off. "There. If you do that at least once a day, he won't have the urge to have sex so much. He should be much calmer" Susan said handing the boy to her. The nurse didn't know whether to be amazed or disturbed by it all. "Miss Hurst? This way please" said a man in a white coat.

"What's the status of the patient?" Susan asked. "Sedated and restrained. A necessary precaution as anyone who tried to touch her got some kind of strange injury. We didn’t want to do anything invasive until she stabilized. Why did CMP send you? Clearly she's delusional" he asked. "It's our policy to investigate any information regarding a case no matter how outlandish it seems. We can't pick and choose how we fulfill our duty when it comes to policy" Susan replied trying to sound authoritative. Susan observed the setup as she walked through the hallways. The old classrooms converted into alphabetical wings. Each room had a one foot by one-foot cubical box lined next to one another and stacked five feet high. It resembled a prison block to her. The front had a shatterproof window so the patient could be observed. A nurse stood on watch in every other room. He turned a corner and checked a folder. "In here. Wing M box 22" he said pointing to it. "I'll take it from here. Please, I can't have her agitated by anything" Susan said. "Sorry but its policy to have a nurse or doctor present for visitors" he said. Susan sighed.

She pulled out a scrap of paper from her purse and slapped it on his coat. "I'm fine. You can go now" she said after activating the spell. "You're fine. I can just go now" he muttered leaving. Susan sat down and unlocked the solid steel deadbolt keeping the box’s roof shut. "No more meds...please no more" the tiny girl whimpered as she scooted to the corner away from the giantess. Her floor and walls were padded. She was restrained in a very small straight jacket. Barefoot and hair a mess, Candice has seen better days. "I'm not here for that" Susan said before biting her thumb. She used her blood to write out a simple truth arcane on the padded floor. Even though she was sedated, the girl had begun to freak out. "What the..." Susan said smelling ozone in the air. There was a faint crackling sound in the air. The sound of static electricity. "Please step into that circle" she asked. The girl shook her head frightened. Susan sighed and went to mover her herself. "Shit!" Susan said jerking her hand back as the skin of her index finger touched her small face. No don't about it. She felt an electric shock.

Candice looked weaker than before. Very carefully, Susan gripped her hips between her fingers and placed her in the middle of the bloody circle. Once done, she activated the spell. "What's your name?" Susan asked. "Candice...Chambers" she answered in a flat tone. Susan cocked an eyebrow. "Where are you from?" she asked. "Savannah Georgia" she replied. Susan was getting anxious. "Are you human?" Susan asked. "Yes" she replied. "What do you remember before going to the coffee cafe?" Susan asked. "I was dizzy. My legs hurt. Everything was so big. A cat attacked me. Pinned me on the ground. I screamed and it screeched before it fell down. I followed the scent of coffee thinking someone could help me" she said. "Anything before that?" Susan asked. "No" she replied. "Excuse me but it's time for her meds" a voice said behind Susan.

Susan moved Candice off the arcane and wiped it away with her thumb. Immediately, Candice was free of the truth spell. "Go right ahead" Susan said. "Facility policy but visitors aren't allowed in the room while I administer" the male nurse said. Susan stood up and began walking out. She paused when she smelled something alarming from him. "Just one question. Is it policy for nurses to carry firearms?" Susan said smelling gun oil from him. The man dropped the metal tray and went for the gun hidden in his white coat. Susan pushed his arm aside just as he aimed and fired. The shot went wide hitting the wall. A chorus of screams and wails came from the boxes as the deafening sound agitated the borrowers. He swung his left arm knocking Susan aside with inhuman strength.

He aimed again and she ducked down. The round grazed her scalp. She retaliated with an uppercut hard enough to lift him off his feet. She was astounded he was alive. Such a blow would normally snap his neck or at least server his brain stem. He grinned and stuck his tongue out slightly to reveal a tattooed fortifying arcane on it. It glowed as fresh blood touched it. "Answers that!" Susan said. He lunged at her and in such close quarters, she couldn't dodge left or right enough. He grabbed her and used his weight and momentum to slam her into the floor. His hands squeezing her neck tightly. She couldn't breathe. Susan pulled her right leg back and slammed the tip of her high heel right into his balls. He howled in pain as he fell to the side holding his testes. "Fortifying only does so much" she hissed spinning her body and locking him in a scissor hold.

Her ankles were firmly locked around the front of his neck. The toes of her left foot pinching his nose closed as her calves squeezed tight. He struggled and began turning blue. Susan readied herself and jerked sideways hard snapping his neck. Her victory she couldn't celebrate though as she could hear staff coming. Susan snatched up Candice and began drawing an arcane on the outer wall. "Activate!" she yelled as it flared up. The transmutation spell broke the plaster and concrete back into its base forms of limestone, water, sand, and cement dust. Candice watched in a daze as the giantess punched a hole in the weakened wall and run out. Even small, she could tell the giantess was running faster than a normal person. She had to duck her head close to the giant fingers to avoid the gust of wind.

Susan knew she had to get off the streets. A woman in a dress, running barefoot faster than an Olympic athlete down the street would turn heads and make them talk. She looked back. "Wow" Susan said as her borrower adrenaline wore off. She had covered 10 blocks in under five minutes. She couldn't remember the last time she ran that fast. She looked at Candice concerned that she might have squeezed her too much as she ran. She was unconscious but alive. There was a motel across the street, and she chose to make use of it. She walked into the lobby office. "Jesus lady. Ya got something wrong? Pimp troubles?" the old man asked. "Naw. Just lookin' for a homestead for the night" she said slipping her natural dialect in. The man nodded nervously. "Room 25 please" she said. The man took her cash and gave her the key.

The motel was a common one. Nothing fancy at all. Just another in a sea of them in Atlanta. 50 rooms total with 25 on the ground level and another 25 on the level above. Susan went into the room and quickly changed. She wiped her lipstick off cancelling the glamor and went right back to the old man. "Excuse me sir? May I have a room?" she said very proper. "Miss? Something wrong...oh. Sorry you sound like a girl that just came in. Look like her too" he said. "Can't be me. I just got in from Boston" Susan said. "Right. She sounded like a native. Not a Yankee. No offense" he said. "None taken. Room 26 please" she said. The man gave her the key after getting his money. Sudan went to room 26. She kicked off her shoes, placed Candice on the pillow, and took out her phone. She dialed Keith.

"I've been waiting for you check in" he said answering. "I went to her right after I got off the plane. There's something really wrong here" she said. "Explain" Keith said. "She confirmed who she said she was under a truth spell. Right down to where she was from" she replied. "Hypnosis?" Keith asked. "Not that deep. And get this, some guy came for her. Posing as a nurse, he showed up carrying meds and armed with a Glock" she said.  "What?!" Keith said. "And there's more. He had an fortifying arcane tatted on his tongue. He nearly strangled me. I'm sure he was sent to either grab or kill her and I got in the way" she said. Keith was quiet. "So someone that knows magic went to silence a girl who's the size of a borrower claiming to be human. Did she say anything about symbols or anything?" he asked. "Haven't got that far before she passed out. That wouldn't explain the hair and eyes even if she was fucking around with a shrinking spell" she said. "True. Anything else?" he asked.

"She walked in a daze to the coffee shop and was nearly eaten by a cat. Electrocuted the thing. She couldn't have gotten far from wherever she was before" she said. "I'll check the surrounding area. So you confirmed that lighting magic she's been using?" he asked. "She had an insulated straight jacket on. Humans can't use magic so if she is human, how's she doing it?" she asked. "Don't know. Oberon has said that there have been human hybrids in the past who had fae ancestry that could perform very simple spells, but it took a huge toll on their bodies" he said. "I see. Call me when you find something" Susan said ending the call. Susan watched from the window down to room 25. It didn't take long for her to see what she was expecting.

Two black Chevy Suburbans quickly drove up. Four men got out. One of them heading to the motel office. Susan hoped whomever it was didn't hurt the old man. The man came out pointing to room 25. They kicked the door in with guns drawn. Susan watched. She had left her stash of clothes she had worn in the institution on the bed there. A few minutes later they left. "Amateurs" she chuckled before closing the curtains. The girl was groaning in her sleep. The smell of ozone coming from her. Susan began searching for something to help the girl. She turned over a cheap chair and inspected it. "That'll work" she muttered taking the screw off the chair leg and slipping the iron washer off. Carefully, she slipped the iron washer around the delicate neck of little Candice. Candice began to wake.

She opened her eyes to see a giant woman looking down at her. Susan flinched as the shrill scream came from the girl's lips. "I won't hurt you. Do you understand me?" Susan asked softly. The girl stopped screaming but backed away slightly. "So, you're Candice. That's a pretty name. I'm Susan" Susan said holding her finger out to her. The girl looked at the large digit. Susan sighed. "Hungry, thirsty?" she asked. She nodded. "I need to go to the bathroom" she muttered. "Okay" Susan said. Susan began unblocking the straight jacket. "Don't. People get hurt when they touch me" she said. "You won't hurt me. That thing around your neck will stifle the shock" Susan said finishing. Candice was free of it wearing just a long shirt and panties. "I won't pick you up, but I do have to help you" she said placing her palm on the bed. Cautiously, Candice stepped into it. Susan took her to the bathroom.

"Hmm. Well, you have to take off your panties and I'll hold you" Susan said looking at her. Candice wanted to object immediately until she saw the toilet bowl the size of a swimming pool and the outflow to certain death. Candice slipped her panties off and Susan placed them on the sink. She held the girl by her waist and with her second hand balanced her legs. Susan could hear the girl sob as she defecated and urinated for a few seconds. Susan said not a word as she cleaned her up. "Why don't you take a bath? That always makes me feel better" Susan said to her as she ran the sink. "I'm not so fucking pet!" She blurted out. "Second person today to say something along those lines. I know that but you need help doing things" Susan said placing her on the sink basin. Susan tested the water and nodded. "I'll give you some privacy as long as you promise not to do anything rash" she said Candice looked at the giantess. "I didn't risk my life to save you so you could off yourself later. Oh, and do NOT take that metal ring off" she explained. She handed her a sliver of soap. "Chinese or pizza?" she asked. "...pizza" she replied.

Susan made the call and waited 10 minutes. She knocked on the door. "Come in! I'm done" Candice yelled. Susan entered as the girl had finished drying herself with a Kleenex tissue. "A change of clothes. Hope they fit" she said. The girl looked confused as she put them on. "They look okay?" the giantess said studying the girl. "Tight in the chest" Candice said. A slight irk and a little amusement from Susan. She carried the girl to the bed just as a knock came from the door. Susan willed her sword to her as it grew in midair. Candice was frozen in shock. Susan hid the blade behind her and opened the door. "$11.45 ma'am" he said. Susan sniffed him briefly but smelled only teenage sweat, raw dough, sauce, and pepperoni. "Keep the change" she said taking the pie and closing the door. She placed the pizza down and began tearing off a slice. "That...that sword flew out of nowhere and grew!" Candice yelled. "Yeah it did" Susan said sitting down and pulling a chunk off. She handed it to the girl. She devoured it within seconds.

"Slow down girl. Ain't going nowhere" Susan said tearing off another chunk. "God I'm starving" she mumbled. "I'd imagine so seeing what you've been doing" Susan said. The girl paused.  "What do you mean?" she asked. "What you've been doing is a kind of...magic" Susan said. Candice just stared at her. "How did a girl from Savannah end up like this?" Susan asked. "So, you believe me?" she asked. "I do but answer the question. Were you messing around with weird looking writing?" Susan asked serious. The tiny girl was frightened slightly from her tone. "...no" she replied. "Then how did you end the size of a borrower?" she asked. Candice sighed. "I think it was from what those doctors did to me" she replied. "Maybe you should start from the beginning" Susan said.

"I ran away from home and ended up in Atlanta. Things happened and I ended up on the streets. A woman in a lab coat promised me $5000 if I participated in a clinical trial. They strapped me down on a table and when I said I changed my mind they ignored me. They injected me with something, and I passed out. I was in and out of it for days but when I came too, I was in a cage and everyone was huge. They ran tests on me. Blood, pee, and a bunch of other stuff. And then I saw my reflection. Blonde hair and blue eyes. They poked me over and over until I cried. When I did, Sparks came out of me. They looked so happy. Then the other day...a man came and opened my cage. He took his dick out..." Candice said before shaking her head.

"He grabbed me, and he lowered me to it. Said he liked me I was so terrified I let lose this feeling of pressure inside me. Next thing I know I was dog-tired laying on his body. The door was still open, and I escaped" she said sniffling. Susan petted her head softly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that" she said. "WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?! WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT THE HELL DOES MAGIC HAVE TO DO WITH IT!?" she screamed. "I'm a person who goes around protecting people from magic" Susan replied. She stared at the giantess. "I'm crazy. I'm really nuts and I'm sitting in my cell right now" she muttered. Susan poked her in the chest. "Sorry kiddo but you're sane" Susan said. "Your body is kicking off magical lightning. Either instinctive, a side effect, or both. That ring is iron, and magic doesn't do well with cold iron" Susan said. "So, what happened to me?" Candice asked. "Not a clue" she replied. "Am I stuck like this forever?" she asked. Susan didn't answer. The girl sobbed as Susan laid next to her petting her till she calmed down a little. "I know smart people. If there's a way to fix it, we'll find out" she said. The girl hugged her finger tightly.

"So magic is real?" she asked. "Very real. Elemental magic, size magic, healing magic, curses and stuff, all real" she replied. "Size magic?" Candice asked. "Shrinking and growing"' Susan explained. "PERFECT! Grow me back!" she yelled. "No can do. Your body is in a kind of instability right now. To do it I'd have to take off that ring which would bring back the shocks and because you're human...well the magic is slowly killing you. Magic draws off life energy, stamina, chi, whatever you call it. Growing you in such a state could kill you" she replied. "Mom was right. God is punishing me" she muttered. "Come again?" Susan asked. "...I ran away because I fell in love with a girl in Atlanta. I came out to mom and she said God would punish me for being gay. I ran away that night. She said she was curious. I showed up at her door and she said I was just an experiment" Candice laughed broken hearted. Susan picked her up after sitting up in bed.

"God ain't got nothing to do with this. Someone did this to you. And my belief? Ain't nobody on this earth qualified to know god's mind. Who do you think God likes more? The sweet loving gay girl or the asshole heterosexual?" Susan asked. "...the gay girl" she replied softly. "I couldn't hear you!" Sudan said ticking her little bare feet. "The gay girl! The gay girl!" Candice laughed. Susan' phone rang. She put Candice down and answered it. "You found anything?" she asked. "Actually, I did. I estimated that she walked no more than two blocks in her condition. Searching a radius that size got one outstanding hit. A branch facility for the CDC" he said. "The Center for Disease Control?" Susan asked. "Same one. Strange though. From what we could find, this one isn't officially on the books. I think it's a grey site" he said.

"Hell's that?" she asked. "A government run site that's publicly known but only the bare basics is given to the public. Like Area 51. You know it's there and it's an air base but that it" he said. Susan looked at Candice. "She told me some more stuff. She said she was taken off the streets by a women in a lab coat. Injected with something and she woke up small" she said. "This is looking worse by the second. I think we're looking at a genetic experiment gone wrong" he said. "I thought The CDC cured viruses and shit" she said. "They do but they also examine the DNA of microscopic organisms. They were a part of the human genome project at the turn of the century. Rumor is they were asked by the CIA to bioengineer a strain of smallpox and a host of other nasty shit back during the Cold War*" he said.

(Authors note: This is a very real rumor. There was the fear of the Soviets using bio weapons back then and the US did set aside a budget for defense and possible use of their own. That much we know. As the CDC being the largest organization in the US dealing with contagions (and being government funded), they would be the de facto guys to go to about doing it. Currently, only two strains of smallpox exists. One at the CDC in Atlanta, and the other at the Kremlin bio research division)

"Isn't human genetic experimentation banned by the UN?" she asked. "Borrower too. Whoever is doing this has a shitload of pull and clout. I'm worried about their goal. This might be a test to see if they can implant magic genes in humans" he said. "Whoa...wait a minute. Magic genes?" Susan asked. "Well yeah. How do you think Yaksha, Mogwai, koonago, and fae passed down their magical abilities to their kids?" he asked. Susan shrugged and nodded. "So, the shrinking and blonde hair and blue eyes?" she asked. "If I had to guess, a side effect of putting fae genes in her to stimulate fae magical abilities" he replied. "Which is slowly killing her every time she discharges" Susan said. "Again, side effect. Magical beings have evolved to handle the strain. Humans haven't" he said.  "Can she be cured?" Susan asked. "In early stages maybe. But her entire body incorporated it now. I'm sorry Susan but I don't think so" Keith replied. Susan bit her lip looking at Candice. "I'm going to get some rest and check the place out at dawn" she said. "Susan, don't do anything crazy. That is still a government-controlled agency. If it's too much pull out" Keith said. "Understood" she said before ending the call.

"You looked at me funny after you asked whoever it was if this can be cured. It can't can it?" Candice asked. Susan didn't have the heart to answer. "Why would someone do this to me?" she asked. "There are people in the world that use magic to control others. Either by written spells or magic tools. In this case I think they want to give humans real magic powers. You were just a test subject" Susan replied softly. She picked the girl up. "Whomever did this will pay" she said. Candice nodded sniffling. "Susan? Your shirt" she said. Susan looked at it to see two wet spots where her nipples were. "Oh damn. Be right back" she said placing her back on the bed. "You okay?!" Candice shouted to her. "Yeah. Just bloated is all" Susan said squeezing her tits over the sink. She sighed contently as her breastmilk squirted into the sink. She returned a few minutes later topless.

Susan dried her nipples with tissue. "You got a baby?" Candice asked. "Would’ve if I didn't miscarry. Was pregnant just long enough to start lactating" she replied. Candice stared at her humongous tits. Susan chuckled at her. The girl blushed and turned away. "Don't be embarrassed. I'm not" Susan said. "...you're really beautiful" Candice said. "So are you" Susan told her. "You're big and beautiful. Hell my head is barely the size of your left nipple. What good is a tiny thing like me?" the girl asked defeated. "Tiny people have worth too. I'm a borrower myself" Susan said. She looked at the giantess astonished. "I use a growth spell to be big" she explained. "You beautiful, sexy, Precious young woman. Don't sell yourself...short" Susan said smirking. "I'm sexy?" Candice asked. "By scale, your tits are bigger than mine and I'm lactating. Nicer feet too" Susan replied. Susan sat on the bed with her feet pointed to her. "I know some boys back home that would love to date you. Girls too" Susan winked. "What about you?" Candice asked. Susan didn't answer.

"That was rude. What would you see in a teen like me?" Candice apologized. "I'm a borrower sweetie. Our kind don't have as many issues when it comes to intimacy and sex" she said. Candice stood up and walked to her feet. Her hand felt the pad of her big toe. A big toe nearly as long as she was tall. She looked at the giantess. "You're not saying all this just to keep me from thinking about suicide are you?" she asked. "...take off your pajamas" Susan said. "Why?" Candice asked. "I'm going to show you I ain't no liar. Unless...you don't wanna" Susan asked softly. Candice was floored by the proposal. A gigantic beautiful woman wanted to have sex with her? Never in a million years she thought. She had heard of classmates using borrowers that way but her herself small as someone bigger than her wanted her that way? Nervously she took off her clothing leaving her fully exposed.

Susan for on all fours on the bed and creepier up slightly. Her heard pounded as the giantess loomed over her. Susan bent down and sniffed her. She could smell her anxiety, her pheromones but something was slightly off. Susan immediately brushed it aside as just a reaction to what happened to her. She smiled nice enough, sexy enough, delicious enough. She planted a kiss on her tummy to relax her. She nuzzled her and made her giggle. She pushed her on her back and took a smell of her tiny feet. Slight perspiration and soap. "Why would you ever say you're not pretty?" Susan asked looking into those teeny little eyes. "So...what happens now?" Candice asked nervous. Susan licked her lips. "What’s the fun in telling? Guess" she replied grinning. She gave her body a long lick before parting her legs with her tongue.

"Oh my god!" Candice chirped as the giant tongue raked her cunt. The taste buds sending shivers up her spine. "Too rough?" Susan asked. "Fuck no! Do it again. Lick my pussy!" Candice yelled. Susan pinned her arms down as she got in deeper. Her tiny legs propped up on the sides of her cheeks and she sucked her tiny cunt. The girl panted as she felt the giantess push her legs back slightly exposing her ass. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuckity! Fuck!" the girl moaned as the giantess sucked her ass and used her tongue to part it ticking her asshole like crazy. She squealed in delight as she came splashing Susan's upper lip with her juices. Susan licked it clean enjoying her sweet flavor. "Not too much?" Susan asked playing with her little titties. "Never...thought it would feel like that" Candice panted. Susan sat on her butt and held the girl in her hand. "We can go further. Only if you want" she said. She looked at the sopping wet cavern between her thighs. "Do it. Shove me right in there" Candice said to her.

Susan punched her in feet first carefully and began to piston her in and out of her. To Candice this was a dream come true. A vagina that swallowed her whole. Yielding to her body, welcoming it, milking it as if she was a cock. The vagina belonging to a girl who told her that she as a good person. That she had worth. That she could be loved even after such a life changing tragedy. "In...side! Push me inside!" Candice screamed. With a push on her little head, she went full in. Wet, hot, sticky and pulsating. Susan swore she saw lights exploding before her eyes as she came. Candice felt a gush of fluid rush around her body and there was a panic as her mouth was shut to avoid drowning in it. But two fingers grabbed her hair and yanked her out. The air was cold on her body as she looked at the giantess with her sweaty flushed face grinning. "That...that was incredible" Candice said. "Being small has some advantages don't it?" Susan chuckled.

For the second time that evening, Candice washed in the sink. Susan soaked in the tub close by. "It's funny how alike borrowers and humans are" Candice said scrubbing her skin. "There isn't much difference between us. We have ten fingers and toes like you, we reproduce like you, have families" Susan said. "But there are differences other than size right? That's what my biology teat her said" Candice said. "Yeah there are. On scale, we're four times stronger than you. Our senses are sharper" Susan said.  "Really?" Candice asked. "Very much so. We evolved that way to stay alive. Of course, they don't help much when it comes to humans being predators" Susan replied. "I know what they did to borrowers. I saw the videos" Candice said softly. Susan was silent. "You said you protect humans from magic. Why after all they did to you?" she asked.

"Not all humans are bad. We can't condemn an entire race for what some do" Susan said. "With all your magic, don’t you just want to kill the bad ones?" she asked. "Some I do but if I went around killing every bad human there is, well...I'd spend my entire life doing that. And then there's some that repent later on. See the error of their ways. Do I have the right to take their lives beforehand?" Susan asked. "Never thought of it that way" Candice said. "Every time I take up my sword, I ask myself that. This is why magic has to stay out of the public knowledge. There's some that won't bother to ask that question" Susan said getting out of the tub.

Minutes later they both laid on the bed. "Your heartbeat is really strong" Candice said laying on her bare breast. "The borrower heart has one more chamber than yours and the muscle fiber is denser. We can run faster and longer because of it" she said. "...can I get a drink?" she asked. "Sure, I got some bottled..."

"I mean from uhhh...there" Candice blushed looking at her nipple. Susan chuckled and squeezed her breast slightly. A few dribbles of breastmilk came out. Candice drank it and hummed to herself. "I'm not weirding you out am I?" Candice asked. "Naw. My kind are intimate. We even engage in incest regularly depending on the mood and situation" Susan replied. "Whoa...so you and your dad?" she asked. "No. I lost my father when I was 12. Too young for stuff of that nature. I miss his foot rubs after a day of walking. No, stuff like that tends to happen around the age of 14 when we first hit our sexual peak. It can be very...problematic for some" Susan replied. "I'm sorry you lost you dad. I did too" Candice said laying on her breast looking at the giantess.

"I gained a bigger family. A woman was kind enough to take me in when I had nobody else" she said. "Like me?" Candice asked. "Yeah like you my little friend" Susan chuckled tapping her tiny bare ass. "Will you take me back with you?" Candice asked. "You still have your mom Candice" Susan said. "I rather have you. My mom disowned me for being gay. You think she'd be cool with me being gay and three inches tall now?" she asked. "Do you know how I know you?" Susan asked. Candice shook her head. "Your mom filed a missing person report. She cared enough to do that" Susan said. "Then why call me a sinner and all that other shit?!" she yelled. "Because she was angry, and we say things we don't mean when were angry sometimes" Susan replied. She briefly thought of Ruby then. "I need to get some sleep. Got a big day tomorrow" Susan said placing her on the pillow next to her.

The sun was barely rising as Susan put on her combat uniform. She checked her Taurus Sliver. Fully charged. She checked the edge of her sword. Sharp as ever. She locked her belt in place and placed her lipstick and notes in the pockets. The holster that held the hilt of her sword locked behind her back on a strap. "I'm coming with you" Candice said startling her. "No you're not" Susan said flatly as she checked her shoes. "You can't just waltz in there. The guy on the phone said it's a government building" Candice said. "I don't plan to. I'll use a window or vent" she said. "Oh sure one of those will be open...in a facility that deals with deadly germs run by the government. You need me" Candice said standing on the pillow. Susan looked at her. "There's going to be death today. I've done this enough to feel it in the air. This ain't no James Bond movie shit" Susan said. "And if you fail and they come here for me? I won't sit around worrying about that. I swear I won't" she warned. Susan grabbed her up.

"THAT IS NOT FAIR TO ME!" Susan yelled. "Don't preach to me about fair!" the girl yelled trembling in her grip. Susan could see the conviction in her eyes. Susan placed her on the dresser and handed her a set of clothes. "Get dressed" she hissed. Candice put on the shirt, shoes, and pants and stood waiting for her. Susan did a final check of her gear before opening a pocket on her belt. "Sit in there, don't talk or you'll bite your tongue" she said as she put the girl inside. Susan exited the motel room and placed the do not disturb sign on the knob. Quietly, she climbed to the roof and with a flash of light, fortified herself. "Here we go" she said jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

The cold December air bit her cheeks as she glided through the air. It was quiet below. Shops had not opened yet. The gas station was just turning its lights on. A trickle of cars below as workers went in for early shifts. None had noticed the ninja like woman jumping from building to building. In 10 minutes, Susan stood on the rooftop next to the CDC facility. "You okay?" she asked Candice. She got her answer as the tiny girl popped up and puked. "Why don't ninjas puke?" she groaned. "They weren't riding coach" Susan chuckled. She scanned the side and rooftop. Satellite dish, heat vent, rooftop door. "How did you escape? You said you stunned a guy but how did you leave the building?" Susan asked. "A vent on the ground was open. Some guy was working on it. I remember the smell of coffee. He sat the cup down and I saw the logo. When he moved away I ran out. Yeah, that's how I knew that coffee shop was nearby. It had the address on it" she replied. Candice guided her to it.

"Well it's sealed up now. Wait...this is an intake vent" she said. "Ehats that?" Candice asked. "It's how the building breathes. It sucks in air at intervals. Let's see...5:57 a.m. Maybe on the hour?" Susan wondered. Susan took Candice out of her pocket before canceling her growth spell. In seconds she was as tall as Candice. "Holy shit you weren't kidding!" she said seeing her size. "Nope. You're taller than me. You're taller than me and got bigger tits. What they feed you Savannah?" Susan asked. The vent shutter clacked open. Susan groaned as her hands bent the vent ribs slightly. "Quickly!" she said pushing Candice through. She slipped in seconds later and heard the girl scream as the rush of air pulled them in. Susan grabbed her foot and held her tight as they were sucked through the ventilation.

As they got farther in, the force diminished and then the flow of air stopped. "Susan your head!" Candice yelled. "Shhh! Keep your voice down" Susan said wiping her forehead. There was a slight cut from when she hit her head tumbling around. With a bit of magic, it was healed. "Stay close and stay quiet" she said as she took off her boots. She shivered as her bare feet touched the cold metal. "Why barefoot? isn’t that uncomfortable?" Candice asked. "I can sense my surroundings better barefoot" she replied slapping her tiny foot down to feel the vibrations. "That way" she said pointing forward. Every 10 feet she would stomp her foot as she mapped out the air vent. When she could see out, she took note of the room and if anyone was inside. "Jesus" Candice said huffing. "Break time" Susan said sitting down.

"You do this all the time?" she asked. "Part of the job is gathering info about your surroundings. Entrances, exits, people inside, their movements" she said handing a bottle of water to her. "And?" Candice asked. "Not good. 17 people so far. Rooms full of cages. Judging by the smell I say at least a hundred people in them. Won't know more until I go down. I'm worried. I haven't seen the head honcho here" Susan muttered. "Maybe they're hands off?" Candice asked. "Unlikely. Stuff like this they tend to be hands on. They don't leave it to 9 to 5 workers to run it themselves" she explained. "So, what's the plan?" Candice asked. "There's two rooms. The main lab and server and the security control room. Either one would be preferable" she replied. "I'd go for the control room and stop any alarms" Candice said. Susan looked at her. "Good idea" she smiled ruffling her hair. They made their way to the vent in the control room.

There was two men in the room watching cameras. Interior and exterior. "6:15. I'm headed to the lobby" one said. "Got it" the other one said. Susan watched one leave leaving his friend all alone. "Stay here" Susan said bending the vent rib open. Securing her line, she rappelled down. Her eyes were on the giant who has his back turned. Once safely lowered, she released the line and dropped to the floor. She groaned at the pain in her feet hitting the floor. The giant looked around. Susan hid under his seat. The giant shrugged and went back to the cameras. Susan slapped a note on his chair and backed away. There was a flash of light which startled the giant but before he could stand up, he groaned and passed out.

She grew in height and applied a glamor. She checked her reflection in a screen. "Uugh...phase one complete" she muttered not liking the look of a middle-aged balding fat man. She took his badge and gun. "Stay there" she told Candice. Candice watched her leave scared to be alone. Now in disguise, she began checking rooms more thoroughly. Not including storage and bathrooms, there were six rooms. Three kept cages. Packed to the ceiling with them with an odd design. Wires ran to each one with a tube connected to the roof. The tubes ran to a tank in the corner of the room which had tubes running into the ceiling. A word unfamiliar to her inscribed on it. A master screen showed the vitals of every person in the cage. "Their heartbeat is extremely low" she noted. "Sedation. They're all sedated" she realized.

None had names on the cages. A subject number and a date in a card attached to them. "Subject 71. 6-18-18. Subject 23 5-17-18. Subject 96 8-3-18. Jesus Christ. They've been here for months. Are all of them missing homeless?" she asked. "Carl? You've been told not to poke around the cages" a woman said behind him. Susan turned around. "Sorry. Just doing rounds" she said. Susan quickly left the room. Susan went to other rooms making sure not to linger too long. "As bad as I thought. Over a hundred of them all sedated" she said. It was time to go to the main lab. Any longer and she risked the other guard finding his friend asleep. She entered it and looked around.

"Look again. I don't care if the bloodhounds can't get a scent. No, you idiot. Someone with her power wouldn't get eaten so easily. Well if you don't have her by noon then consider you the next test subject" she said ending the call. Susan glanced at her. Susan glanced at her and paused. Red hair, green eyes, with a few freckles. "Damn she looks like Ruby" she thought. The woman was in her early 30's wearing a lab coat, long skirt, and black heels. Around her neck was a necklace with an odd centerpiece. "Dr. O'Malley" someone said. The woman walked over to a lab station. Susan rounded the corner acting as if she was checking wires. "Subject 106 still has not shown any indication the genetic recombination succeeded" the young woman said. "Time?" O'Malley asked. "Two weeks" she replied. "Mark it as a failure. Dispose of it" she said. The young woman picked up the man barely conscious in her hand. She sighed disappointed before placing him in her mouth. Susan's sensitive hearing picked up is weak feeble pleas before her lips closed. She swallowed him whole and went to jot down some notes.

"We need Subject 108 returned. She's the first case of positive genetic recombination that hasn't shown mental dedegrigation like the others" the lab assistant said. "They're looking as we speak" O'Malley said. "Running a DNA comparison, Subject 108 already had genetic markers similar to the archetype. The only way to know for sure that is the reason for possible stability is a bigger sample pool" the assistant said. Susan eyed the computer server nearby. Quietly, she plugged her phone into it and ran the hacking suite Keith installed on it. "How big?" O'Malley asked. "Bare minimum 1000 test subjects" she replied. "I'll make arrangements. Continue with your analysis beginning with the next Subject" O'Malley ordered. The woman pulled out another shrunken subject from a cage and readied her scalpel. It was a boy no older than 15 with dirty blond hair. He stirred awake and began thrashing around in her grip. Bursts of magical energy erupted from him. "Subject 99 has shown progress in assimilating the gene cocktail" she said.

He thrashed around snarling like a feral rat until he gasped and went limp. "Correction. Subject 99 has expired. The stress had eroded his mind like the others, but his cardiovascular system couldn't take the strain either. Proceeding with dissection" she said as she placed the small body on the lab table. Susan found her heart beating louder. Her breathing increasing. "Carl. You're in the way here" the woman said as Susan approached. Susan put her hand on the gun in her holster. She yanked it out, aimed for the back of the woman's head, and fired. The shot was deafening as she blew the assistant’s brains out. She slumped forward right on top of the boy's small body. Susan briefly flashed back to what she said about killing to Candice.  "Some are just evil" she whispered as she turned her aim. She shot three others and another in the back as he fled.

O'Malley, who had left the room seconds before heard the shot and quickly returned. "You're not Carl are you?" O'Malley asked clutching her necklace. "Nope" Susan said as she aimed for her head. O'Malley turned the centerpiece on her necklace just as she squeezed the trigger. In a flash, O'Malley was gone just as the bullet zipped by right through the glass window of the adjacent room nicking the sedation gas tank. "Where did she go?" Susan asked. She heard whimpering from behind a desk. Susan found a lab tech on the floor. Suddenly, there was a loud boom followed by four more. "The tanks!  The tanks blew! They'll wake up! Oh god they'll wake up!" she stammered. She scrambled away until Susan shot her in the leg. "Please! Let me go! They're crazy!" the tech shouted. "O'Malley?" Susan asked. 

"THE SUBJECTS! Each one went insane from the procedure! They get free they will kill us!" she screamed. "You sedated them" Susan said. "The procedure caused their metabolisms to speed up. They burn off the sedative as fast as they breathe it" she replied. "Can this place be locked down? Is there a way to prevent anyone or anything leaving?" Susan asked. "Yeah. The system can be activated to seal the place to prevent contagions from escaping into the public" she replied. "Do it" Susan ordered yanking her to her feet. Susan dragged the bleeding woman to a terminal. "Are you gonna kill me after I help you?" she asked. "I'll kill ya if ya don't" Susan replied pushing the gun barrel into the back of her skull. The woman typed a series of commands. "Level one protocols now in effect. Engaging shutters. Sealing off vents" a computerized voice said. "I did what you asked" she said. Susan felt a bitter cold in the air. The light of a magic array caught her eye just as the sound of something flying through the air filled her ears. With little emotion, Susan used the woman as a shield.

A barrage of small icicles impaled the woman from face to groin. Susan dropped the body, canceled the glamor spell and took cover. "You have no idea who you're screwing with" a small voice said. The sound came from the far left of the room. "Enlighten me. I like to keep score" Susan said staying low and crawling. "Jennifer O'Malley. The shifter of ZODIAC. Title...Capricorn" she replied. "Shifter?" Susan said appearing from behind a table to attack. Nobody was there. "My skill is to assume the shape of anyone that I have obtained the essence of using my artifact the Crux of Ceridwen*" she said.

(Authors note: Ceridwen was a enchantress/witch of Welsh medieval lore. Celtic belief had her as the Goddess of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration. As one can infer here, her main skill set was to be able to transform into anyone and anything.)

"How nice for you" Susan said finding a small woman on the floor and smashing her with her palm. She heard laughing. Susan raised her hand to find no squashed body or blood. "Illusion spell" Susan hissed.  "Did I forget to mention that when I take a form, I inherit their abilities too?" O'Malley said. Susan stood with her knees bent. She could feel dozens of vibrations from lab workers trying to escape but nothing from the main lab. "She's in the air" Sudan muttered. Susan used a note to cast a wind spell. Papers were tossed around the room as hurricane level winds filled it. She heard a thump. Susan stood up and found...the body of her first kill. "That weak shit won't work" a voice said from behind. Susan turned to see a woman, a tanned Asian looking woman hovering in the air just a second before a bolt of lightning hit her so hard, she flew into the wall. "Yaksha. You turned into a Yaksha" Susan groaned. "Too easy. This is the woman who took down Cancer?" O'Malley asked. There were a series of loud cracks and hisses from the other rooms. Susan could smell smoke, ozone, and antiseptics. O'Malley turned to look. "I think you got more to worry about than me" Susan said as she quickly canceled her growth spell. O'Malley turned back to find Susan gone.

"You think you can hide from me?" she asked twisting the centerpiece once more. In a flash of light, she turned into Keith. "I'll smell you out. Especially with this body" she chuckled. Susan has crawled onto a desk and hid behind a microscope. She doused herself with an over turned beaker of alcohol to hide her scent. She was getting worried. From her viewpoint, she could see test subjects shambling through the hallways. The groaned, growled, and babbled as they walked on. "Oh god Candice" she muttered to herself as the screams began. O'Malley kept jumping form desk to desk searching for her. "It's weird being in this body. I can detect your lingering scent in the air and it's causing me to think interesting things. I can smell your feet which is a turn on for some reason. Your pussy too. Why, I think I got an erection. Come on out Susan. This form wants to fuck you till you can't stand straight" O'Malley said in his voice.

"Or maybe you prefer another form?" she asked twisting the centerpiece. "You rotten bitch" Susan hissed as the new form was none other than Lily. "Oh, I really like this form. Who'd think that a middle-aged person would have such a firm rack?" the tiny woman said fondling her own tits. "Our spy collected her blood along with others that day. Told us some interesting tidbits. How you could've taken out Ikaros yourself but left the job to Lily. You let her die because you're a sniveling coward" she hissed. Susan screamed as she charged at her leaping from the desk over. She tackled her and held her sword up to run her through. She stopped. "You poor dear" O'Malley said touching her cheek. Susan looked into her eyes until a blinding pain seared through her body. Susan looked down at the woman's hands to find a dissection needle skewering her through the chest. "Guess you didn't... (she pushes the needle deeper) have the heart to do what needed to be done" she said with a sinister grin. She pushed Susan off her.

She could feel her life fading away. The needle had missed her heart but ruptured her left ventricle. She knew she'd be dead in seconds. "Ruby...Keith..." she thought as she closed her eyes. "Now for the other problem" O'Malley said watching a lab tech running down the hall screeching covered with tiny people.  She hovered out to the doorway watching as they electrocuted him. They looked at her. "Cretins" she hissed killing them with a torrent of ice. Suddenly, she felt a power behind her. Having Lily's fae body, she could naturally sense magic. It came from Susan. She hovered over to her. "What is this?" she asked kicking Susan on her back. Susan' eyes shot open as her body glowed. The needle was pushed out of her body as she righted herself. "Impossible! YOU WERE DEAD!" she screamed. Susan looked dead at her and for the first time in a long while...Capricorn knew fear. "Your eye. Your right eye" she stammered stepping back.

In the iris of her right eye one could see a magic array. However, none of the symbols or runes were known to the woman. It was a foreign magic, a magic far older than what even a zodiac knew. "It can't be. All this time. Under our goddamn noses! The archetype!" O'Malley yelled watching as the woman before her healed with astonishing speed. She readied spells. She fired lightning spells and with a wave of her hand Susan slapped them away as she muttered "spell intercept". The woman saw a blur of speed as Susan charged and punched her in the chest. So hard the tiny woman went flying. She crashed through beakers, trays, and books only to stop as her body crashed into a laptop. Her body striking it with enough force to crack the screen. Susan looked at her for a moment before leaping further than normal even for her to land on the main computer terminal. "What are you..."

"Warning. Level two protocol is now in effect. Thermobaric purge will commence in 5 minutes" the voice said. "How did you know the code?!" O'Malley yelled taking flight. She landed where Susan had bled out and collected her blood into her centerpiece. "Now your power is mine!" she yelled changing. Susan leaped back to her. The woman took a swing and Susan just stood there taking the hit. "Can't be. I have your blood! Your power is mine now! That's how it works!" O'Malley screamed at her. Susan took little note of her as she hopped onto the floor. She used a spell to grow to human size. The woman went back to change into Lily once more until she was grabbed. "No" Susan said using her fingernail to tear off her necklace. Free from its owner, it grew back to normal size leaving O'Malley stuck in Susan's form. Sudan began to walk out of the room.

The subjects had begun to attack the shutters to get free now that the staff was very much dead. Burned, electrocuted, and mangled bodies littered the floor. Human and subject alike. They turned their attention to Susan. "If you don't let me go, they'll kill us" the woman said. "Not us. You" Susan said tossing her into the line of fire. Susan ignored her screaming as the surviving horde descended on O'Malley. She used that distraction to return to the control room. "Warning. Level two protocol is in effect. Thermobaric purge in three minutes" the computer voice said as Susan entered the room. "Candice. Come out" she said holding her hand to the vent.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING...your eye" the girl muttered seeing the giantess. "We have to go" Susan said holding her steady. She made her way back to the main lab right past the horde as it tore O'Malley apart. "What's a thermobaric purge?" Candice asked scared. "The air will mix with a fuel to make it flash over. It's to kill any germs that might escape" Susan replied as she retrieved her phone. "How bad is that for us?" Candice asked. Susan studied the shutter. "The flash over will be over 1,500 degrees. Nothing will survive" she replied. "Were gonna die in here" Candice whimpered. "No we won't" Susan said studying the window shutter. "High grade steel" she muttered before touching it. The metal made an eerie groan. "What are you doing?" Candice asked. "Using transmutation to break the alloy down into its elemental forms. Iron, nickel, chromium, carbon" she muttered. Candice watched as the metal became a discolored mix and soon the colored forms pushed aside. "Damn" Susan muttered.

"I can't move the iron. It's resisting the magic. However, it did expose the weaker carbon. "Warning. Level two protocol is in effect. Thermobaric purge in 60 seconds" the computer chimed. Susan heard the horde coming for them and threw up a barrier. "Susan your nose" Candice said. Susan wiped the blood coming from it. "I have an idea to get out but there's a big catch. I can use a spell called harrowing to blast through the weakened shutter but the concussion will be extreme. With my uniform and healing ability I'll be fine. You won't" she said. "Do it anyway" Candice said softly. "No. There is a solution, but it will require the upmost trust in me and there is no guarantee you'll survive. Allow me to eat you" she said. Candice looked at her in shock.

"You'll be safe from the blast in my stomach but I'm burning up energy very quickly. You might be digested before I can throw you up" she explained. "I'm dead if I don't. Do it. Eat me" Candice said bravely. Susan brought her to her face. "The lord is my shepherd. I shall not want..." Susan muttered before placing her in her mouth. She tried ignoring her taste. Sweet, salty, afraid. And with a gulp she went down. Candice fell into a pool of stomach acid. It was pitch black and the sound of a giant racing heart filled her ears. Her bare feet tingled but soon that turned into a stinging sensation. The air burned her lungs.

Susan took her stance as the spell began. Pure oxygen was squeezed into a tight volume. The hiss of fuel mixture from the vent alerted her that she had a half minute left. The spell was ready. "Harrowing!" she yelled detonating the volatile mix of explosive gas. The blast threw her into the wall so hard she left an impression. Her uniform protracted her from a broken spine but did little for her broken nose and impacted eye socket.  It was sheer will and adrenaline that she didn't pass out. Candice inside was thrown into the fleshy wrinkly stomach wall and sank down. Her skin burning and peeling. Something rained down on her and she wiped it off her head. "Blood?" she asked smelling the coppery metallic smell. Susan coughed out blood as she got up. Seconds. Precious seconds as she quested through the opening in the blown-out shutter. The first responders of police had arrived. "Hands in the...*BOOOM*"

The entire foundation and nearby street shook, and the flash blast took place. The officers ducked down instinctively and when they looked up. The woman they saw was gone. Susan jumped from rooftop to rooftop until she stopped and bent on all fours. She stuck her fingers in her throat. She gagged until Candice slid out her mouth. She touched her body and what little clothes she had on fell to ribbons. Her finger glowed as she healed her wounds. Candice took a gasp and coughed. "Much...better" she stammered before taking flight again. Candice was terrified as she looked at her. Bloody and beaten so badly she barely recognized her. "How does she go on?" she asked herself as injured as she was, she took note to hold the shrunken teen gently. Susan landed on the motel roof. "Do that magic thing to make yourself better!" Candice yelled as she stumbled into their room. Susan placed her on the bed. "So tired. So... cold" she muttered before collapsing on the bed. Candice watched in shock as the woman shrank before her eyes.

"Susan!" Candice yelled crawling to her. The borrower was barely alive and shivering. "Oh shit. Shit shit shit!" the girl yelled looking for a way to help her. Susan's phone rang. Candice pulled it out of her pocket. "Hello! Is this her boss?!" Candice yelled. "Uh yeah. Can you put her on the phone?" Keith asked. "I can't! We did what she needed to do and now she's dying! Oh fuck she's having a seizure!" Candice yelled seeing Susan convulsing. "Point the phone at her!" Keith yelled. "Oh             my god. Okay kid. Stay calm and do exactly with at I say. Unzip the front of her uniform and tear open her shirt" he said. Candice did very quickly. "What's happening to her?!" Candice yelled. "She's badly hurt and appears to have run out of stamina to heal. Now run some of her blood on your fingers and draw these symbols on her stomach" he said. Keith walked her through it quickly showing her the most basic healing spell he could. "Now finish the last symbol. You'll feel a weird pull on your body. DO NOT PULL BACK!" he said. Candice tensed up as she activated her first healing arcane. "She's getting better! She's not shaking or bleeding anymore!" Candice said.

"Good. Very good kid. She stable for now. Keep her warm and rested. What's the name of that motel?" he asked. Candice looked at the towel on the chair. "The Good Night Motel" she replied. "Okay. I'm taking a flight down. Don't go anywhere until I arrive" he said ending the call. Candice breathed a sigh of relief and pulled a discarded sock from last night over Susan's body. She laid down and held her hand tightly.

12 hours later...

"Did someone get the name of that car that hit me?" Susan groaned as she sat up. "Sleeping on the job Durmont?" Keith asked sitting on the bed. "Very funny" she said stretching. Keith didn't give her much time before snatching her up and cuddling her to his cheek. "Your...your luck is gonna run out one day" he said wiping tears away. "Don't think that's in the cards for me. I tend to beat the odds. Oh damn Candice" she said looking around. "Asleep. She fell right out as soon as I arrived. I had to pry her off you to get a look at ya. She's attached it seems" he said. "She's a sweet girl. Reminds me so much of myself" she said. "She saved your life. Stabilized you when you didn't have enough strength to heal yourself. That's not like you to run your tank so empty" he said. Susan got extremely quiet.

"Something happened to me there" she said softly. Keith handed her a paper cup with a little water in it. "Candice was rambling when I came in. Something about a glowing circle in your eye?" he asked. "Capricorn stabbed me near my heart. I was as close to death as one can get Keith without dying" she said. Keith shrank himself down and scooted close to her. "There was this tunnel with a white light at the end. As I got closer, I could see my mom. And then suddenly I was back in that lab. Capricorn started saying something. Calling me an archetype" she said. "Archetype? Of what?" Keith asked. Susan shook her head. "What did happen to Capricorn?" he asked. "I beat her ass like Wonder Woman. I'm not shitting you. It was like walking around in this haze. Calm as a lake in winter while I was beating her into submission. Deflecting magic attacks. Healing from wounds. Keith I was using magic without arcane incantations" she said.

"But you tested negative for fae abilities" he said. "I KNOW THAT! And the craziest thing of all, the spells in my mind weren't in English or any language I've ever seen. But I knew them just as easily as I can read that fucking towel there. They spoke about an archetype in their experiments. She called me the archetype. If their goal was the engineer a magic being... what am I Keith? If I'm not a borrower, then what...what am I?" Susan said sobbing. Keith held her close.  "Am I just a lab experiment? Something cooked up in a test tube for a human?" she sobbed into his chest. Keith pulled her chin up and kissed her deeply.

"You of all people should know that a person's beginnings doesn't dictate who they are or their worth" he said. "I did impossible things half out of my mind. I condemned over a 100 innocent people to burn to death today" she said. "From what Candice told me you had no choice. If they got free, they would've killed hundreds of innocent people out there. They were insane. It was a difficult decision but the right one to make" he said. "All those people gone..." she muttered. "Once upon a time there was a man who sat on the beach every day. He would see a man come by every day and toss back washed up starfish. One day the man yelled to him "what's the point? You won't make a difference. There’re hundreds of them washing up each day. The man replied..."made all difference in the world to that starfish" he said. Look at your sleeping little starfish there" Keith said pointing to Candice curled up under the giant sock.

Keith grew back and dialed his phone. He ordered Chinese. "Hmmm..." he said looking at something. "What is it?" she asked. "Looking at the missing person report. We should call her mom" he said. "Keith. What can we tell her?" Susan asked. "The truth. Being a parent, I'd want my kid back no matter what" he said. He dialed the number. "This is Ms. Chambers? Yes, we found your daughter. Can you come to this address? No. No police. Your daughter was involved in some...questionable things. I rather not say over the phone. It's a public place yes. Alright. See you then" he said hanging up. "That sounded easy" Susan said. "Not quite. Her screaming and crying were...unsettling. Especially me being a dad" he said shaking his head.

4 hours later...

"Can't believe you did this!" Candice yelled. Susan checked her clothes. "Believe it. Your mom is sick with worry" Susan said. "You honestly think she's going to accept...well this?" Candice asked waving her hands over her head. "My daughter is tiny just like you and it doesn't diminish my love for her. This will be an adjustment for her" Keith said. "You fuckin' high dude?! I can't keep my dog. Can't go to school. Can't drive. Can't..." she was saying before a knock on their door. Keith opened it and had a gun in his face. "Well...ahem...please come in" he said. A woman in her late 30's slowly entered the room. "Where's my baby girl" she hissed. "If you take the magnum out of my face, I can help with that" he said. "Not a chance. My kid. Now" she said. With blinding speed, Keith yanked it away from her. "Sorry but I must insist" he said emptying the chambers.  

"Mom?" Candice asked. "Please don't hurt me. I just want my baby" she cried. "Nobody is going to harm you. Candice" Keith said lowering his hand for her to climb into. "What cruel joke is this? My child isn't a borrower" she hissed. "It's hard to believe but this is your daughter" he said. "I'm calling the cops" she said pulling her phone out. "Mom. It's really me" Candice said. The woman narrowed her eyes. "You say that again and I'll crush you damn the law" she spat. "Ma'am. Please just for a moment have an open mind. Your daughter was involved in a... bad thing and ended up like this. Candice. Tell your mother only something you'd know" Susan said. "I have a dog with orange fur. "Bullshit. Anyone with a Facebook account could see that. "I named him Cheezit because of his fur. We picked him up from the pound the day daddy moved out the house" Candice said softly. The mother turned white as a sheet.

Keith gave her to her. "How? Why? Oh baby what happened to you?" she asked her daughter sitting in her hand. Her finger trembled as she was frightened to touch her. Candice pulled her finger to her and hugged it. "Please sit Ms. Chambers. This will take some time to explain" Keith said.

A half hour later...

"You have to promise me you'll never tell a soul about this. Nobody can know that this small girl is your Candice" Keith said. "If magic is real...you can't fix this?" she asked. "Her DNA has been changed. It's rewritten too much" Keith replied. The woman' phone buzzed. "It's your grandma. She's wants me to call her. God what do I say?" she asked her hip turned over her open purse and a hairbrush fell out. "My brush from home?" Candice asked. "Yeah. Wanted to brush your...your hair" she said sniffling. "Ya still can mom" Candice said. "My brave little girl. Mommy was so stupid. What was I thinking telling you such horrible things that night" she sobbed. Susan picked up the brush. "Excuse me ma'am? The hair in the bristles, it's hers right?" Susan asked. The woman nodded. "Keith that artifact I had. Give it to me" she said. Keith handed it to her.

"Capricorn said it works by taking a DNA sample. When she used it, it changed her. She became that person completely. And when I took it from her, she didn't change back" she said. "The hair!" Keith said. Susan nodded. Susan held the crux and gingerly opened the locking centerpiece. She emptied the chamber (no telling what or who was inside it at the time) and slipped a sample of hair into it. "Will that work?" Candice asked as Susan took the girl from her mom. "Hair follicles contain living cells. Cell with your original DNA. Here kiddo" she said placing the necklace around her neck. It shrank to accommodate the user. Susan had her turn the dial. In a flash, Candice was back to her old self. Black hair, 5'6, and funnily naked. Keith threw a towel around her. Cheers from them so loud those next door hit the wall to shut them up.

"You saved me Susan? I don't know how to thank you" Candice said. Susan looked at her mother. She took their hands and put them together. "Just remember to be yourself...and never give up" Susan replied.  Candice surprised her with a deep kiss. "That uhh...works too" Susan stammered. The mother gave her an odd look and Susan looked away. Keith and Susan watched them drive off into the night. "Goodbye little starfish" she whispered. "All well that ends well" he said. "Her mom thinks I put the moves on her daughter" she huffed. Keith looked at her. "Well I did. So what? She's adorable, has nice feet, and she tasted amazing. Sue me" Susan shrugged as they went back into the room. "I'll get the jet ready to go home" he said reaching for the phone. Susan stopped him. "Not yet. I want to know more about me" she said. "How?" he asked. Susan gave him her phone. "Their database is in there. If there's clues about what I am, it will be in there" she said. "I'll being uploading it to Control" he said linking it to the motel Wi-Fi.

That night, Susan kept tossing and turning on the pillow. "Can't sleep?" Keith asked. "My tits are swollen again" she muttered. Keith slipped off her top and gently placed her on his mouth. His giant lips began suckling her milk. "God that feels good" she groaned. Keith gently stroked her back. It didn't take long to drain her and he released her from his lips. "I'm so scared of what they’ll find" she muttered as she placed her back on the pillow. The giant looked at her. "You know I'm here right?" he asked. She sniffled and nodded. "You know what question bugs me right now?" he asked. Susan shook her head. "Which is it? Vitamin D or skim milk?" he said poking each breast. Susan burst out laughing at him. "Thanks for being in my life" Susan muttered tucking in. "Don't worry. We're good here" he whispered.

Susan felt a sharp pain in her right eye. A forgotten memory came to mind. "You sure you don't want to stay in my room?" a man asked. "Naw. Don't worry. We're good here" a young male borrower replied. Susan looked up at the borrower holding her hand. "Daddy?" she asked covering her eye with her hand. "You say something Suzie?" Keith asked. The array in her right eye faded out. The pain gone. "Just saying goodnight" she replied. "Night night" Keith said.

"What is this?" Keith asked looking at his plate. "You're kidding right? You never seen grits before?" Susan asked. "Nope" he replied. "How is you have the knowledge to build shrink rays, buildings with classrooms and shit, have access to thousands of years of experience, and not know what a grit is?" she asked. "Excuse me for being a Yankee carpetbagger from Massachusetts" he said taking a spoonful. "Good" he muttered. "Top ya off hun?" the waitress asked. "Please" Keith said wanting more coffee. Susan dialed home. "You got in alright?" Susan asked. "Yeah I got in. When you coming home?" Ruby asked. "Soon. Al least before Saturday. You got food for dinner?" Susan asked. "Fiona made me chicken potpie for tonight" Ruby replied.

"You changing your socks right? Not reusing them?" Susan asked. "Jeez Susan. Insulting much?" Ruby asked. "Just...just asking. Make sure you do your homework, take baths, and go to bed at a reasonable time" Susan said. "I'm not a..."

"I love ya kiddo. Love ya so very much" Susan said softly. "You too. Come home soon. It's boring without someone to talk to" Ruby said ending the call. Keith ate his food glancing at her. "You haven't finished your steak and eggs" he said. "Not all that hungry this morning" she said. Keith finished his food and washed it down with a cup of joe before getting the check. "It's cold. Didn't think Georgia got this cold" he said as they walked back to the motel. "They get snow. Sometimes a lot of ice and snow" Susan said. Keith held her hand as they crossed the street. Upon returning, Susan kicked her shoes off and flopped onto the bed. "What if they don't find anything?" Susan asked. "Then we keep on keeping on" he said sitting next to her. "Easy for you to say" she said. "No not easy. My past has left a lasting impression on me. PTSD about losing loved ones. Men touching me..." he said softly. He pulled off her socks.

"It's not so much as what I was as what I am now" he finished. He held her toes in his hand. "These sexy suckable toes belong to a girl named Susan. Did they change when her last name became Durmont?" he asked. "Course not stupid" she said. "Did they change when she found out she's different from other borrowers?" he asked. "...no" she replied. Keith gave her big toe a gentle suck. "You’re the same person you are today then you were last week. Same eyes, same hair, same smile" he said. "Is that all you see? Sexy feet and face?" she asked. He put his hand over her heart. "Same gentle soul" he said softly. They stared at one another. Both jumped when his phone rang. "Yeah go ahead" he said putting it on speaker. "Well we looked into the files you sent us. We can confirm that their goal was to engineer a magic using human" she said. "Yeah we got that. What about the archetype?" Susan asked irritated. "It refers to a subject they engineered years ago. Apparently, this project you stumbled on is the child of that. The files are sketchy for some reason. Numbers, dates, facility location and the head of the project" the voice said.

"O'Malley?" Keith asked. "No. A Dr. Timothy Kendall. I’ll send a picture of him" she said. Keith got the mms and showed it to Susan.  "Look familiar?" he asked. "Is remember someone with mismatched eyes" Susan said shaking her head. "Where is this guy now?" Keith asked. "Currently a resident of Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.  Died December 28, 1994" she replied. Keith and Susan sighed. "Cause of death was weird. Guy drove into a rock quarry. Fell 300 ft where his car exploded on impact. Ruled a suicide" she said. "Something isn't right here. I was born and raised in Georgia. It's unheard off for borrowers to travel such distances. Control, look up Pike County Georgia churches" she said.  

"Got three hits. Sending the link" control responded. "There. I remember it now. The church we lived in had a field of dandelions behind it. Who's the pastor?" Susan asked. "A Brian Thomas" control replied sending the picture. "Not the...hold on" Keith said enlarging the photo. "The same mismatched eyes. Keith. What if this Timothy Kendall didn't die? What if he faked his death?" Susan asked. "For what purpose?" Keith asked. "We ask him" Susan said slipping her socks back on.

An hour drive later...

"Why do I have to be small?" Susan asked sitting on his shoulder. "Because if it's him we don't want to explain a human sized borrower" he replied. "Only one car" she said. "Yeah. Makes things slightly easier" he said opening the doors to the vestibule. They could see an older man in his early 50's polishing a brass cross. "Hello. Bible study isn't until 6:00 this evening" he said seeing Keith. "We're not here for that. We came to ask a few questions" Keith said getting closer. "Well, ma's diner has the best peach cobbler a man can ask for" he said grinning. He spotted Susan. "A rarity but a welcome one. I've been wanting to preach the faith to borrowers. Such a delightful people" he said. "I'll get right to it. Do you know a Timothy Kendall?" Susan asked. "I'm sorry I do not. Any other questions?" he asked. "You're lying old man. I can smell it" Susan hissed after jumping onto his collar and perching on it. "Susan. More flies with honey" Keith said. "Did you say your name was Susan?" the man asked.

"That she did. Look, we're not going to hurt you. We just want answers" Keith said. The man looked at Keith’s fingers. "I'm not with ZODIAC if that's what you're thinking" Keith said. "...please follow me to my office" he said. Keith and Susan followed him to the back of the church. Susan was quiet as old memories kept coming back to her. The vents, the kitchen, she remembered them. "Please have a seat" he said. Keith sat down as the old man sat behind a desk. Susan dropped onto it. "Never in my wildest dreams would I think I'd ever see you again Suzie. You grew into a beautiful woman" he whispered at her. "So, you do know me" she said. "Very much so" he said as he for a glass and poured some sacramental wine. He took a swig of it.

"So, to confirm, you are Timothy Kendall" Keith said. The man nodded. "Why fake your death and how does a DNA researcher end up in nowhere Georgia?" Keith asked. "That can wait. What is an archetype? What am I?" Susan asked.  "Something miraculous. A one of a kind maker or miracles. A being created...not by God but by me" he replied. "I think you should explain yourself" Keith said coldly. "I shall. To understand what you are Suzie, I must start at the beginning..."

December 3, 1994 was a cool clear day in Houston. Timothy or Tim as he liked it got out of his Toyota Celica in front of the recently purchased office. It belonged to a defunct cable company which still had the UV burned shadow of the old name on the brick. He wondered if this was the right call. Fresh out of the University of Houston, he had his PhD degree in biochemistry and the student loans that came with it. Loans that would come due within a few months. A man came up to him as he cleared his dorm room saying they would pay good money if he helped them with a research project. Catch was he could tell nobody what it was. Looking at the starting bonus, he quickly agreed.

He entered the building to see it amazingly well designed. Clean, Spartan, quiet. "Dr. Samantha Wu" the Asian woman in her mid-20's said shaking his hand vigorously. Her glasses nearly falling off in the process. "Timothy Kendall but folks call me Tim" he replied. "Nice to meet you Tim. This way please" she said escorting him to the main lab. He stopped midway. "Cages?" he asked. "For the borrowers we'll be using. That's not a problem is it?" Samantha asked. "Not for what they're paying me" he replied.

Samantha opened the door into the main lab. "Dr. Connors. Dr. Kendall has arrived" Samantha said. The woman looked at her watch. "You're late" she muttered. "Well they said to be here at nine. I got here right on time" Tim said. "Precisely. Early is on time and on time is late" she said roughly looking back through her microscope. "Don't mind her. Let me get you familiar with our equipment" Samantha said. Tim observed some of the tech they had. "Amazing. The lab in Houston didn't have this stuff. Is that a supercomputer?" He asked looking at the 6 ft tall CPU in the corner. "Yeah. Our benefactor spared no expense. Even has a top of the line 300kb modem jacked in" she said. "Who are these people?" he asked. "Like you said, the money is good enough I don't care" Samantha said. "Stop gawking and give him the file" Connors said. Samantha gave him the file.

Tim started flipping through it. "A preserved skeleton found in Sri Lanka? What's the hub bub?" he asked. "Keep reading" Samantha said. "20,000 years old? Okay that is impressive if it's preserved. I'm assuming a DNA analysis was done?" he asked. Samantha flipped the page. "This can't be right. The sample was tainted" he muttered. "It was sealed in a coffin made of alabaster and cracked open in a clean room" Samantha said. "There are foreign genetic markers here. If this is right, then the sample came from a unknown species of human. Physical traits?" he asked. "Almost identical to modern humans. Female pelvis. The femur suggests she was 6'4 when she died" she said. "You're joking right. Humans back then didn't crack 5'5. It wasn't until we settled in one place did our height change" he said. Samantha shrugged. "Mitochondrial DNA points to linked ancestry. However, she has markers we can't identify. Namely these" she said flipping a few pages.

"Don't know them myself. They're not recessive or mutation either. Okay, if this has already been done, what our role?" he asked. "We're going to clone from the sample" Samantha said. "What? Human cloning is forbidden. That's deep under deep shit if we're caught" Tim said. "Half the reason we're using borrowers. There's no law against using them for genetic experiments...not yet anyway" she said. "And the other half?" Tim asked wary. "Well borrower females gestate way shorter than humans. If successful we got a baby clone in six weeks" she said. "We can’t use them for incubation like that. A clone zygote won't function in such a tiny womb" he said. "Then we're screwed" Samantha said. "...hold on. Borrowers share enough genetic material with humans that an egg should be compatible. If we use a fertile borrower and um...borrower one of her eggs, we could implant the DNA. Let me crack some figures and go over the gene mapping. Coffee?" he asked. Samantha pointed to the adjacent room. Tim went to get a cup.

"Cute Samantha. Real cute" Connors said. "Some just take a nudge here and there" Samantha said sitting at her station. A few hours passed. "Sam can you take a look at these figures?" Tim asked. The woman sat very close to him. "They look good, but can she handle rh factors?" she asked. "Borrowers use a type O blood. You should know that from high school biology" Connors said walking over. "We're talking about a type we may never have seen before" Tim said. "Just try for god’s sake. I'll send the notes to our benefactor" Connors said walking off. Tim left the room followed by Samantha. "She's barely older than we are, and she treats us like children" he said. "She's still pissed about being passed over in LA" Samantha said. "LA for what?" Tim asked. "A high-profile murder trial involving some football player. The defense wanted a DNA expert and was willing to pay good money for one. She got looked over" Sam replied. "Can't imagine why..." Tim muttered.

"Four males and four females. Teenagers" he said observing them cowering in their cages. "Best age for breeding. Chose a pair" Samantha said. Tim unlocked the cage to the left and yanked the two out. Sam followed him back to the lab. They were panicked as they were dropped onto the table. Their skin cold from being naked. "Sam. Can you prep the injector while I watch these two?" he asked. She nodded and left them alone. "Please don't hurt my sister. I'm begging you" the male asked. "If all goes well, she won't be harmed...much. I need some information from you. Age?" Tim asked. "16" he replied. He pointed to her. "She's 17" he said. "Any illnesses?" he asked. "No. None" he replied. Tim nodded. "Good. You both would've failed otherwise" Tim said. "You can make sperm alright?" he asked. The borrower balked at the question. Tim narrowed his eyes. "Can you cum or not?" he asked. The small teen nodded. Connors came over. "Make sure you don't take his word for it. They're sneaky little shits" she said. The boy winced at the withering stare of the giantess.

"Jerk off" she commanded. "I don't want..."

"What you want doesn't pay my bills. Jerk that pathetic cock or I'll eat you alive and get someone else" she warned. The tiny teen began wanking his dick. "Ain't got all day" she said leaning closer. The boy grunted shooting his seed onto the table. Connors wiped it up with her finger and smeared it on a slide. A very load for sure but enough for her to see through the microscope. "Wriggling. He's good" she said to Tim. "Alright little guy. I need you to breathe this" Tim said. The teen shied from the smell immediately. "You don't want to be awake for this next part" Tim said. The borrower looked at his sister. "Please don't hurt her" he whined before smelling the cotton swab presented to him. Within seconds he was knocked out cold. The girl shrieked and ran over to him. Tim pushed her back. "He's not dead just asleep" he said. It did little to stop her crying. Samantha came back with the injector.

"Tape him down. Don't want to give the guy a vasectomy" he said. Samantha taped his sleeping body down as Tim readied the device. It was cold and very small. The needle was a millimeter in length and extremely thin. Barely thicker than a human hair made of osmium steel to keep its strength. A few drops of fluid in the reservoir. The fluid being a mix of saline, protein, and DNA from the skeletal sample. Tim kept his hand steady as he leaned in close. He wasn't gay but he had to admit the boy was very handsome. Toned body and sporting a pair of balls and shaft that made him a very good choice for stud. Tim had mostly neutral views when it came to borrowers. He didn't see them as equals, but he didn't revel in torturing and killing them either. He aimed the needle at his testes. The boy groaned in his sleep and curled his small toes.

"You're hurting him!" his sister yelled. Samantha grabbed her and squeezed the quieten the girl. Tim pushed the trigger and injected his tiny testes with the DNA cocktail. "There. Not so bad" he said. "His balls look bigger" Samantha said leaning down. "A side effect that will disappear in about an hour I'm assuming. Whew...I need a cigarette now" Tim said getting up. "Can you finish the checklist for her?" he asked. "Go. Go and get your smoke" Sam said shooing him away. "Get on your back and spread your legs" she commanded the girl. She kept looking at the teen boy. "You don't want me doing it for you" Samantha said coldly. The girl got on her back and spread her legs.

"How regular is your period?" Sam asked. "Every month. Last one was two weeks ago" she replied softly. "Even been pregnant before?" Samantha asked. She shook her head. "...why not?" Samantha asked. "Only me and my brother. We discussed breeding" she said. "You wouldn't be sterile, would you?" Samantha asked. "I'm not lying" the girl hissed. Samantha put her pen down to inspect the girl. She felt her thighs first and her fingers traveled down to her feet. She got very close. "Good muscle tone. Extremities good too" she muttered. Her finger brushed against her tiny cleft and the girl moaned. Samantha began rubbing faster and faster. The girl squeaked and jerked her legs. She ignored the quiet sobs of the tiny female borrower as she smelled and then tasted her fingertip. "So far so good" she said. Her giant fingertip found its way on her nipples which she rubbed until they were hard. "Why are you doing this to us? What did we ever do to you?" she asked Samantha. "Would you consider responding if that was asked of an ant?" Samantha replied coldly.

The girl looked at the Asian giantess despondent as she was flipped on her stomach. She said nothing else as she was poked and prodded in her small supple ass.  Tim came back not long after. "Great. This'll do nicely" he said looking at the clipboard. He glanced at the girl. "You can sit normally if ya want" he said. She got off her stomach and sat there. "Hungry?" he asked. She looked at the giant and didn't see the streak of malice in him. "A little" she replied. Tim got up and left. He returned with a packet of crackers and peanut butter. "I'm a little hungry too" Samantha said standing next to him. "There's more in the break room. Help yourself" Tim said smearing peanut butter on a cracker. Samantha gave him a glare that made the small girl flinch. Tim turned around to see Samantha leaving. She began munching on the snack given to her.

"Is he really going to be okay?" she asked Tim. "A slight fever at most but no lasting effects" he replied. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Trying to clone a person" he replied. "What's a clone?" she asked. "A genetic copy" he replied. "What's genetic?" she asked. "Can you shut her up! Trying to concentrate!" Connors yelled. Tim motioned for her to be quiet. An hour had passed, and Samantha had returned but worked solely at her station. She gave a flew icy stares at Tim and his borrower girl now and then. Her jaw got tight as she saw the tiny thing watching Tim closely as he played on a Gameboy color. Her brother began to awaken. "TEEGAN!" the girl yelled running to him. "So that's his name..." Tim muttered. "Owww....fuck..." the tiny teen groaned as she got off his back. His balls were swollen. "How do you feel?" Tim asked.

"Like someone stabbed me in the balls!" he yelled. "Good guess. Fever? Chills?" Tim asked. "...no. Mary are you okay?" he asked. The girl nodded. "Here. Teagan was it?" Tim said handing him a peanut butter cracker. The little guy snatched it from the giant. "I'm going to give you 15 minutes to get situated before you begin" Tim said. "Begin what?" he asked. "Fucking her. I want her pregnant by the end of the day" Tim replied. "We aren't fucking for your...whatever the fuck this is" Teagan said. "What did he say?" Connors asked. "Nothing. He didn't say a thing did you Teagan?" he asked the boy. Teagan didn't forget her previous threat and shook his head. Tim leaned close. "Play ball and you'll be treated well" he whispered. The allotted time passed, and Tim told them to get to it.

The siblings looked terrified as the giant and giantesses loomed over them watching. Mary stroked his cock and he winced. "I’m alright. Just get on with it" he hissed. Mary took his shaft into her mouth thinking that would be gentler to him and gave it a few good sucks. He looked at her eyes as she laid down and spread her legs. He aimed his dick up to go in and slowly pushed. The girl scrunched her tiny toes and yelped as he took her virginity. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" he muttered as he froze. "We don't have all day" Samantha said pushing on his tiny ass for him to go deeper. Mary shed a few tears from the pain. "Stop. You could injure the subject" Tim said pulling her hand back. Mary looked at the giant and her blushed looking away.

They had been on their own for the last ten years. Ever since their parents were eaten by a copperhead during a forage for food. The kids barely got away as the snake was slowed down to digest its prey. Years passed and they got older. Mary was very protective of her brother and when he came of age, she began thinking of choosing him as a mate. Living in the prairie outside of Plano Texas they had not seen another borrower so picking was slim to none. She knew Teagan loved her more than the world. He rubbed her feet and sucked her toes when they were sore from a day of foraging. Sewed her clothes for her birthdays. Hugged her on days she thought of her parents. She knew he had it in him to be a good dad and before she could ask...they were captured.

They were sold to a pet shop in Houston for $200. That's what their lives were worth. The family that owned the store would take out a borrower here or there and return them hours later reeking of cum, pussy juice, or saliva. They huddled together wondering when it was their turn. No, a man dressed in black bought them and took them to a place that smelled of old plastic, dust, and chemicals. And here they were, threatened to fuck for their lives.

Teagan held her tightly as he came. The pain and pleasure mixing like a tempest in his balls. Samantha and Connors went about their business almost disappointed. "Water" he said giving it to them. "So, what now?" Mary asked nervous looking at the semen dripping out of her. "You rest for a few hours and go at it again" Tim said. They fucked five times that day. Once as the giant casually ate a sandwich observing. By day's end, Tim had placed them back in their cage. "I expected more" Samantha said behind them. "More as in what?" Tim asked. "Taking her from behind. Fucking her until she could stand. Real hardcore shit" Samantha replied pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Could you fuck like that if someone threatened to eat you?" he asked. "...care to grab a beer?" Samantha asked. "Yeah...sure why not" he replied.

"So those eyes. Born that way or injury?" she asked sipping a beer. "Born that way. Kids called me cyclops. It's what got me interested in genetics" he replied drinking. "Couldn't help but notice you seem protective of them" she muttered. "I don't get off inflicting pain" he replied. "So, you're one of those borrower rights people?" she asked. "No. They're lower life forms" he replied. Samantha smiled. "You going home after this?" she asked. "Was planning to. Why?" he asked. "Thought you might want coffee at my place" she said. "You just met me. I could be a serial killer" Tim chuckled. "What would be the chances of two serial killers in the same room?" she asked. Tim stared at her. "They don’t make jokes where you come from?" she asked. Tim smiled.

"Make yourself comfortable" Samantha asked as she kicked off her heels and disappeared into her bedroom. Tim sat down to relax. It had been several years since he had been over at a girl's place and this one he knew barely half a day.  Samantha returned wearing a loose shirt and shorts. Tim noticed her carrying a young woman in her hand which she placed in the lamp stand. "Uh hi" Tim said waving at her. "Didn't know you had a pet borrower. Nice one too" he said. "Her? Pedigree variety. Got her on my sweet 16 birthday" Samantha said starting coffee. Tim glanced at the girl. Long black hair going down to her bare butt. Not a stitch of clothing. Guessing her age, Samantha got her as a gift when she was 8 years old making her around 18 now. "What's your name?" Tim asked. "Servant. I never gave her a real name" Sam chuckled. The tiny looked a little despondent. "You can have fun with her while I'm over here brewing if you want" Sam said. The tiny closed her eyes as Tim picked her up.

"I'm betting you really do have a name. What is it?" he asked softly. "...Kaya" she replied. Tim brought her to his face and kissed her. "That's a pretty name" he said softly. He could see traces of scars on her body. Ringed scars. "She gave you these?" he whispered. She didn't want to answer glancing back at her owner. "Not all of us are monsters" he said softly touching the scars. He spent the next few minutes fondling the girl. "I'm getting jealous" Samantha said sitting down with two cups of coffee. She roughly took Kaya from him and placed her on the floor. "Get to it" she said putting her feet before her. Samantha handed him his cup. "Any family?" Samantha asked. "Mom passed from cancer when I was a kid. Never knew dad. Lived in foster homes until I came of age" Tim replied. "But you put yourself through college. That's awesome...between the toes servant" she growled at the girl on the floor. Tim could only wonder the conditioning used for her to withstand the smell of foot sweat and old leather on those giant soles.

"Got the loans to prove it. Tell me something. Doesn't it strike you odd about the hush hush of this project? We didn't even sign NDA's" he said. "It's good money and maybe it will one day earn us a Nobel" Sam shrugged. "What we're doing is steps ahead of anyone else. Well beyond that human genome project being kicked around" he said. "All I know is that my parent’s life insurance crapped out in my senior year of college. Money talks" she said. Tim took another sip of coffee and put it down. "If this project works...what happens then?" he asked. "As to what?" Sam asked shifting her feet for her borrower foot slave. "As in the baby will be part human. A part we know nothing about. In theory we can't experiment on it. If and it’s a big damn if we could, it would be years before we could do any safe study" he said. "Which will not be our problem. We knock them up. That's our part" Sam said.

Tim stood up. "You want out of the project?" she asked. "My loans come due in six months. My rent is two months behind. I don't have a choice here" he replied. "Thanks for the coffee. Goodnight Sam. Night...miss" he said to her and her borrower. "Well I guess it's just you and me tonight. Be ready by the time I get out of my shower" Samantha growled at her slave.

For the next week, Tim mostly kept to himself. He didn't engage much with Samantha and his working relationship with Connors had gotten worse. "You're scratching your head as if something was the matter" Sam said glancing at him. "Mary had her period. It didn't take. Trying to find out why and I can't find the answer" he replied. Sam sat next to him. "Forgot your glasses?" he asked looking at her. "Contacts. Let me see your notes" she said. Tim pulled up the file directory and paused. "Date modified late last night? Sam have you been in my files?" he asked. She shook her head. "You know something about this Dr. Connors?" Tim asked. "Our benefactor asked for an update" she replied. Tim stood up and went over to her. "Ask me next time instead of snooping" he said quietly. "This is a joint project. All access is shared" she said. "Common courtesy! Whose name did you give credit for using my personal data?" he asked. "I filed the report. I'm the liaison" she replied looking him dead in the eye. "Tim. Leave her be and we can get back to the problem" Sam said. Tim left her station and printed out his data before passwording his files.

"Hmm. It's not a question of chromosomes or her fertility. We still got the sperm sample from earlier right?" he asked. Sam nodded and went to the freezer. He asked her to run a DNA analysis on it. "If my hunch is right, borrower sperm won't work at all" he muttered. Hours passed as the supercomputer chewed out the data sample. Tim still couldn't believe how advanced the tech was here. He handed Sam a copy of the report but neglected to give one to Connors. "You see it don't you?" he asked. Sam nodded. Connors snatched the paper from her. "There's nothing wrong here. You idiots can't even decipher a simple DNA helix" Connors hissed. "The target DNA isn't there! It was screened out! And you call us idiots? I see why the DA in Los Angeles skipped you" Tim said coldly. Connors went to slap him and he caught her hand. "I won't hit a lady, but I'll beat a bitch's ass" he warned. Connors quickly left the lab. Was that wise?" Samantha asked. "Probably not but I can't have her snooty ass in our faces while we solve a mystery" he replied.

That evening...

"She never returned" Sam said. Tim shrugged. "It's late. Lock up and go home. We can start fresh tomorrow" she said. "You go on ahead. I have a few more notations to make before I go" Tim patted her hand as she kissed his cheek. He gave her a quick glance as she left. Tim got up and went to the break room for a Coke. He took a packet of peanut butter crackers with him and went to the storage room holding the borrowers. He glanced at the right cage to find the pair asleep. If successful, they would be the next test. Until then he has to solve the riddle of why Teagan and Mary weren’t expectant parents. "You guys still awake?" he asked looking into their cage. "Nothing much to do except eat, sleep, and shit. Oh wait...fuck for your human science" Teagan replied. "Well how about some free time?" Tim asked opening the cage. He placed the crackers and Coke in his pockets to carry the pair. He returned to the lab.

The siblings watched as Tim ran some hot water in a bowl. "A nice bath for you two" he said putting it down. They were reluctant to take his charity but saw no point in denying it. He gave them a glob of medical soap to clean. He watched them clean one another. "You guys are really close" Tim muttered. "She's all I have" Teagan said soaping his sister’s hair. "What about the other two? They keep asking questions" Mary asked. "If this works, we'll do the same thing to them to see if we can duplicate the experiment" he replied. "Can we keep the babies?" Mary asked. Tim didn't answer.

He tore off some tissues for them to dry off. "Food" he said giving them crackers. Teagan and Mary knew not what to make of the giant as he let them watch some tv as he looked over his notes. It was well after midnight when Tim finished transcribing his data. Teagan was fast asleep. His tiny head in Mary's lap. "He's been staying awake in some way to protect me" Mary said seeing the giant looming over them. "You never answered my question" she muttered. "It's in the best interests you do keep the baby...for a while but eventually they will take it away" he replied. ".... please don't take the baby. You've done so much to us already" she whimpered. "Mary you're not even pregnant yet which is a very big concern for both of us. If this project doesn't pan out, I'm out of a job and they'll likely...terminate you all" he warned. Mary turned white as a sheet.

"I'm working on the problem! I just need to find out why the sperm didn't take" he said. Mary saw he looked agitated. "Maybe you need...to relax?" she asked. She gently lowered Teagan off her lap. She cupped her tits for him. "Are you offering yourself up?" Tim asked rubbing his eyes. "If you take us with you, keep us from whatever they have planned if this doesn't work...we'll be your devoted slaves for life" she said flatly. Tim extended his finger. He touched her and felt her trembling. "You really would wouldn't you?" he asked. Tim thought about what Connors said about them being sneaky. Looking into her tearful, terrified, brown eyes he saw no trickery. His finger got closer to her face. She flinched. She felt the warmth from his fingertip. She opened her eyes as it pulled away. Tim looked away upset. "Why in god’s name do you act so much like us?" he muttered. "We are who we are. Humans kill us for fun and pleasure. If we don't adapt. We'll die" she said shedding tears. "Adapt...adapt! That's it! Thanks Mary!" he said grabbing her. She made a squeak as he roughly kissed her face.

"Sorry. I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked sheepishly. Mary shook her head. He out her down and got out his notepad. "About my offer?" she asked. "I'll think on it" he replied as he reached for both of them. He put them back in their cages and went back to work. "Went nearly 10 years without so much as one girl flirting with me. Now I got a hot nerdy Asian breathing down my neck and a three-inch-tall one offering herself up as a sex slave" he said muttering as he clicked his pen.

The next morning...

"Tim! You fell asleep here? What happened to you going home and resting?" Samantha asked. "Had a breakthrough last night" he said rubbing his eyes. "Do tell" Connors said sipping coffee. "The answer was so simple I'm ashamed I didn't realize it sooner. Remember the pea plant experiments? The ones we learned way back in high school?" he asked. "Yeah. They explain dominant and recessive genes" Samantha asked. "Yeah but there was one other one. The gene splicing one. The violet experiment" he said. "The one where they crammed in the genes for the violet color?" Connors said. "Exactly! And remember how it ended?" he asked. "The plants ended up white" Connors said. "And the reason was?" Tim asked. "The screen out defense!" Sam said. Tim nodded.

"DNA has its own defense mechanism to screen out gene abnormalities. In the case of the pea plants it detected too many violet genes and completely eliminated them making the flowers white*" he said.

(Authors note: This is a real thing)

"And that applies here why?" Connors said. "The test didn't work because the male's DNA screened out the subject DNA. Look at this. This is the gene map of Teagan. As you can see, he has three times the screen out markers than say a human. They have to as their bodies are more prone to viruses and bacteria" he explained. "So, borrower semen will never work?" Sam asked. "Never" he replied. "Then this project is a failure" Connors said as she reached for the phone. "No! No there's another way" Tim yelled. He broke out in a cold sweat knowing that if she made that call all would be lost. Connors took her hand away from the phone. "Like I said. Borrowers have three times the markers than humans. It's possible we just have to gene modify human sperm" he said. "Really? What about the female?" Connors asked. "Borrower females adapted to get pregnant as much as possible. They're not as picky DNA wise.  The theory is sound. We just need a sample to work on" he said. They narrowed their eyes on him. "Why are you...oh. Christ. Test tube please" he groaned. Sam handed him one. "Be right back" he said. "Need some help just ask!" Sam giggled as he left.

"Need some help just ask" Tim said mockingly as he lowered his zipper. Truthfully, he kinda did as stress had made him less that woody. He thought about different women in tv, movies, and whatnot. He even thought about Sam. What caught his attention was when he thought about Mary. Her little tits. Small but long (for her) legs. Adorable butt and cute feet. He barely had enough time to position the test tube at his dick hole before cumming. "Well that happened" he muttered seeing the load fill the tube over a third of the way. He came to the lab. Connors snatched the tube from him. "How considerate of you" he said as she tested his semen. "Viable and thick. You're a healthy man Kendall" she said. "Uh yeah. Thanks. Now the harder part. Unlike our borrower friend, I'm not type O. The trick will be finding the correct protein enzyme cocktail to bind the grafted DNA" Tim said.

His sperm was distributed between multiple test tubes as one by one a protein and DNA cocktail was injected into it. The tube was spun around in a centrifuge and then left for an hour. Hours ticked by. Sample 19 is...non-viable. Dammit" Sam said looming through the microscope. Tim entered the lab with another test tube. "Running low?" Connors asked seeing the low amount. Tim didn't feel like rebuking her after jerking off three times that day. "Another dud?" he asked sitting down. Samantha nodded. "Well I'm heading home. It's already past midnight" Connors said. She left them moments later. "What does he do around here? I mean like worth a damn" he asked. Sam shrugged and went to another sample. "Sample 20 is...holy shit. It's viable" she remarked. They quickly ran an analysis on it. It was the longest hour of their lives. "Fuck me. It's there! The genes grafted right onto your reproductive ones! We have to catalog it!" Sam said. "Write this one down" he said.

"Tim this isn't the right one" she said looking at the label. "I know. Do it anyway" he said. "Why?" she asked. "I don't trust Connors. Who's to say she won't take credit and have whomever banking us kick us out" he said standing up. "I doubt she's that ruthless.  She needs us" Sam said. Tim walked over to her computer. "Look at this. She didn’t close her log in" he said. "Do it" Sam said looking at him. Tim took a good look at her notes and emails. After an hour had passed, both sat down trying to make sense of what they read. "So she's talking to a Dr. O'Malley about our research that we know. This doctor seems to be the bankroller too but what is this ZODIAC? I've never heard of such an organization" he said. Sam sat there quietly. "Sam?" he asked. "An organization we never heard of is doing this. And to top it off the emails were encrypted. My parents were right. I should've just become a pediatrician" she muttered. She looked at him. "Now what?" she asked.

"We continue as planned. We test on Mary. If successful WE contact this Dr. O'Malley. We get paid and they take over. After that we go our separate ways and hope we never see any of this again" he replied. Sam quietly nodded. Tim left to go get Mary. The clack of the cage awoken the pair. "Come on Mary" he said grabbing her. "What are you going to do this time?" Teagan asked. "Use my own semen" he muttered. Tim ignored his screaming and shouting as he closed the cage. The other pair in the opposite cage could only stare terrified. He placed Mary on the table. Sam stood away nervously sipping soda. "Tim you're sweating. I'm....I'm getting scared" Mary muttered. Tim eased her on her back. He reached over grabbing a eyedropper of his modified sperm. "Is that...Tim please don't do this" she begged. "I'll be gentle" he muttered. She began to scoot away until his finger pushed on her chest. She looked at him. "Please don't look at me that way. I said stop!" he yelled. Mary looked away.

Tim took a deep breath before trying to insert the giant plastic intrusion in her tiny pussy. She gasped as one millimeter went in. Two...three...four. Mary was loudly sobbing by then. Her legs kicking his hand. Her tiny feet twitching until they went rigid as he pushed the bulb. She let out a pitiful squeal as she was filled to the brim with cum. Tim pulled it out. He wiped the sweat off his face and sat there looking at his own semen dripping out of the tiny teen girl. "You okay over there? Sam asked. "Me or her?" he asked softly getting up. He carried her back to her cage. He placed the sniffling girl down. "It would be more merciful if you killed us. Making me have sex with her was one thing but now this? Look at her human. My precious sister and you...you..." he said before breaking down. Even though the boy was less than three inches tall, Tim felt smaller in his eyes. He watched the pair from the other cage reach their hands out. Teagan pull his sister over to them. He felt so ashamed as they reached out to comfort the siblings.

"Can you stay over with me? I feel...scared" Sam said. Tim quietly nodded. He sat quietly on the sofa as Samantha showered. Kaya sat in his hand wide awake as she found the giant from earlier...interesting. "Kaya I did something really bad to a borrower girl today" he said softly. "Did you...kill her?" she asked nervous. "No! No, I didn't. But I made her cry so hard. That look in her eyes" he said rubbing his. "You're so much like us" he said looking at her. "What's your favorite food? Color?" he asked. "Pizza, I guess. And my color? Blue" she replied. Tim nodded. "And you feel love too don't you?" he asked. The girl blushed. "I love my mistress" she said. "Even when she hurts you?" he asked. "Yeah. I feel better when she smiles, and I can make her smile and laugh. She cuddles me when she's sad and lonely" she replied. Tim cuddled her to his cheek for a moment. "You do feel nice" he chuckled. "Would you like to play with me? I'm clean so don't worry about sucking my pussy or butt" she said happily.

"You're easy to love you know?" he smiled. He placed her on the edge of the coffee table and got on the floor. Her tiny feet dangled over the edge. He raised his head until his eyes peeked over. The girl smiled at him kicking her feet. He got closer until her feet landed on his lips. He gave a few playful licks making her laugh. He spread her legs revealing her delicate cunt. With his fingers, he held her hands as he licked and sucked her crotch. "Master....hmmm.... yes" she hummed as his taste buds sent shivers up her spine. Sam had never been so gentle to her before. Tim had never given a girl oral before, tiny or otherwise. He found her fluids as sweet as apple juice. Kaya moaned loudly as she came. "You...you can use me more" she panted. Tim picked her up and held her extended by her arms and legs. "Maybe I'll eat you like corn on the cob" he chuckled taking very gentle nibbles of her body. She squirmed and squeaked cutely in his grasp. Tim put her back down as she struggled to breathe. She passed out minutes later.

"Did she do good?" Sam asked emerging from her bathroom. "She's a good host" Tim replied. "How gentlemanly to put it. Can I get some action?" she asked flashing him. "Any other night I'd take you up on your offer, but you know I'm running on empty down there" he replied. Sam looked annoyed at Kaya. "But there are other things we can do besides sex" he said pulling her gaze to him. Tim led her back to her bedroom and laid her down. He sat on the bed and began rubbing her feet. "When was the last time you had this kind of fun with a human girl?" she asked. "I'm a virgin actually" he replied. Sam was surprised. "A cute guy like you?" she asked. "What about you. Asian girl that cute in nerdy way" he said. "They all want me for the same reason. I'm Asian" she quipped. "So that's a no?" he asked pulling on her toes.  "My parents want me to marry an Asian man. They don't even want me dating a westerner" she sighed. "And what would they think about one rubbing your feet while you lie here naked?" he asked.

"They'd cluck their tongues" she chuckled. Tim began sucking her toes. Sam moaned softly. "And now?" he asked. "Fuck what they think" she said opening her legs. Samantha panted and pushed his face deeper into her cunt as he ate her out. He had to hold her legs steady as she squirmed around. His teeth found her clit and with a gentle nibble, caused the girl to cry out in Cantonese. She laid on her back gasping as he wiped his face on her bedsheet. Not long after, they both laid in bed snuggled against one another. "I like you" she muttered. "I'd hope so after going to the trouble of sucking your toes" he chuckled. Sam nudged him with her elbow. "I mean it. Once we're done, run away with me. I got nobody tying me down" she said. A disturbing thought came to his mind suddenly. Neither had living relatives and that might have been why they were specifically chosen. That might mean when they were terminated, they would really be TERMINATED. He kept the thought to himself for now.

"Wouldn't be so bad. You me and Kaya" he said. Sam turned to face him. "She told you her name?" she asked. "Well I did ask. You should treat her better Sam. That girl loves you very much" he said. "Pfft" Sam said blowing him off. "Don't be that way. I think you do care" he said. She shook her head and rolled over. Tim got up and left the room. He returned with the still sleeping Kaya. "So, you're telling me you doing give a shit about her?" he asked. "She's a lowly borrower. Her job is foot slave and living dildo. Not friend" she replied. Tim sighed and opened his mouth. He began lowering the tiny girl in. Sam watched breathless as her body began to disappear. He could feel her legs entering his throat. Once her head disappeared Sam began to panic. "Stop" she said. Tim shook his head. Sam reached into his mouth and yanked her right out. Surprisingly, Kaya was still asleep. The giantess' hands shook as she held the girl. "So, you do care" he said. She gave him an icy glare.

"Why the act?" he asked. "The same reason you put one on" she replied. Both were quiet. "Borrower rights club at my school. You?" he asked. "Friends sleepover. They tortured a male one for hours and when I spoke out...well let's just say I didn't have many friends after that" she said. "We had a group at my school that did fundraisers and awareness shit. Well it came time to dissect a few for biology and take pictures. The pictures would be posted on the blackboard later. What we did was swap the photos for real human autopsies. At that scale and angle, you couldn't see the difference. Word got out and a few students had to get therapy. Nearly got expelled" he replied. "Whoa" she muttered. Tim nodded and snuggled into his pillow. "Would you really have eaten her?" Sam asked. "Yep. She tastes delicious" he snickered. She looked at him. "So, do you" he shrugged. "So, if I was three inches tall would you eat me then?" she asked. "Don't be silly. You're Chinese. I'd just be hungry a few hours later" he replied. "Stick to genetics. Arsenio Hall you are not" she muttered turning in.

The next morning...

Kaya sat on the coffee table watching the giants eat their breakfast. She waited patiently for them to finish as Sam allowed her to eat whatever was left. Today was different though. Sam abruptly stopped, got up to grab Kaya, and then came back to sit down. "Eat while it's warm" she said. "But you said I'm always in the way" Kaya said. "I was being a bitch. Once you do it long enough, you forget to turn it off. I'm sorry Kaya" Sam said. Kaya looked at the giantess awestruck. "You called me Kaya" she said. "This is your name" Sam said shrugging. Kaya whimpered where she sat. "What? What is it?" Sam asked. "She's happy Sam" Tim said patting her hand. "Well I expect her to clean my feet and pleasure me like always" Sam said blushing. After breakfast, Sam and Tim got dressed. "We're running late" he said rushing out the door. "Right behind you!" Sam yelled gathering her purse and keys. "I left sliced apples for your snack and some fresh water" Sam said to Kaya. She paused for a moment and rushed to her. She kissed the tiny girl's face. "Love you and don't burn down the apartment" she said leaving. Kaya was on cloud nine the rest of the day.

For the next two weeks, all three scientists were on pins and needles about the possible success of their latest try. And finally..."I missed my period" Mary muttered. The borrower girl watched the humans cheer for joy. Samantha rushed out to grab some cheap champagne leaving Tim and Connors alone. "Well I guess we can get rid of the males if this is the case" she said. Mary gasped. "Whoa there. Might do more harm than it's worth" he said. "Human sperm is the key. They're useless" she said. "Please don't kill my brother!" Mary whimpered. Tim held his hand out to quiet her. "Getting rid of her mate will cause mental and emotional stress. Stress that could harm the fetus. You don't want to risk the first success right?" Tim asked. Mary stared at the giantess with little hope. "There is a correlation between emotional health and fetal health. Fine. They can live" she said. She went to her station. I'll draw a lab up for hormone testing to be sure" she said before working. Tim sat down.   

  “Thanks Tim” Mary said. “I hated hurting you like that. This was the least I could do” he said softly. Mary sat next to his hand. She rubbed his fingernail. “You’re the first borrower in history to carry a modified baby” he said. “My modified baby. Oh god” he groaned. He petted her face. “This is not what I imagined being a dad to be like” he said. “Neither did I being a mom. Some intimacy, love, compassion. Not an eyedropper of cum” she said to the giant. “That look in your eyes when I did it. You offered to be my slave, but I broke your heart that got me” he said shedding tears. Mary was astounded. A human crying for her. “I’m sorry. So sorry” he muttered wiping his eyes. He rested his chin on the table. Mary got close to his face and sniffed him. “What… what are you doing? “he asked. “Oh. Something we borrowers do” she replied softly. “If I remember my biology class, you do it to familiarize with a mate” he said. She blushed and turned away. Tim sniffed her small body. “Returning the favor he whispered.

Mary gazed into his giant brown and blue eyes. They looked so soft right then. She began to spread her hips showing off her pussy “Mary…” he whispered looking at Connors. “You won’t hurt me again… right? “she asked. He kissed her face lovingly. "No. Never again" he muttered. His finger found the small of her back and he pushed her to his lips. Quietly and discreetly, he began kissing and sucking on her little belly. Mary sighed contently, first time in a long time, from his tender sensual touch. He backed off and smiled. "Sorry. I never asked permission" he said. Mary was quite surprised to hear him say that. "As long as it's you...it's alright" she said blushing. "I should uh...take you back to your cage. Tomorrow I'll bring some stuff to make you feel comfortable" he said picking her up.

Tim placed her back in her cage where Teagan smelled her. "So, I see her being pregnant didn't stop you from molesting my big sister" he snipped. "Beg your pardon?" Tim asked. "Don't. I smell the stink of you on her" he said coldly. "I kissed her. Sucked her tummy and I'm aching to taste her little pussy again. That what you wanna hear?" Tim said getting on his knees. "Stop" Mary muttered. "You nasty fucking human. If the roles were reversed, I'd squash you under my fucking foot" Teagan growled. "Good thing it ain't pipsqueak" Tim said poking him. Teagan bit his fingertip. "STOP! BOTH OF YOU! He saved your life today Teagan. He out himself out there for your sake. And Tim. It's just been the two of us for years. You understand why he's like that right? Okay so don't antagonize him" Mary yelled. Tim and Teagan scratched their heads. "You really saved my life?" he asked. "Believe it or not I don't get off hurting your kind. I used to belong in a borrower rights group when I was younger."

"After nearly getting expelled, I went through life telling myself I neither liked or disliked your kind. Guess that was a cop out" Tim replied. He glanced at the pair nearby. "Can you help them?" Teagan asked. The borrowers held their breaths. "I can only try" Tim replied softly. Tim locked their cage and left them.

The next day went by like a blur. Connors had confirmed Mary was pregnant and Tim had Samantha entertain Mary and Teagan while Tim himself fixed up their cage. "I said it's a surprise" Sam replied. "In our life, surprises are rarely good" Teagan said. Samantha grabbed him. "Don't be such a downer" she said petting his chest.  Teagan looked away as he got an erection. "If you're going to suck me off then do it and be done with it" he said irritated. "Any other day I would but I'm trying this new thing out with you guys. Being nice" he said tapping the top of his little head. "Alright. It's ready" Tim said entering the lab. He, Sam, and Connors went to the storage room.

"You gotta be shitting me" Connors hissed. "What? Her comfort aides the project" Tim said. "Beds from the pet store? Those ain't cheap. A phone box with some cotton in it would be better" she retorted. "What's it to you? Not your money" Tim said annoyed. "Whatever. I'm going home" she said blowing them off. "Rude ass bitch. More party for us" he said to them. "She right. These weren't cheap" Sam said looking at the silk lined beds. "They pay us enough. Besides, it's a celebration!" Tim said pulling out champagne from a bag Teagan and Mary looked at the six-inch beds, a working (mostly) toilet, and small clothes their size after Sam placed them inside. Mary went to touch the bed and her brother grabbed her hand. "It a trick" he flatly said. "Not a trick dude" Tim said.

"It's a trick. We'll have this for one night and then back to cold ass metal or something else. It's a sick fucking trick!" he yelled shaking. Mary grabbed his shoulder. "Or maybe it's not" she said. He pushed her aside. Sam grabbed him and lifted him up. "Put me down you fucking human! Put me down!" he yelled wriggling in the giantess' grasp. Sam said nothing and he looked at her pitifully. Sam brushed her tears away. Teagan froze seeing that. Sam brought him to her face and cuddled him. The teen boy broke into sobs laying against her cheek. "This is a celebration. Let's be happy" Tim said using paper cups to dispense the alcohol. He tore the upper half off and placed it on the floor after sitting down himself. He motioned for Sam to open the cage for the other pair. "And what's a party without cake?" he asked pulling a grocery bag to him and pulling out a small tray of cupcakes. The pair looked at him. "Guys it ain't poisoned" he said.

Sam placed one in front of them and another in front of Teagan and Mary. The humans chuckled as the borrowers dug in. Mary went for some champagne. "Oh no little lady. No booze for you. Here ya go" Tim said poring some Pepsi into a cap. Mary huffed but drank it. "Is it true you impregnated her?" the male one asked. "Yep" Tim replied. "You going to do it to her too?" he asked. Tim glanced at the female who was licking icing off her fingers. "...probably" he replied. "What's your name?" Tim asked. "You just now asking?" the male asked. "He's Jeremy. The one over there is Lucy his wife" Teagan said fisting some cupcake. "So, you can imagine I'm not cool with this right human?" Jeremy asked. "The people that want this got a shitload of money and hired us because nobody would miss us" Tim muttered. Sam froze.

"They’re gonna kill us when we're done won't they?" Sam asked. "Loose ends and all that" Tim replied. Sam took the entire bottle of champagne and began bucking it. "Then...then we got get ready. Make plans" she said. "We skip fucking town is what we do" Tim said eating cupcake. "What about us? What about our baby?" Mary asked. "You're coming too. All of you" he replied. "...when?" Lucy asked. "Don't know. I need the lab to make sure Mary stabilizes. We got maybe a month before she gives birth" he said. Everyone was silent. "So much for a party" Sam muttered. They wrapped things up there and Tim escorted her home.

"Thanks for walking me in" she said slipping her heels off. "No problem. My talk of us being expendable didn't help matters" Tim said standing in the doorway. Sam closed the door behind him. When Tim turned, she kissed him roughly. He was tired, half drunk, and wanted to fuck her bad. He picked her up an carried her to her bed. She laughed when he tossed her on it. Tim tore his clothes off and Samantha followed suit. "About time" Kaya grumbled from her bed on the nightstand. "Come here squirt" Sam said grabbing her. "Pick" she said. Kaya look at the giant and giantess. "I kinda love you both Mis...Sammy" Kaya muttered. "If you're up for it" she said before shoving her into her mouth. Sam grabbed Tim on top of her and kissed him once again. This time using her tongue to push the delicious squirming borrower into his mouth. He lined his cock up and pushed.

Sam winced in pain as he felt her tear. His eyes went wide. "I'm alright" she said reading them. And gently let Kaya out his mouth. "And here I thought she took your virginity" he said. "She never put me that deep. She kinda just wriggled me..."

"Kaya!" Sam yelled. Tim snickered at her. "You think that's funny?" Sam asked. Tim pushed all the way in. "I can stop" he said. "Don't you dare" she hissed locking her legs around him. Tim began fucking her fast and hard. Kaya giggling as she held onto Sam's nipple as she bounced around. With a deep grunt, Tim shot off inside her. I'm laid next to them panting. "Damn. I didn't mean to do that" he muttered. "Cumming so fast or cumming inside me?" Sam asked. Tim froze. "I'm kidding. I don't regret a thing" she said wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Somebody's getting pregnant" Kaya grinned. "Kaya you're getting too cheeky. Off to bed with you" she said. "But you haven't played with me today! I'm want sex too!" Kaya yelled. Sam sat up and placed Kaya on her belly. "Sweetie. This nice man took my cherry. That means you're going all the way in tomorrow. Right now I'm tired and I haven't taken a shower yet. We can play next time" Sam said. "Better keep your promise. I enjoy that time. It's when I feel loved the most" she said softly. Sam watched silently as Kaya climbed back into her bed. She tossed and turned until the giantess tucked her in.  "A few weeks Sam" Tim muttered. Sam nodded and closed her eyes.

Four weeks later...

"It was too soon! You rushed it and you fucked up!" Sam shouted. Tim walked in as her and Connors was shouting at one another. "What's going on?" Tim asked. "This sloppy ass excuse of a researcher tried to recreate the success we had with Mary on Lucy" Sam huffed. "And right there is the problem. Lucy. You two bleeding hearts have forgotten there not people! They're subjects! We get more!" Connors yelled. Tim wasn't fully following what was happening until he saw something on the table. He walked up and cringed. Lucy, naked on a tray, dead with her eyes frozen in fear, pain, shock, or all the above. "What have you done?" he asked heartbroken. Tim sat on the stool looking at the small dead body. He could see she died in so much pain her toes were still curled. Tim got off the stool so fast it fell. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Tim screamed grabbing Connors collar. She pushed him off her. "Used your own goddamned notes to recreate the experiment" she replied.

"There was a complication. Her body went into anaphylactic shock. Then acute nervous..."

"She stroked, convulsed, and shat herself before she died! All because of you!" Sam yelled. "Was it all me? You sure you have me the right data Mr. Kendall?" Connors asked. She walked very close to him. "I don't know what your game is here but if I find out you lied; you're done" she hissed. "My god Jeremy" Sam muttered. Sam looked at her. "Don't concern yourself with him. He won't miss her...now. Never ate one before but I see the why it's appealing" Connors said coldly. "Now if you excuse me. I got a report to make and Kendall, send me the correct enzyme" she said turning her back. Tim felt a rage he'd never felt before. He grabbed a microscope and hit her in the back of the head. She grunted falling on the floor and Tim used his weight to keep her down. Over and over he wacked her in the head until his lab coat was covered in blood. He let go of the murder weapon only because his hand hurt. He stood up.

"Get Mary and Teagan" he said softly. Sam didn't move. "NOW!" he yelled. Sam rushed off. Tim took off his coat and washed his hands. Even in hot water they shook. "They're here" Sam said. "Guys what's...oh shit!" Teagan yelled seeing the body. "Remember what we talked about?" Tim said walking to them. Mary was aghast at the blood on his face. "Yeah we do" Teagan said holding his now very pregnant sister. "This is the day" he said. "Lucy and Jeremy!" Mary yelled. "They're dead" he said flatly. Mary sobbed into Teagan’s shoulder. Tim grabbed Sam by the arm and led her out (with cage in hand) outside. "I've been packed. What about you?" he asked. "A few things and Kaya of course" Sam replied. "Then we'll go to your house, grab your shit, and head out of town" he said before getting into his Celica. The both drove to her place keeping their speed down. Stopping at every sign and light. Nothing to alert the cops or whomever ZODIAC was.

"You're home early" Kaya said seeing them arrive. Sam ignored her and went to the bedroom. "Did something happen...fucking hell Tim" she said seeing blood on his face. "We're leaving. It finally happened" Tim said as he washed his face in the kitchen. "I thought we had more time" Kaya said. "I beat a woman to death with a microscope so no" he said. "Tim there's my luggage case in the hallway closet. Family pictures, a video or two..." Sam said from the bedroom. "You almost done?" he asked opening the door. "Almost. Two weeks’ worth of clothes and a grand in cash" she said. Tim paused. "You didn't take that all out at once did you?" he asked. Tim didn't get an answer as the front door was kicked in. "Oh god. He's got a gun" Kaya said. Tim glanced down the hallway and could see a reflection in a mirror. A man in his thirties with ginger hair and very expensive business suit. Tim began looking for something as he wasn't stupid enough to try to tackle him.

"Don't move Ms. Wu" the man said catching her in the bedroom doorway. With his back to him, he hadn't seen Tim yet. Tim scooted into the closet. "Over here" he said pointing a silencer pistol at her. "Please don't shoot me" Samantha begged. "If you cooperate I won't. I noticed you withdrew a large amount of cash this week. Seeing how I sign your check I have the inside track at your bank. And here I see a suitcase. Planning to skip town?" he asked. "You're...you're O'Malley" Sam said. "Julius O'Malley. If you know that then you're more dangerous than I thought" he said aiming the gun at her head. "Hmm...maybe I'm being too hasty" he said. He turned the centerpiece on a necklace around his neck. He changed almost instantly to a young Asian man. "What...what the fuck?!" Sam yelled. Even Tim had to stifle as gasp. With a snap of his fingers, he shrank Sam until she was the same height as her borrower Kaya. He bent down, grabbed her, and placed her next to her on the table. 

"Wonderous thing it is. You see I knew Connors was a shitty scientist, but she's was greedy and greed buys loyalty...for a time. But you and Kendall, ah yes you two. The brains but not enough moral ambiguity. This power I have is a drop in the bucket compared to what's out there. Power I'm willing to share if you and he come back. He is here right? That's his car outside" he said. Even thought shocked beyond belief, Tim looked for a way to attack him. "He hauled ass and left me. Took a cab" Sam said. "The engine in his car is still hot. He's been here no longer than ten minutes. Not long enough to call a cab and have it arrive. I see that negotiations have failed" he said glancing at her purse. He picked it up. "I can still complete the project with just him" he said raising over them. "SAMMY!" Kaya said shoving her shrunken owner aside as hard as she could. The leather purse came down missing Sam by a centimeter.  *SQUELCH*

"KAYAAAA!" Sam shrieked as the girl was so thoroughly squashed her blood splatter covered her from her tiny toes to her collarbone. Tim franticly looked for anything to stop him and found something. O'Malley snatched Sam up. "A nice gesture. Touching really" he said. "You'll get yours. Every dog has his day but in the end they’re still a fucking dog" Sam said spitting at him. "I'll keep it in mind" O'Malley said before shoving her into his mouth. Tim pulled an old skillet out of a moving box just as the faintest shrieks escaped his lips. O'Malley began chewing her up. A trickle of blood ran down from his lips. And within seconds...Sam was no more.

Tim dashed from his hiding place with the skillet not caring anymore if he got shot or not. At least he figured he'd go down fighting. "A skillet?" O'Malley laughed as he snapped his fingers. There was an audible pop as some invisible force hit the skillet and Tim was unharmed. "Impossible!" O'Malley yelled as he aimed his gun. The shot went off into Tim’s shoulder but that wasn't enough to hit the man so hard he crashed into the wall. He glanced for a second at the remains of Kaya and found renewed energy to smash his skull in. The second time today the man had beat someone to death. Luck had found only him in that apartment. The skillet in his shanking hand was an heirloom given to Samantha by her mother. An old iron skillet passed down through her family. The cold iron a natural protector from the hasty shrinking spell. Tim sprinted out of the door and saw a large brand-new Mercedes with two men standing beside it. And a young girl with red hair in the back seat. They drew their guns as Tim jumped into the Toyota. A shot went off blowing out his back window. Tim hit the gas and let go of the clutch as a man grabbed onto the back and began pulling himself up.

"Sam!" Mary yelled from the cage in the passenger seat. Tim threw it into second as the 1.6-liter four banger squealed. "Stop you little shit!" the man yelled as his torso was halfway in. Tim could see him trying to steady his aim in the rear view. He slammed the brakes throwing the man forward into the center console. The car stalled. The gun fell into Tim's lap. With no hesitation, he grabbed it and shot him in the head. Tim started the car back up and began driving. "Tim. We need you to say something man" Teagan said. Tim pulled over and got out the car. The sun has set in the winter January sky and Tim walked to the side of car and puked. His legs felt like jelly as adrenaline wore off. "Sam... Kaya...they're dead" he told them with the body of a giant man lying on their cage. "Mary" Teagan said as his sister cried. "They won't stop looking for us. Somebody with a car as expensive as that is gonna have friends" Tim muttered as he pulled the dead body off the cage and out the car. "Jesus Tim. What're you doing?" Teagan asked. "Something utterly crazy" he replied as he stripped the body of his clothing. 10 minutes later, Tim wore his clothes and vice versa. He shoved the body into the back of the hatch.

"What now?" Mary asked softly. "The only way we're getting peace is if we die...or at least have people think we died. There's a quarry not far from here" he replied. It was a quiet, breezy, cold drive the rest of the way. Tim backed the car up to the edge of the drop off and got out. "Tim. Won't they know that ain't you?" Teagan asked. "The drop is severe enough the body will smash the skull in. No bullet hole. The body is almost as tall as me and if the off chance something on him survives, he's got my clothes, wallet, and metal watch. The gas tank will rupture upon impact spilling gas o to the hot engine. The fire does the rest" he explained as he put the body in the driver seat. Tim placed the cage on the ground, closed the door, and began pushing the car backwards. Once it got momentum, the Celica fell right off in a clean curve and landed with a heavy thud of groaning metal. No explosion. "Guess it's not like the movies...*BOOOM*"

"Or maybe it is" Tim said peeking down. Tim picked the cage up and began walking. "There's a bus station a few miles down the road. We'll take that and disappear" Tim said. Nobody said a word as he walked down the road illuminated only by moonlight. The loss of friends and their lives heavy on their hearts. Tim got to the station just as the last schedule was posted for the night. "Where is it headed? Miami?" Tim asked. "Yep" the ticket counter replied eyeballing the dirty suited man carrying a cage of borrowers. A weird sight but not the weirdest for him. "I'll take a ticket" Tim said. "$73.50" he said. Tim realized the money was back at Sam's and his wallet burning with a corpse at the bottom of a rock quarry. He dug into his pockets and found two 20's. "How far will that get me?" Tim asked. The counter looked on a sheet. "Pike county Georgia" he replied. "Fine" he said giving him the money. Tim got his ticket and he sat down. "Mary?" Teagan asked seeing his sister grimace. "Oh god not now" Mary whined. Teagan and Tim saw her water had broken.  Tim rushed into the bathroom.

"Okay some hot water, clean paper towels. Fuck what else?" Tim asked running water. Tim (against better judgement) placed Mary inside the bathroom sink. He damn near forgot to place the plug over the drain. "We're right here sis" Teagan said holding her hand. "We're both here" Tim said using his fingers to hold the other. Mary screamed in pain during process. "Push sweetie. You gotta push" Tim said. "You called me sweetie..." she smiled. The smile went away as another contraction kicked in. Teagan and Tim saw something odd. Teagan could sense something was amiss and Tim knew for a fact there was. Tim has seen borrower births before in biology class. They were fast, efficient, and overall easy. Not for Mary. Her body spasmed, her toes curled, milk shot form her nipples. "If...if something happens...don't hate him" Mary said to her little brother. "If there's a God. Give me this. You owe me. You fuckin' owe me!" Tim shouted thinking about his jacked-up childhood. "...don't let them suffer for my mistake" he begged crying. And then a tiny cry...

"A girl. It's a girl" Mary said looking at the baby Teagan held. Tim cleaned her up carefully, but they had to be quick as the bus would soon leave. He placed them back in the cage against his own feelings. "What are you going to name her?" Tim asked. Mary looked at him. "We never even thought about it. Susan? Our mom was named Susan" Mary asked. "A pretty name" Tim said as exited the bathroom.

"Whoa. Hold The fuck up" Susan said. "Sweetheart please. You’re in a house of worship" Tim said. "Okay sorry. You're telling me you're my real dad, I'm part human, and I was born in a bus station bathroom sink?!" Susan yelled. "And part Lemurian" Keith added. Susan glared at him.  "I said I'd explain. Never said it was glamorous kiddo" Tim said. "So how did you end up like this and why can't I remember more than bits and pieces?" Susan asked. "Ah. That's where the story really gets interesting" Tim said.

Tim got off the bus. It was 6 in the morning and still dark. Broke and no idea what to do next, he sat down on the bench outside. "She okay?" he asked. "Somehow yes. They're both are" Teagan replied looking at them both sleep. "Mind if I sit down?" a man asked. "...free country dude" Tim replied. The man sat down. "Traveled far didn't ya? And I don't mean just by bus" he said. Tim looked at him. A man with tanned skin, white hair tied in a ponytail, and piercing amber eyes. At first glance he looked mid-50's but he had not one wrinkle in his face. "Joseph is the name" he said extending his hand. Tim shook it just to be polite. "Interesting folk you got there" he said. Tim pulled the cage away. "Wasn't gonna hurt them. You got a place to go?" he asked. Tim shook his head. "Come with me. Get ya some good and a nice shower" he said. "No offense there but I ain't gay" Tim said. "Me neither but you don’t look well in that shoulder and friends look mightily rough there. Especially the mom and kid" he said pointing at Mary and Susan. Tim had come too far to watch them die.

Reluctantly, he followed the man to his car, a 64 Chevy Impala SS bright red, and got in. "Nice car" Tim said closing the door and holding the cage. "Get me where I want to go...or where I need to be" he replied. Tim got worried as the man pulled onto a dirt road. "Relax boy. You're safe" the man said as he neared his home. Tim noticed something peculiar about the home. It was surrounded by flowers. Flowers blooming in January. He had him come in. It was nicer than he thought it would be. Impeccable wood floors. Antiques of many kinds. And a painting of a strange place. "I'll fix some grub" he said going into the kitchen. Tim sat quietly checking on his borrowers until the man had him come eat. "You don't mind?" Tim said looking at the threesome. "By all means" the man said. Tim had them exit the cage and sit on the table. Teagan was tired, Susan drank her mommy's milk, and Mary looked like shit. "Eggs poached, French toast, sausage links with mustard, and of course hash browns" he said. Tim was astonished.

"All my favorites just like I want them. Even the mustard" Tim said. The man smiled. "And for you miss. Gatorade and rice porridge" he said handing a borrower size portion to her. "That'll perk ya up" he said sitting down. "Thanks sir" Tim said. "No sir for me Tim. Just Joseph" he said. Tim grabbed his knife. "Never told you my name" he growled. "No ya didn't. After a while thing tend to escape my mind. And no, I'm not one of those ZODIAC whatchamacallits" he said. "Who the hell are you?" Tim asked. "That's your biggest question in that brain of yours? No how did Sam shrink or that guy change into an Asian fella?" Joseph asked. Tim didn't know either to be afraid or curious. "Magic boy. All magic. Same thing that lets me know your thoughts and what led me to you...or more specifically her" he said pointing to Susan.

"Keep back from my kid" Tim said. The man put his finger on the knife and pushed it down to the plate. "That DNA you found. What if I told ya it came from humans that could use magic? That a race of humans existed that could control the aspects of the universe with just a snap of their fingers well before man discovered fire?" he asked. The man grinned at him. "Finish your plate while I get the bathroom ready" he said leaving the kitchen. "Dude is fucking wacked" Teagan said. "She did shrink Teagan" Tim said. "...you serious?" he asked Tim nodded. "If he wanted to hurt us, he could've done it already with the food" Mary said. "You heard him. He set his sights on our daughter. Jesus, I said our daughter..." Tim sighed. Everyone was on edge for a while.

That evening...

"He said we could stay here as long as we want" Tim said. "We have nowhere else" Teagan said. Tim looked closely as his daughter nursing. "Hungry girl" he chuckled. "She has your brown eyes" Mary said. "Won't let him hurt you two" Tim muttered as he laid in bed.

Weeks passed and they found the man was no threat to them. He explained fantastic things about a place called Lemuria like he had been there. He answered many questions but never about himself. "Why won't he answer? His age? Where he was born? Hell, we don't even know his last name" Teagan said holding his niece. "We all have our secrets. Let's respect his" Tim said rubbing Mary's little feet. "Agreed. He's shown us nothing but kindness. Tim suck my feet please" Mary asked. Tim took her feet into his mouth and gently sucked them. Mary sighed contently as his taste buds felt so good on her swollen tiny soles. "I did notice something odd. Whenever Susan cries, he shows right up and smiles. And like that she just stops and smiles back. That's weird as shit for a baby barely a month old" Mary said. "He said she's special but won't elaborate" Teagan said. "She is boy" Joseph said entering the room. "How?" Teagan asked. Tim stopped sucking on her feet embarrassed.

"Don't stop on my account. She does have cute feet" he said smiling. "Joseph. What do you mean she's special?" Tim asked. "Susan is a first. A brand new one of a kind species. She carries the seed of magic" he replied. "Magic you refuse to elaborate or teach" Tim said. "For good reason. You yourself saw what happens when humans desire such power. Or did you think your project was just out of curiosity?" Joseph asked. He sat next to them and placed an folder on the coffee table. "What's that?" Tim asked. "Your new life. Inside are papers for you to assume the identity of my son. Social security, birth certificate, medical, and school records. From now on you're Brian Thomas" he said. Tim opened the folder. "...you're kidding" he said. "You're dead boy. Dead people don't go far in this world" Joseph said.

The man stood up, went to grab a bag out of his closet, and placed it at the door. "Going somewhere?" Teagan asked. "Time for me to rejoin the world. Been sitting on my ass in this forest too long now. The house, car, and bank accounts have been signed over in your new name. Make sure Trixie gets her oil changed on time" he said. "Wait! You can't just leave man!" Tim yelled standing. Joseph snapped his fingers. "You're right. Stand still" he said. The man touched his face and it changed. "Tim your face!" Mary said. Tim glanced in a mirror with shock. "Oh Jesus" he said touching his cheeks. ""Gotta look different too" Joseph said. "But my eyes" Tim said. "What about them? What's wrong with them?" Joseph asked. "...nothing" Tim said. "Damn straight nothing. Different isn't a sin. And one final thing and it's the most important" he said taking two pieces of paper out of the folder. "What are these?" Tim asked. "Arcane magic of the highest tier. This one is a kind of escape plan in case those ZODIAC fells come knocking. Think of a place while holding it and poof you're there. And this one...take care of this one. Even I don't know what kind of power that baby has or even if she has power. However, if she does and it proves to be dangerous, this will seal that power. But take heed. As her power is unknown to me, there might be side effects to using that spell. Use it as a last resort" he said. "Joseph, who are you?" Tim asked. "Just a man trying to do right. Take care of yourself...son" he said picking up his bag. As mysteriously as he met him, he had left him.

"Did you ever see him again?" Susan asked. Tim shook his head. "A few years passed, and I decided to become a preacher. Figured a way to atone for trying to play God was to serve him. I got the job of being the preacher of this church. Things were going fairly well. You were growing up with no problems and by mutual decision, Teagan would be your father and I'd be uncle Brian" Tim said. "I'm curious. Did Teagan and Mary have kids biologically?" Keith asked. Tim sighed. "The trauma to Mary when she gave birth was so extreme it rendered her infertile. Susan literally broke the mold" he said. Susan looked down at her feet. Tim used his fingernail to prop her chin up. "It's my sin to bear sweetie not yours" Tim said. "Tim... Brian...dad...Jesus I don't know what to call you" Susan said. "Whatever you want" Tim said. "...dad. Dad why can't I remember anything good before I was 12? I have next to no memory before that" she asked. "Because of that seal. I'll continue..."

"That play was beautiful. Those kids sounded like angels" Mary said sitting on the coffee table. "Giant kids that would've hurt us if they saw us Mary" Teagan said. "The church gives sanctuary to all Teagan, even teenage boys no bigger than my finger" Brian said chuckling. "I respect your beliefs, but borrowers don't believe in a God that made us small enough we're easy prey" he said. "He gave you gifts to survive. Of all the pet shops to end up in, you were in one that eventually led you here. We might not understand his plan now, but it comes clear in the end" Brian said. Tim shrugged. Brian picked him up. "Who's a ticklish boy? Hmm?" Brian said tickling the boy’s chest. "Okay dude stop!" Teagan laughed. "I didn't have a family for my entire childhood, but I found one eventually" Brian said. "Tim... I mean Brian. It must be hard for her not to call you dad" Teagan said looking at four-year-old Susan playing on a giant teacup.

"We all agreed it was easier for her to understand this way. One day we can tell her the truth" Brian said. "There's been no hint of anything weird from her so far" Mary said. "We're not out of the woods yet. Some species undergo drastic changes during sexual maturity. Well, other than tits and pubic hair and whatnot" Brian said. "True. When Mary hit her peek, she was a needy, crabby, smelly footed brat of a big sis" Teagan said. Mary hit him with a piece of Christmas cookie. "Good aim...owww" he said. "Well it's getting late...Susan lets...Susan?" Mary asked. They looked around and didn't see her. "Susan?!" They yelled. No response. "SHIT!" Brian yelled seeing a small body floating face down in his tea. The giant scooped her out and placed her on the table. "Breathe honey! Come on breathe! BREATHE!" Teagan screamed as he gave the inch-tall girl CPR. A long minute passed with no response.

"Is this your God's plan?! All our suffering just to have her end up drowning in your fucking tea?!" Teagan yelled at the giant. Mary was sobbing nearby. Suddenly, Susan coughed the tea out of her lungs, took a deep breath and sat up. The air grew unsettled. "Susan!" Teagan yelled going to hug her. And when she turned to look at them, they collectively gasped. A glint of light shone from her eye. Teagan held her shoulders gazing into it. And then, Susan let out a scream. An unnatural screech that threw the teenager back 7 inches, shattered the teacup and the antique mirror in the living room. The girl sat there sobbing after it was done. Mary came over to her and held her tight.

A few hours later...

"How is she?" Brian asked. "Asleep" Mary replied softly. "I think we have our answer to if she has powers or not" Brian said. "Her eye was glowing. It has the same weird writing in it like that's drawings Joseph gave you" Teagan said. "But why now?" Mary asked. "Some organisms undergo a physical or mental change when it's survival is threatened. Susan was clinically dead for at least three minutes. No heartbeat, no breathing. If she was human, she'd be a vegetable" Brian said. "How can you say it so calmly?!" Teagan yelled. Brian showed him his shaking hands. "My daughter drowned Teagan. MY daughter. Calm checked out of the hotel and stole the soap and towels" Brian said. "We use that seal thing. We have to" Mary said. "No. Joseph said there could be bad consequences using it" Brian said. "She has a power inside her we know nothing about!" Mary yelled. "A power that so far healed her brain damage, brought her back, shattered my teacup and knocked Teagan on his tiny butt. That's not exactly evil territory here" Brian said. Mary looked at Teagan.

"He's right. Let's not jump the gun" Teagan said. "Fine! But we can't keep doing this" she said. They looked at her. "I mean raising her like she's human. She not understanding the danger of that teacup is proof of that. She needs to grow up like a true borrower" she said. "Mary. What are you saying?" Brian asked. "We raise her like a rural borrower Tim. Teach her how to survive like we did. She can't do that sitting on your coffee table watching Sesame Street" she replied.

The next morning...

"Me and Mary talked it over. We're going to live in the forest tree with the big knot in it" Teagan said. Brian was quiet. "Snakes, raccoons, hawks..." Brian muttered. "We know how to get by. You'll still get to see her Tim" Teagan said petting his giant cheek. A tear washed over his hand. "But I'll worry everyday" he muttered. "We know. This wasn't easy for us either. They love you and even though we fight I love you too" Teagan said. Tim kissed the small teen boy sitting in his shoulder. "Don't be a stranger" Brian muttered.

3 years later...

"It's been projected that this winter storm will drop ice and snow throughout the region. The governor of Georgia already declared a state of emergency for the following counties...Pike, Macon, Decatur..." the weather forecaster said. Brian sat in his chair worried. The winter so far had proved to be a very cold one and his thoughts rested on the borrowers he called family. He had respected their choice of living separate from him the last three years. They had come to visit now and then but it was sporadic at best. "Dammit" he hissed getting up and putting his shoes on. The crunch of dead grass was loud as he made his way to their home. "Hello?" he said knocking on the bark of the tree. Teagan emerged. "Sup Brian" he said. "The news on tv said a nasty winter storm is coming. I think it's best you guys bunk with me" Brian said.  

"We'll be fine Brian. Thanks for the concern though" Teagan said. "Teagan. People are gonna die in this. Now I get you have your own thing but I'm being polite here by asking. I'll not have you risk my daughter's life because of your pride. Now pack some shit and come out" Brian said sitting in the grass. Brian shivered as he patiently waited. They emerged eventually with a few things. The giant unfolded an old donut box and one by one placed them inside. "It's smells funny Uncle Brian" Susan said. "Well it did hold sweet stuff munchkin" he grinned. "This really isn't necessary Brian" Mary said. "Is that your opinion or his?" he asked looking at Teagan. He carried them back to his home.

"I'll make popcorn. I got the new Star Wars on VHS" Brian said. The family was quiet enough as they sat on the coffee table. Susan herself was busy watching tv. She didn't care what was on. "This is only until the storm passes" she said. Brian nodded and pushed play. By the time the movie was over, the storm had arrived. Teagan and Susan were curled up asleep on a sofa cushion leaving Mary and Brian awake. "What are you guys so hard up on staying here for this? Look outside" he said holding her in front of the window. The pine trees sagged to the ground from the weight of the ice. "It's not our way" Mary said. "To what? Take charity from a human? I have a borrower daughter Mary. I'm not exactly the run of the mill human. Or maybe you forgot what I did to save your lives?" he said. "Brian..."

"That's not my name. Say my name" he said. "Tim" she muttered. "I gave you guys your space. Let him be her father. And half the reason I haven't got married is to protect you all" he said softly. "And the other half?" she asked. He played with her long brown hair. "I think you know" he said. He sat down in the love seat near the fireplace. "Teagan is my mate" she said. "And yet you keep sniffing me" he muttered pulling her tiny shoes off. He felt her delicate sweaty feet between his fingers. She looked up at the giant. "Of course I missed your touch too" she said rubbing his finger. "There are times I wish I was a borrower. I could hold you and Susan without worrying about hurting you" he said. "But you'd have to worry about being eaten and stuff" she said. "Fair trade" he muttered pulling on her clothes.

Mary was 24 by this point and time had aged her like fine wine. Her breasts retained their fullness. Living outdoors kept her muscle tone. And her ass had a bit more bounce to it. His hands kept her warm. The reflection of the fire danced in his eyes. Mary laid back in his palm as his fingers rubbed and massaged her body. He brought her close to his lips and with a peck, kissed her belly. His tongue darted out between her little tits and the borrower used her mouth to suck the very tip. His salvia tasted of popcorn and hot chocolate. "I love you so much Mary and I don't even deserve your attentions" he said sorrowfully. His eyes were on her crotch. She knew he meant that her infertility was his fault. "It's a wonder you can trust me so much" he said. "You gave us something wonderful Tim. All you can do is be the man you want to be" she said. Tim scooted her into his mouth. Her breath quickened as his lips closed entombing her.

He kept his head level for safety as he sucked on the woman. The mother of his child, inside his mouth, grinding herself on his tongue moaning his name. She tasted salty and sweet. Delicious enough he was tempted to swallow her alive. Never could he do that. Mary was everything to him and she had given him something more precious that a child. Forgiveness. She shuttered in his mouth coating his tongue in her juices. She laid in his hand later as he dried her carefully after a quick rinse. "You sure you're good here?" he asked as she cozier up to her brother and child. "Yeah" she said. "Has Susan been alright lately? Any weirdness?" he asked. "Magic?" she asked. He nodded. "Not a thing” ‘she replied. He nodded and went to bed.

A week had passed and the ice and snow melted. Brian sat on the floor in front of the coffee table playing games with Susan.  "Honey you got twenty. You'd need an ace to get 21 now" Brian said. Little Susan looked at the deck hard. She tapped her little bare foot on her face down. "I know Uncle Brian. Hit me" she said. Brian dealt the card. "21! I win again!" she yelled jumping up and down. "That you did" he muttered. For the last week, Brian had been playing all kinds of games to keep her occupied. Teagan and Mary agreed as it kept her in shape moving chess pieces and checkers. However, he noticed something odd. She usually lost with strategy games but games of chance, she always won. ALWAYS. "Ow!" he muttered cutting his finger on the edge of a card. The tiny borrower girl walked right up to his cut finger, touched it, and the cut healed. There was a glint of light in her eye and she yawned. "Sweetie. What was that?" he asked. Susan grew quiet. "I asked a question" he said.

"Not supposed to tell" she muttered. "If ya don't I'll eat you up" he said grinning. "Please don't eat me. I'll tell" she said grinning. She knew he'd never do it. It was a game to her. "It's my magic" she whispered. Brian nodded confirming his suspicions. He kissed her face. "Yummy. Might have to have a Susan snack after all" he snickered. Her tummy growled. "Speaking of snacks. Guess it's time for lunch" he said. "Can I have it here? Power rangers is coming on" she said. Brian nodded and left the room. He made lunch for everyone and gave the girl her own share to eat alone. Teagan and Mary sat on the kitchen table with Brian. "So how long has she been using magic?" he asked. They dead stopped. "Well, that the real reason you didn't want to come here right?" he asked.

"Yeah" Teagan said. "We're afraid you want to use that seal" Mary said. "Interesting seeing you were so gung ho about using it a few years ago" Brian said. "Things change" Teagan said. "It's little things Brian. Healing cuts and bruises. Knowing when it's going to storm" Mary said. "Oh, I think it's more than that. "Uno, Yahtzee, Blackjack, any games of chance she wins. A little while ago she pulled an ace, the last ace in the deck with over 30 cards left. That's beyond lucky" he said. "I'm saying she's altering probability with her magic. Aware or unaware I don't know" Brian said. "She gets tired from using it" Mary said. Teagan looked at her. "Don't give her that look. This is a family matter after all" Brian said. "So, what do we do?" Teagan asked. "Tell her to be more careful using it. Ask permission. Jesus this is uncharted territory" Brian said.

"I set up a place you can stay in the church. You got your space and you're safe from the winter weather. Agreed?" Brian asked. They both nodded.

5 years later...

Brian sat down in his office worried. For the last few months, he had been using Susan to heal the very sick of his congregation. It started innocent enough. 12-year-old Susan has snuck onto his podium in the pulpit as one by one people came up to pray to be healed. One was a boy her age with leukemia. She saw the giant boy from her hiding place deathly pale and bald. His hand on the lower part of the podium close enough for her to touch. And touch she did. Brian berated her for sneaking around but it wasn't until a few weeks later that mother of the boy shouted that God had healed him. People flocked to be healed. Sore foot, bad back, deafness, anything. And Susan would heal the very worst. Teagan and Mary were extremely pissed about the whole thing and Brian was loathed to do it but there was a reason behind it all.

Earlier that summer a tornado had torn the roof off the church. The repairs set the place back considerably and to avoid foreclosure they needed to bring in some big tithings. Brian said it was temporary until they could catch up and he swore today was the last day. Revival night and due to the nasty weather only half the congregation showed. He was informed parents of a sick baby would appear. He strode out to his podium with his borrower daughter in tow. Now by then they knew of Susan. Brian marketed her as a kind of church mascot which helped her get close to her targets. In fact, his sermons sometimes dealt with how humans treated borrowers. Obviously, those weren't entirely popular.  Brian preached for awhile and then it came time for their little miracle. The mother brought the baby forward to them. "He was born with a weak heart valve. Please Father heal my son" she pleaded.

Now here was the cover story. Brian would tell them that God healed the sick by the act of pure innocence. And who was more innocent that a borrower child? Susan was his conduit for lack of a better term. Brian had her place the baby on the podium and pull the shirt up to his neck. Susan climbed onto the baby's bare chest right over his heart. Only 12, Susan could feel what was wrong. The young heart beating faster than it should be. Shallow breathing, pale skin, lethargic eyes. His heart couldn't move oxygen rich blood through his body well enough for its needs. Brian knew enough medicine that such a condition would eventually prove fatal. Susan placed her hands on his skin and concentrated. Her eye glowed as her magic mended, expanded, and corrected the valve.

The baby took a deeper breath, coughed, and cried. A healthy sound with a healthy color to match. "God is in his heaven. All's right with the world" Susan said. The congregation cheered and praised God. And later that night, Brian sat quietly in his office with Mary, Teagan, and a sleepy Susan. "That's it. Done" Brian said sighing. "This was a dangerous game you played with my daughter" Teagan said. Brian cocked an eyebrow hearing the my daughter part. "You saw yourself the insurance would only cover a third. No church means no winter home and no job for me. A risky choice for a bad situation" Brian said. "Shocking we weren't exposed" Mary said with Susan in her lap. "The outsiders think I'm just another hustler preacher. Seeing we got that new roof kinda but an emphasis on that. But it's over. Done and done. Thank God. Look at her" Brian said seeing his tiny daughter exhausted. "Kid must've been really sick" Teagan said. "We already knew the sicker the more energy she needs to heal them. She saved his life. I'm so proud of you munchkin" Brian said rubbing her head. Susan weakly smiled.  Brian was smiling until he coughed really bad.

He covered his mouth and when done looked at his palm. "What's wrong?" Teagan asked. "Nothing little buddy" he replied. "There's blood on your lips. Show your hand" Teagan said. Brian did so reluctantly. "Jesus Tim" Mary gasped. "I...I was diagnosed with throat cancer three months ago. I was going to tell you later" he said. "How bad?" Mary asked. "...bad pretty lady. I made some provisions when I'm gone. Relocating you..."

"Stop" Mary said shaking her head. Susan looked to see her mom crying. "Don't cry. I had a decent life. These last 12 years made it worthwhile" Brian said. "No. Not accepting it" Teagan muttered. "Sorry buddy but the doc confirmed it" he said. "NO! I won't lose you human! I won't lose the only human I could call family. I won't...Tim I could've been better to you. All those times I argued. Blew you off. I'm sorry man...I love you" the man said looking at the giant. Brian picked him up and kissed him. "Teagan. That's what family does. They fight and argue but they always love one another. Don't beat yourself up about it" Brian said. "Susan!" Mary yelled as she broke away from her. She raced up Brian's arm to his throat and latched on. "Susan! Susan don't!" Brian yelled. Too late. He could feel the throb of magic curing him...at a cost. Susan fell from his throat and he barely caught her before she hit the carpet.

"Oh my god. She was already weak from earlier" he said placing her on the desk. "She's breathing but barely" Teagan said checking her. Mary trembled holding her hand. "Enough's enough. We tip toed around this too long" Brian said pulling one of the spells Joseph left for them. "Tim. We have no idea what could happen" Teagan said. "That power is killing her and she's too good hearted not to use it. Mary, you see it too don't you?" Brian asked. Mary solemnly nodded. Brian placed the spell paper on the desk and put Susan in the middle. "Is something...whoa shit!" Teagan yelled as the spell activated. Her body rose inches into the air as a bubble of light enveloped her. And as soon as it appeared, it left. "That's it? Did it work?" Brian asked. Nobody could answer.

For three days, Susan slept. Brian had not. "You need to sleep" Mary said sitting on his desk. Brian had his chin down on the desk looking at Susan. "She looks like you so much. She even has your feet" he said looking at her tiny soles. His finger touched them. He watched her toes curl around his fingernail. "That's a good sign right?" he asked Mary. His bloodshot eyes terrified. "Yes it is Tim" she replied. He bent close to smell her. Lavender soap and clean clothing. He kissed her gently over and over. "Daddy's sorry. Daddy's so sorry" he sobbed. His falling tears stirred the preteen borrower to awaken. She screamed seeing the giant so close. "It's okay honey. It's just Brian" Mary said. "Brian? Who’s..." she said holding her head. "You remember him right?" she asked. Susan shook her head.

Over the next few days it became clear that the spell did have adverse side effects. It had sealed her magic like it supposed to, but it had sealed away memories too. Susan remembered who her mother and father was and a few things about Brian but nothing else. Not her home, her childhood, her magic, or that Brian was more than just a family friend. If one could guess, she had lost over 75% of her memories. "She'll remember Brian" Teagan said. "Nope. This is my punishment for using her to earn money" he said drunk. "Which you did with good intentions" Mary interjected. "The road to hell is paved with them Mary. Please...just leave me alone" he said.

Over the next month, Brian had interacted with them less and less and then one day the worst thing that could happen excusing death occurred. "Sister Jones. Little late for worship" he said one late Sunday night as he was heading out the door. "I came for help Father. I have ovarian cancer" she said. "I'm sorry to hear that. Well we can pray for a recovery of course" he said. "No, I need to be healed" she said. "Sister Jones...Kimberly...the lord has seen that my time to heal has come and gone. He blessed me just as long as it took to help the church" he replied. "So you refuse?" she asked. He shrugged. "I'm dying! I've seen you heal people with limps and aches! My suffering is worse!" she said grabbing his hand and placing on her head. "Sister Joes please! I'm sorry but I can't give what you're asking!" he yelled. "As god as my witness you'll be sorry" she hissed.

Brian showed up at the church Monday afternoon and saw an exterminator van driving in the opposite direction. "I didn't call them" he muttered getting out of the impala. Brian entered the church and saw a deaconess there visibly disturbed. "Janet? What's going on here?" he asked. "Sister Jones called exterminators saying borrowers are a health hazard. I tried to stop her!" she yelled. And at the door behind him was none other than Sister Jones smiling. "Told you you'd be sorry" she said. Brian lunged at her grabbing her by the collar. "Brian no! Not in god's house!" Janet yelled pulling him off. "They're borrowers! Fucking vermin and you treat them like us!" Jones yelled.

"They have hopes and dreams! Were you not slaves in a foreign land?! Treat others as you would have them treat you! Those that show kindness live as I have lived! Remember that or have you forgotten these lessons the bible taught us?! Vermin!? THEY WERE MY FAMILY AND LOVED ME LIKE NO OTHER! I CAST YOU OUT KIMBERLY JONES! MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOU FOR I WON'T!" Brian screamed. The woman quickly ran out of the church. "Let go of me" Brian muttered to the deaconess as he went to the car. He sped down the road in a desperate attempt to find the exterminator van. When he got to the three forks intersection, he stopped. The van was nowhere in sight. Brian slumped over the steering wheel and sobbed.

He took the last gulp of wine and put the glass on the desk. "I spent months trying to track you down. The exterminator service had offices all over central Georgia, so I didn't even know where they came from. So now you know munchkin" Tim said to Susan. "We ended up in a pet shop in downtown Atlanta. We were only there two weeks. No wonder you didn't find us" Susan said. "A very kind woman bought Susan and took her to a sanctuary" Keith said to him. "Just Susan? What about Teagan and Mary?" he asked. "Dad was bought within a few days. Mom..." Susan stopped sniffling. Tim held his hand out and the woman crawled into it. "She didn't make it daddy" she muttered. Tim shed tears from the anger and pain he felt. "Ow! Jesus my head!" Susan yelled. She felt weak in his palm. "Memories...memories" she groaned. "Let me cancel bible study. We can all rest back at my home" Tim said.

"She can rest in there" Tim said pointing to a dollhouse in the living room. Keith took off her tiny shoes and helped her onto the bed. "Is she alright?" Keith asked. "I'm assuming that seal broke recently?" Tim asked. "Yeah" he replied. "Her old memories are returning. Mentally it's overwhelming but she'll adjust with some rest. I'll fix lunch" Tim said. Keith watched Susan sleep soundly in the doll bed while the man made sandwiches. "So are you her husband or what?" Tim asked. "Extremely good friend" Keith replied. "Do better than that. She clung to you too tightly for that" he said. "Our relationship is complicated" Keith said. "I haven't seen my daughter in nearly 10 years. Un-complicate it. I told you the truth. I'm due the same" Tim said. "Alright. Here's the deal" Keith said.

Two hours later...

"You're taking it extremely well" Keith said. "I already knew magic existed and of ZODIAC. I'm shocked my daughter is part of an organization that fights them though" he said. "She's the best. She's saved many lives through her service. Be proud of her" Keith said. "Oh, I already am. I'm surprised she has no kids though" Tim said. "She almost did by me. Miscarried" Keith said. "And, how is she?" Tim asked. "She's tight lipped about it. She did something she's not telling me" Keith said. "Abortion?" Tim asked. "No. I've been around her long enough to know that look of grief. She had plans for that kid. And now she's trying to adopt one she saved" he said. Tim nodded. "If you'll excuse me, I have to make a few calls" Keith said stepping outside. Tim sat quietly watching tv in the living room the rest of the day waiting for Susan to awaken.

"Following up on yesterday's story, a research hub for the CDC exploded yesterday. Local police have been removed from the investigation while the FBI begins its own. Witnesses claim to have seen workers screaming to be let out shortly before the blast. As of right now, nobody has been allowed entry..."

"And nobody will be. Too many questions" Susan said sitting up in bed. "Hey sleepyhead. Speaking of head..." Tim said. "Not so bad. Weird as shit having memories crammed in there. Still getting flashes of stuff though" she said. She twitched her back. "Daddy could you get a piece of napkin?" she asked. Tim got up and got one for her. He gave her it curious. She quickly took off her shirt and began squeezing her tits. "Oh dear" he said turning away. "Don't be embarrassed. Normally I'd just have someone I trust suck the milk out" she said. "Like Keith?" he asked. "He did this morning" she said. Tim glanced at her. "Sorry about your miscarriage" he said. "So, what else he tell you?" she asked softly. "Everything really. For someone not your spouse he knows a good deal about you" he replied. "He's special that's for sure" she said. "You don't have to steal glances daddy" she giggled.

"Hehe...you're just so pretty" he whispered. "Close your eyes for a moment" she said. Tim did and felt a tingling. His feet left the floor. "Okay open them" she said. As he did the faint glow in her eye vanished. "It's funny casting magic without arcane. Like opening a book, you already read before. "You shouldn't. It's dangerous" he said. He paused and quickly looked around. "You just noticed I shrank you?!" Susan burst out laughing. Tim was astounded at the hugeness of the living room now. "So, this is how you see the world?" he asked. "That's nothing compared to the outside. Sit down" she said patting her doll bed. Tim sat and gazed at her. "...please hug me" she muttered. Tim nearly tackled her holding her tightly. His body trembled as one of his wishes came true. "My little girl...my sweet little girl" he muttered rocking her back and forth. It took them a few minutes to calm down.

"Oops. Stained your shirt" she said seeing her milk on it. Tim took his shirt off. "This is really nice" she said looking around. "This was your parents. This bed here was your mom's. Right down to her favorite color. I kept it pristine all these years as a kind of memorial" he said. Susan clutched his hand. Tim took out a brush from the nightstand and began brushing her hair.

"You are like a carbon copy of your mom" he chuckled. "My hands?" she asked. Tim nodded. She took off her socks. "My feet?" she asked. "Yes, those cute feet are the same. Even your umm..." he said. "My titties?" she laughed. Tim blushed. "You really loved mom didn't you?" she asked. "If then was now I would've married her. Teagan was so jealous when she kept asking me to um...take care of her pregnancy needs" he said. "Some of the memories I got back I can tell you she cared about you very much" Susan said. Her stomach growled. "Somebody needs a sandwich" he chuckled. Susan unshrank him and waited patiently on the coffee table. He stared at her as she ate. "When you going home?" he asked. "Tomorrow" she replied. Tim looked sad. "Don't worry. We'll see each other again daddy" she said.

Tim sat on the floor telling her old stories as she laid in her bed. "And then she landed right in the middle of the cake" Tim laughed. He glanced at Susan who had fallen asleep again. Her right leg hanging over the edge of the bed. Tim gently kissed her bare foot before tucking it in. "Sweet dreams Suzie" he said leaving her.

Susan was extremely quiet the flight home. "You see him again" Keith said. "When he held me it felt like everything was finally right in my life" she said. "I understand how it feels to find a part of yourself that makes you feel...fuller I guess" Keith said. "I could smell his anxiety when I was hugging him goodbye. He was so scared" Susan muttered. "Of course. He lost you in a painful way Susan. Only natural he wanted you to stay. I feel that way now and then myself. Sometimes I just want to keep Hope to myself. Hold her in my hands and never share her with anyone.  But being a parent means knowing when to let your kids be free. Something you'll learn one day" he said. "Keith. I made a deal with Morrigan to save Ruby" she muttered. Keith stopped petting her. "That explains a few things" he said. Susan looked at the giant.

"That's it? No yelling? No what were you thinking?" she asked. "You made that decision because you were tired of losing people you love didn't you?" he asked. "But it was your baby!" she yelled exasperated. "Sometimes we get what we want and sometimes we get only what we need" he said softly. "There are times I really hate you Keith! That stupid, idiotic, kindness!" she yelled taking her little sneaker off and throwing it at him. It bounced harmlessly off his nose. "Why won't you be angry with me over this?" she asked pitifully. "Am I disappointed? Yeah, I guess so but I'm not going to beat you up about it. You're doing too good a job of it yourself" he said. He scooped her up on his hands. "You've made so much progress in the last month so stop trying to find reasons to put yourself down. God knows our lives aren't perfect. It's not our failures that define us. It's how we overcome them" he said. She leaned on her tip toes and kissed his lower lip for a few seconds.

"I really wanted to keep the baby. I swear I did" she cried. "I know baby. I know" he said petting her cheek. "Don't leave me. Don't leave me like Lily did" she begged. "Wasn't planning to" he chuckled. Susan nodded and began taking her clothing off. "Mile high club?" she asked. "...why not" he muttered. Keith licked and sucked on her till she twitched. She had a blissful smirk on her face as he jerked her up and down his shaft. And when it was all over, Susan slept naked in his hands peacefully.

That evening...

Susan entered her apartment tired but content. She found her father, told Keith a damning secret and he still stayed by her side. She thought for a moment she didn't deserve such happiness but pushed those thoughts away remembering his words. It was becoming harder to separate her feelings from fuck buddy to chosen mate. A problem for another day she thought. She kicked off her shoes and sat on her sofa. "Jesus you scared me!" Ruby said coming around the corner. "Hey red. You do your homework?" Susan asked. The girl nodded. Susan patted the seat for her to sit next to her. "So how did your mission go?" Ruby asked excited.  "Over a hundred innocent people died by my hand to save thousands. Some of those innocents were runaway kids shrunk by an experiment to give them powers. Kids not much older than you. Still want my job?" Susan asked. Ruby looked down. "I know we're butting heads..."

"And I'm sorry. It's just difficult for me. Someone around telling me to do things is new to me" Ruby said. The girl was shaking. "I felt lonely while you were gone. I don't want to go back to that life where I had nobody. Please don't send me away" Ruby begged crying. Susan was shocked by that. "Listen to me. I will NEVER send you away. Oh sweetie...that's what tomorrow is about. I'm adopting you" Susan said. The girl buried her head in her chest and bawled. She held her until she calmed down. "I'm being such a baby" Ruby said wiping her eyes. "My baby" Susan smiled. Ruby smiled and shifted her foot. "OWW!" she yelled. "My feet have been hurting all day" Ruby said. Susan placed her bare feet in her lap. "Slightly swollen. You're at the age for a growth spurt" she said before massaging her feet.

"God that feels better" Ruby sighed. "Gimme your toes honey" she said. Ruby lifted her foot and Susan began sucking her toes. She massaged her lower calf muscle and went to the next foot. Ruby laid back on the sofa breathing deeply. "Whole lot better right? The secret is circulation. Massaging and sucking on our feet stimulates blood flow" Susan explained. "Is that why it felt so good?" Ruby asked. "Well that and our feet are connected to our sexuality" Susan said snickering at the wet spot in Ruby's panties. The girl blushed deeply. Susan pulled her into her lap. "Don't be embarrassed. We're family starting tomorrow" she said. "Susan? You said you bright me back to life? How?" Ruby asked. Susan took a deep breath for that one.

"Ever hear of the deity called the Morrigan?" Susan asked. "An old folk tale told by humans" Ruby replied. "Well she's very real and for some people who are special, they can see and even talk to her" Susan said. "People like you?" she asked. Susan nodded. "What Bloom did to you really did kill you. And when the church was burning down and I held your body, I cried out for someone not to take you away. Morrigan answered my call and we made a bargain to give you back your life" Susan said. "What was it?" Ruby asked. Susan looked away until Ruby used her hand to turn her cheek. "Please tell me...mom" Ruby asked. Susan shed tears hearing her call her that. "Your life for my unborn child. Ruby it was my decision!" Susan yelled. Ruby looked horrified. "You gave up your baby...for me?" Ruby asked broken. "...you should’ve let me die" she said softly.

"NO! DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT AGAIN! You were my life to save. Your potential, your future. You are my child to lay claim to!" Susan yelled holding her face still. Susan let go seeing she was scaring her. "There comes a time when we get tired of losing people we love. Some earlier than others. I stared the mistress of death in the face and told her I was tired of her taking loved ones away from me" Susan said. She leaned forward and kissed the girl. "I paid a high price but that only means I got what I paid for. Please honor that sentiment honey. It's all I have right now" Susan asked. Ruby nodded.

Susan laid in her bed looking at the festival lights through her window. Tomorrow was a big day for her. The day she would become a parent. She thought of hers. Mary, Teagan, and of course Tim. A mystery involving her life had been solved. But there was one question she asked herself sometimes she had not found the answer to. What happened to her father Teagan? The man she thought her real dad was sold off. His fate unknown. She really wanted to know now. She scryed for him before but never got a reading. The annoying thing was the pendulum would spin around meaning there was something, but the magic involved was way too weak to be of use. "Hope could help" she realized. The most powerful Mage of our time was right nearby. Susan decided to ask for her help. Something she would come to regret...       

"It's getting quieter here" Aquarius said. "Your sarcasm notwithstanding, has merit. We cannot let this Susan Durmont keep picking us off. Nearly half of us are gone" Taurus said. "If anyone has suggestions, I'm open to them" Ares said. "Quite simple. To deal with an assassin, you send an assassin" a voice said. "Lord Ophiuchus. We were not expecting you" Ares said bowing. "My presence was obviously required. This problem should've been handled some time ago" he said casting his withering gaze at them. "How many should we send?" Pisces asked. "Only one. The one that fulfills that role in our rank" he replied. "Scorpio?! By all due respect, Scorpio's past makes him a dubious choice to go against her. Being told to kill one of his own will make him hesitate" she said. "On the contrary, his dedication will qualm that worry. If anything, his past will be the perfect weapon to use against Durmont" he said chuckling as he faded out.

"So, who sends the word? Scorpio doesn't like to be bothered" Ares asked. "Not me" Taurus said. Pisces and Aquarius both shook their heads. "Send Libra. He's more likely to stay his hand for a child" Taurus said. "What a minute! Send Taurus! Her artifact gives the highest defense besides Cancer!" the girl yelled. "The 13th zodiac himself ordered the assignment and I am second in command. Defying me is tantamount to defying Lord Ophiuchus himself" she said. Libra hung her head and disappeared. "Translocation" she muttered as she transported from her mansion. Where she appeared it was nighttime, muggy and not alone. A very small man was perched on the ledge of a rooftop just feet in front of her. "You mess up my shot I'll kill you" he muttered to the giantess behind him.

He doped his scope as information from his artifact seeped into his mind. "157 yards. Humidity 87%. Wind speed 12 knots. Ballistic drop compensated. Earth's rotation...compensated. Firing" he muttered as he pulled the trigger on his sniper rifle. Libra didn't dare more or speak. "Hmmm...target has been pacified. You may speak now Libra. The small man said getting up and standing near her sandaled feet. "Who was the target?" she asked looking down. "The best friend of a software developers’ daughter. He wouldn’t play ball, so we sent a message. A two-gram tungsten jacketed round with plutonium core. The round is embedded underneath the skull. Either bleeding or radiation poisoning will take care of her by tomorrow. Now, what are you here for?" he asked. Libra bent down and showed him a picture on her phone. "Our lord has tasked you to eliminate this threat to us. Her name is..."

"Susan Durmont of the Yorkshire Estate Durmont" he said softly. "She's very formidable" she warned. "She won't beat me. Our past history will see to that" he said. She watched the man jump over the ledge and use a wingsuit to fly away into the night. Libra sighed in relief.   

"So, you took care of it already?" Keith asked. "Shockingly, it was very routine. Just some guy that stumbled onto an arcane written in an old book. Fortunately, the damage was minor. Broke the spells and wiped a few minds. Keith, could I ask for a favor?" Susan asked. "You've earned it. What's up?" he asked. "I decided to try to find my dad. I mean Teagan. I need Hope's help through" she said. "I understand. Just forward me a photo of him that Tim sent you. Anything else?" he asked. "Wish I had someone to share this with. I had no idea Thailand could be so pretty" she said. "You should see the yaksha homeland. A beautiful mix of the old and new" he said. "Maybe one day you could show it to me yourself?" she asked. "One day when it's not so crazy. Be nice not be the only white person there" he chuckled. "Don't tell me..."

"No. Of course not. However, I do get stares. Anyway, good job defusing the situation and no zodiac in sight" he said. "Thanks. I'll be heading back first thing in the morning" she said ending the call. She went back to the tea she was sipping. She didn't know that ZODIAC was very much nearby. Scorpio sat on the top of a tiled roof aiming his rifle at her. "Wind speed 8 knots. Humidity 77%. Distance...26 feet. Firing" he muttered. "More tea?" a young woman asked. "Please" Susan said. The young Thai woman stepped forward with a teapot just as the projectile exited the barrel. The woman flinched and touched the back of her neck. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as the deadly cyanide dart no bigger than a grain of rice took effect. She face planted right on the table Susan was at. "Jesus!" Susan said jumping up as the woman landed on the ground. People rushed over as Susan checked the woman. No breathing, no heartbeat. Against her better judgment, she invoked her magic.

"Poison. Diffusion. Healing" she muttered keeping her head down to avoid showing off her glowing eye. Her hand over the woman's heart, she broke down the molecular structure of the poison into more safe stable elements like carbon, nitrogen, and potassium. With a nudge of magical force, she revived the woman.  Susan watched carefully as the woman was helped to the hospital. "Cyanide is fast acting so what happened? Accidental exposure or something else?" she asked herself. She looked around and saw nothing. She headed back to hotel. "Hmm." Scorpio muttered. He couldn't remember the last time one of his attempts failed. He jumped off the roof and glided onto her taxi.

After arriving, he snuck under the luggage carrier and rode in with none seeing the three-inch man dressed head to toe in black. His target waited patiently in a line at the reception desk. He stood in the far corner away from the giant humans as he prepared another shot. Wearing shorts, there was more than enough exposed skin for him to aim at. He loaded the dart. This one with three times the deadly cocktail of poison. She would drop dead before she even felt the sting. He readied his shot aiming at one of the blood vessels snaking around the side of her foot that sat in her sandal. And as he squeezed the trigger, an ominous hiss and clacking from behind. He turned around just as a venomous spider lowered itself onto him. His rifle kept its fanged mouth at bay. The smell made him sick as it fought to sink its fangs into him, paralyze his body, and drink him dry. His artifact calculated the necessary trajectory to kill it. He shoved it back, it reared up, and with a flash of speed, cut its disgusting eight eyed furry head from its torso. Scorpio huffed and tore his rifle from its dead mouth. He turned back to his intended target only to see her entering the elevator. "Unbelievable" he hissed running. He dove into the elevator and hid behind the foot of a young girl.

He briefly thought of killing her there. Confined space. Nowhere to run. His odds of getting away unharmed were low though. A giant body falling on him was a good bet in that case. The young girl moved, and her five-year-old sneakered foot nearly stepped on him. She looked down bored and saw him. Her eyes lit up seeing the tiny man and she went to pick him up. "Touch me and I'll kill you" he said quietly in perfect Thai. The girl froze in terror and backed towards her mother. "Hmm?" Susan said hearing something faint. She looked behind herself seeing the mother and child. She shrugged and watched the floor light panel ding until it reached her floor. Susan stepped out just as the smell of pee hit her nose. She looked behind herself realizing it came from the young girl. The mother berated her in Thai and Susan left it alone not wanting to get involved. Scorpio slipped out of the elevator not far behind her.

He kept his distance hiding behind service carts and doorways. "Room 303" he said to himself as she entered. He waited a moment before crawling under the very tight fit of the underside of the door and carpet. His target was staring out of her window. He closed the distance and she turned. He dashed behind her suitcase as she sat on her bed. Scorpio moved quietly underneath it. Her sandaled feet rested flat on the floor. "No chances this time" he said readying his sword. Coated in botulinum toxin, one clean cut would paralyze her. She would literally suffocate as her lungs would be paralyzed with the rest of her body. Just as he got within inches, she stood up as her phone rang. Scorpio hissed frustrated. "Keith? Isn’t it late where you're at?" she asked.

"Or early depending on your pout of view. Hope will scry for your dad tomorrow" he said. "That's fine. Honestly, I'm worried what I'll find. In some ways it was easier thinking he was dead" she said. "I can understand that" he said. "What if he doesn't recognize me? Or made himself another family?" she asked worried. "I doubt he could forget someone like you" he said. "I'll be glad when I get home. Kinda missed how you make me feel" she muttered. "You were only gone two days" he chuckled. "Yeah but I feel better around you. I saw this girl die today and it scared the hell out of me" she said. "Wait. What?" he asked. "This girl dropped dead right in front of me. I was able to revive her with magic but what I found worries me" she said. Scorpio was not liking where this was going.

"Found as in what or how?" he asked. "Using this magic in me is weird. It's like knowing exactly what I need to do right then and there. I broke down cyanide into its basic elements. I don't even know what they fucking were until I did it" she said. "I'd refit an from using them until we get a better handle on how they work" he said. "That's just it. I think I've been using them for years and didn't know. Think about it Keith. All those missions I did where I was a hair away from dying and shit just worked in my favor. How else would you explain that other than my innate magic changing probability? Hell, it was probably the reason Lily found me in the first place" she said. "That's...that's kinda heavy" Keith said. "I saw how unstoppable I was when I used the Eye of Bast. That luck altering artifact combined with my own power could make me invincible" she muttered. "Whoa. Pump the brakes there. Didn't you say that artifact sucked luck from people? What if you sucked luck from an innocent and it ended up killing them?" he asked. "...fair point" she said.

Now it made sense to Scorpio. The reasons his assassination attempts kept failing was due to her probability altering magic. "Just don't do anything crazy supergirl" he said. "I won't. Goodnight Keith" she said ending the speaker call. Scorpio decided to get closer as she stood motionless. Speed and skill would end her lucky streak. "Time for a bath" she muttered. She lifted her left leg just as he went to slash her ankle. She shook her foot and her sandal came crashing down on top of him. The blow stunned him and pinned him underneath the insole of her sandal. His nose was filled with the smell of foot sweat and cork leather. The worn grooves of the insole resting on his face. He was angry, pissed beyond belief, but also taken aback by the smell of her feet. Her pheromones gave him pause as he could tell she had been pregnant and that they were very familiar. He passed out from the concussion.

Susan slowly got into the water. It felt so good to her as he laid back. She felt more confident about herself from these new powers but a part of her was worried. She remembered how she felt back in that CDC building. No emotions. No fear, anger, pain, nothing. Like she was a robot or something. She barely gave any thought on her possible death. Yes, that power gave her strength, but it took away who she was like it switched off her soul. Keith had told her the time Aspen had lost hers and it sounded worse that dying.

Scorpio awoke to the soft thuds of the giantess' footsteps on the carpet. Susan was looking at herself in the vanity mirror naked. "Another week to go" she muttered looking at her tits. He watched her go back into the bathroom. He followed her and hid underneath the dresser just feet away from her. He loaded a dart in his rifle not wanting a repeat of being knocked out or worse getting to close. Scorpio found a distraction as he could hear her quietly crying. He gazed up at her seeing her milk her breasts into the sink. "I even picked out a name you know. If it was a boy Teagan after my dad. Lily if it was a girl" she muttered smiling. Scorpio sat his rifle down. "I'll wait till she's asleep" he said to himself. He sat silently watching the giantess for a few more hours monitoring her.

It wasn't the first time he observed a target before killing them. Their habits, movements, reaction speed, if they ate or not. All factored in the success rate of going about the dark business.  He never hesitated doing it either. A sever year old boy he poisoned his milk when he learned his father was going to turn over evidence to Interpol. 67-year-old woman his poison stopped her heart. All because her son wouldn't sell the rights to a plot of land in Turkey. But now he found a slight hesitation for his current target. He found himself not wanting his observation to end. But end it did when she went to bed. She climbed into bed naked (as the comfort level was higher which she needed in a unfamiliar place) and went to sleep.

Scorpio left his hiding place and made his way to the bed. He took his time climbing the sheet as his file stated she could sense movement much better than a normal borrower. If it wasn't for his stealth suit, she would’ve heard and smelt him some time ago. He made his way to the top of the bed and tip toed to her. He stood inches from her right foot. Her clean rosy sole looming above him. Her toes twitching as she entered dream state. Scorpio weighed his options. His sword was the best bet but this close meant possible injury even with a fast-acting poison. Stabbing her in the sole wasn't the best idea. Her feet were sensitive enough she could react before enough poison entered her system. He ankle pivoted down lowering her toes to his height. He pushed her giant toes apart thinking. "Blood vessels would carry the venom quicker here. Skin thinner too" he thought looking between her toes. Susan had long toes which meant he would have to get between to reach her skin. Stabbing her there could cause her to reflexively scrunch them. He didn't care much for being crushed by those. Borrowers have great grip strength in their toes and in Susan’s case (who worked out), could snap a ball point pen in half with those digits.

There was one place he could stab her, blood vessels, thin skin, away from her arms, feet, or head, that would do the job; her labia. She would jerk awake for damn sure, but his poison would circulate very fast. Fast enough his target would be dead in ten seconds or less. "No. Please..." Susan groaned in her sleep. Scorpio paused thinking she noticed him. She didn't sit up though, and he concluded she was having a bad dream and nothing more. He moved away from her feet and walked between her legs.

"You got some age on you. Is that your kid?" the young woman asked. "Please don't hurt her. She's just a child" Mary pleaded. "She'll go for high dollar. A cutie like that will get bought up by a breeder soon enough" the woman said. She brought Mary to her face. She flicked her tits just to hear the borrower cry out in pain. "Keeping you is actually costing me money. You'd go for maybe $50 but...lets just say you'd be a slow seller. You're even pudgier than the average woman. Naw. No point keeping you around" she said before licking her lips. "Please don't do it! She's my wife! Can't you understand that?!" Teagan screamed. "Death do you part right?" the woman said grinning. "...protect her brother. Mommy...mommy loves you sweetie. MOMMY LOVES YOU!" Mary screamed as she was shoved into the giantess mouth. She shut her mouth and began chewing. Teagan and Susan watched helplessly as the person they loved was chewed alive. Her screams suddenly silenced ominously from a loud sickening crunch. "I'll kill you. Kill you" Teagan hissed at her. Susan looked at the giantess whose lips were stained with the blood of her mother. So traumatized she pissed herself.

Scorpio got ready. The heat from her pussy made him sweat. The smell heavy and intoxicating. He ignored the urge to fuck her giant cunt. He wasn't here to rape her. He was here to bury her. And just as he prepared to deliver the stroke to doom her, Scorpio got the shock of his life. Susan pissed the bed. It felt like being struck by a fire hose of hot steaming eye stinging liquid. He fell back two feet fighting the urge to cuss out loud. It didn't help matters that the giantess had eaten asparagus for lunch. He could barely see as he stumbled back. "MOMMY NO!" Susan screeched as she bolted awake. Hearing her move, Scorpio ran backwards and tumbled off the bed. He landed right on top of her smelly sandal once more. It took him ten minutes before his eyes returned to normal. He giantess above was sobbing her heart out.

Once in a while, Susan would have this nightmare but never had it been so vivid. Breaking the seal on her powers had not only caused old memories to return but repressed ones as well. That horrible day was blurry to her, but she could feel the grief all the same. Now it was like being back there again. The coldness of the cage floor on the soles of her tiny feet. The smell of wood chips. The screaming, crunching, squelching of a living person. Susan was shaking in her bed. "Keith...Keith..." she sobbed not wanting to be alone right then. Scorpio sat there soaked in piss listening. She never did go back to sleep and Scorpio just sat underneath her bed suppressing any feeling he had good or bad.

He couldn't get near her all early morning. Susan didn't stay still. Her manic energy had kept her awake as she packed her bags. He got irritated as time moves on. Her good luck and shifting feet kept him at bay. He followed her to her taxi and even boarded her private plane. "Nowhere to run now" he muttered. The flight was turbulent which kept him from moving but after an hour had passed the plane had left the stormy area and was flying nice and clean. "Susan you sound strange" Keith said on the phone. "Been awake since 3. Bad dreams" she replied. "Sorry I wasn't there for you" he said. "There'll be other times" she said softly. "Hey. Hope is ready to scry for your dad" he said. "Cool. I need a distraction right now" she said.

Keith placed the first map on the table. Scrying requires two maps for it to work properly. The first is a world map to narrow down the country. And the second is a more focused local one. In times past the second part was tricky but google maps made it immensely easier. "Okay dad. Here I go" Hope said. She focused her magic and frowned. "Something is interfering. A spell but it's not good enough!" she said smugly as the crystal on the chain jerked to the right of the map and hovered over open sea. "Honey?" Keith asked confused. "I'm sure dad" she said. Keith had her step off the map and replaced it with a zoomed in one. She stepped onto his tablet. "See?" she said moving the crystal again. "Something is wrong" he muttered. "What's wrong?" Susan asked overhearing them. "The crystal. It's pointing to open sea...but it's moving to the left very slowly. It's close to the Nicobar Islands" he said. "Really? That funny because right about now...hold on...smell something" she said looking around.

It was faint to her, but it was clearly the smell of urine. Her urine. Scorpio had waited long enough. She had detected him and was slowly walking to his hiding place. Spells were not his strong suit and he preferred poison anyway, but he couldn't afford to be choosy anymore. He drew and arcane in the carpet as she got close. It activated revealing him to her. "What the hell?!" Susan said just before a slight bump of air turbulence jostled them. Scorpio let off a light spell. The beam missed Susan' left side by an inch but it had found an unintended mark. It burned clean through the wall, right through the chest of the pilot and out the window. He slumped forward dead on the flight stick. The plane began to nose downward. Susan was thrown back into the wall and Scorpio into the air hurtling at her. "Sorry but this is the end!" he yelled holding his poisoned blade. He stabbed her just above the collarbone. She grabbed him.

She felt a burning in her chest. Her heart raced. Her vision blurred. And then her power kicked in. "Poison. Multiple varieties. No time to break them all down. Casting maximum fortification. Locking size spell" she said strangely. Her body pulsed with magic for a moment and she forced herself to the cockpit still holding the man in her grip. "Dead" she muttered before pulling the pilot from his seat. The air was extremely thin from decompression as she sat down and yanked the stick back. The plane was very slowly leveling out but still dropping. 7,000 ft. at 520 knots. Scorpio could only stare aghast at how she was still alive. He looked out from the cockpit to see her aiming for a small island. The fuselage groaned as g forces and speed it wasn't designed to handle took its toll. 5,000...4,000. And as it leveled off at 1,000 ft., Susan applied the air brakes. There was a screech of metal as the flaps tore right off. 750...500 ft. Susan jerked the throttle back and jerked the nose up hard. She knew the consequences of doing that, but a stall was preferable to slamming nose first into the ground.

The speed plummeted as the stricken plane crashed over the beach the weight of the craft pulled the nose down and seconds later belly crashed through a forest. Scorpio was shocked he was alive and soon found the reason. Susan was passed out but a orb like barrier protected them. Susan began to wake and looked dead at him. "...daddy?" she muttered before passing out once more. When she awoke once again, she first thought it had been a crazy dream. Her place crashing. Her dad dressed in black stabbing her. But sitting among the debris she saw it was no dream. "I would've killed you in your sleep if my gear had survived" he said sitting right next to her. "Lose it" she hissed. "Lose what?" he asked. "THAT FUCKING ILLUSION!" she screamed standing. She grabbed him. "No illusion. You were born in Texas and lived under the floors of a church in Georgia. Hmm...that seal must've worn off" he muttered. She was shocked beyond words. 

"Daddy?" she asked. "I am the man you call father by identity alone. No longer am I Teagan. I am Scorpio. The sting of ZODIAC" he said. Sudan climbed out of the smashed cockpit and got out of the plane. So disturbed by what he said she puked. Once done, she looked around. The wings ripped off, fire trails behind them. It was a miracle, her miracle they survived at all. She picked up a piece of metal as if to confirm the surrealness of it all. Her fingers were numb, and she dropped it. "Well I guess my poison is working after all. Slowly but surely" he said following her. "WHY? Who the fuck poisons their daughter?!" she yelled. "I was ordered to but you have gotten in the way of our plans way too many times. I will say this. Not one of my targets has survived this long" he replied. She slipped off her sandal and began writing arcane in the dirt with her big toe. "I'm gonna get my answers by fucking God" she hissed as she finished. With speed she snatched him up and dropped him on the circle. She waited for it to activate...but it didn't.

"Huh?" she asked. She looked at the symbols. "They're correct but why?" she asked. "Expecting something?" he asked. "My truth spell. It won't activate" she said. She bent down and looked closely. Seeing he hadn’t chosen to flee, Susan grabbed an emergency kit from the avionics bay. The emergency transponder was flashing as she turned on the satellite phone. "Unable to connect" it said. "Impossible" she muttered. She held a compass and found the needle spinning. "The compass needle" she muttered as she held it down. He could see it spinning himself. He looked at the reddish dirt and it began to make sense. "Magnetic field. It's spinning because of intense magnetic fields. There must a be a shitload of iron ore on this island. Jamming magic too it seems" he said. "Jamming the goddamn phone too" she hissed. "How...how could you work for them?" she asked. "I don't expect a naive girl to..."

"Shut up" she said. "You're the one that asked" he said. "Not that. I hear something. Lots of somethings" she muttered. She took off her other sandal and used her bare feet to feel the vibrations. It was extremely faint but very small footsteps were rushing towards them. "We're not alone" she muttered. Suddenly, movement from the trees and undergrass as tiny somethings rushed them. Susan yelled as a dozen of them tackled her. She felt them cutting and poking her skin. She would yank one off and toss them away only to have another climb up her leg. Scorpio grabbed a piece of sharp metal using it as a makeshift blade to cut down his own attackers. Susan stumbled crushing a few as they went for her throat. Desperate, she rolled on the ground crushing more and shaking others off. Seeing their attack fail, they ran off as quickly as they appeared. "Who...what the hell was that?!" she yelled. "The locals. There's still one on you" he said. Sudan looked to see one of them hanging onto the collar of her shirt. She plucked him off it.

Susan brought it to her face. A teenage boy visibly injured. Blood ran from his mouth. "I don't recognize his species at all. Brown hair, tanned skin, blue eyes? Jesus!" she yelled as he desperately tried to latch onto her nose. He was snarling like a beast and sported an erection exposed by his torn loincloth. He twitched violently and fell from her hand. Scorpio went right to him and stabbed him in the back. "That wasn't necessary!" she yelled. "They’re hostile" he said. "They're probably afraid! There is a goddamned giantess here!" she yelled. "Which means you should just die for them? What if these little bastards put your eyes out back there? It's only because of your power you're still alive. Nobody that soft would've otherwise" he said. Susan looked around knowing she had other problems than him.

"There's a mountain. It might be possible to get a signal at the top" she said. "Assuming the damn thing ain't packed with iron" he commented. "Either we try for it or prepare to spend our lives here. I for one have someone to go home to" she said. "You're forgetting about my poison? It's already started taking effect. Vomiting, tingling in the fingers and toes. Even at the level you're at now, you won't be able to survive it. Especially with magic casting being blocked here. You got 30 hours tops" he said. "You don't even care do you? In the name of God how did you end up this way?" she asked. He didn't answer. She looked at the crushed bodes around her. "Give me the antidote" she said. "What makes you think I'd give it to you even if I had one?" he asked. "Because I'm willing to bet you're smart enough to carry one in case you poison yourself accidentally" she said.

"And?" he asked. "You're stuck small. This phone is two pounds and at your size that's like a metric ton. So good luck carrying up a fucking mountain by yourself" she said. "...what do you propose?" he asked. "Somehow I cast a continuous growth and fortification spell that won't dispel if I sleep. Not sure how I did. I just knew how. My proposal is this. I carry us up the mountain while I act as your bodyguard against the natives. Natives that even you can kill them all. I'm sure there's at least 10 times as many than we saw and without your fancy fucking guns, you're toast. In exchange you give me the antidote" she said. Scorpio thought it over. "After we reach the peak. Not before" he said. "Deal. Now let's get moving" she said reaching down. He pulled his sword. "To make it there in time I have to carry you" she said. He put it away and climbed into her hand. She placed him on her shoulder.

She had been walking for an hour through the dense jungle. She flinched now and then as she was barefoot stepping on twigs and whatnot. Her sensitive feet exposed to feel for any threats. "Our records are inaccurate. They don't mention you having a child" he said. "I don't biologically" she said. "Oh? I saw you milking yourself in your hotel" he said. Susan stopped. "You telling me you spied on me in my own damn room? Wait a fucking minute. You were why that woman dropped dead!" Susan yelled. "She got in my line of fire" he explained. "And if I hadn't revived her? She probably has family. Maybe even a kid. Shit like that just doesn't bother you?" she asked. "Hitler had family. Pol Pot had family. Genghis Khan had a shitload of family. Having family doesn't make you a good person" he said. Susan began walking again. "I lost your grandchild to a miscarriage. Not that you'd care" she muttered.

"I care. One less borrower for our kind" he said. They walked further until they got to a clearing with a stream. Susan sat down and rested her feet in the water. She placed him on the ground. "That smell. That sweet smell all around us" she said looking around. "I noticed it too" he said. "Reminds me of that field where wild strawberries grew. The one behind the church. Remember you and mom would take me there in the spring while Brian sat there watching?" she asked. "...I remember" he said flatly. "Or that time we got caught in the rain and had to hide in a squirrel den. Mom was so pissed when we came back muddy" Susan chuckled. "Gopher den not squirrel den" he said. She turned to look at him. "If you remember so much how it is so easy to want to kill me?" she asked. "Who said I wanted to? I was given my orders and I agree with their conclusion" he said. "Semantics!" she yelled. He looked at the giantess.

"You have not one clue how much damage you and your friends have done in the last 8 months. You think you accomplished something by getting humans to give us rights?" he asked. "Of course we did! Citizens of our countries! The right to have a paying job! Own property! MARRY!" she yelled. "Congress gave freed slaves those rights just after the civil war. Did their troubles end there? Hmm? You want the low down on what you and your buddies kicked off?" he asked. Susan took her feet out of the water and placed them before him. "Enlighten me please" she mocked.

"There's always been a trade of borrowers. All you did was move it from SaveMart to the dark web. A blonde bye eyed borrower would've fetched $500 before. $5000 now. And eating us? Fun and fetishy but now we're a fucking luxury food like caviar. While you go galivanting around the world collecting magics from bad guys, I'm taking out assholes who make bank on our suffering lives. Two months ago, I found a woman in Russia selling us off to oligarchs. A hundred of us in cages like animals and you know how I feel about fucking cages. Used poison to paralyze her and opened those cages up. Watched for two days as those borrowers literally ate her alive. Karma is a bitch when you starve your ahem...pets."

"Can we adopt human kids? Be doctors? Police officers?" he asked. "Because we're too small. There's going to be things we can't do regardless of the law" she interjected. "But what if we used growth spells? A kind of borrower affirmative action?" he asked. "Magic can't be just released into the world" she said. "Unless there were people who could enforce its usage. Regulate who used it and couldn't" he said. "Like ZODIAC?" she asked fighting the tingling in her toes. "They have the power to fix what's wrong with the world. Climate change reversed. Tribal wars gone. Nationalism gone. One world government where borders have no meaning. Nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons banned. Poverty, disease, famine; that can all end" he said. "And just for the measly cost of our freedoms. I've heard this pitch already and the fine print is still the same. Surrender your freedom and if you got the right genes you get to rule over the lessers. Instead of ZODIAC you should just call yourselves Nazis" she said standing. She drank the water from the stream and picked him up.

They said nothing to one another as they walked further. She felt agitated. Angry and anxious. She picked up a stick, sharpened it slightly and suddenly leaped into the air. She stabbed an nearby mammal of some kind and used her belt to tie the furry body to her side. Scorpio was watching her. Something was amiss and it wasn't his poison. She flashed her teeth more. Wild eyed stares. They had made it halfway to the mountain before Susan chose to stop for the night. 

"I want a location and I want it now!" Keith yelled. "We can't get an exact fix sir. The transponder cut out here" a borrower woman said showing a map on the projector screen. "Did it sink?" he asked. "No. It's designed with redundancies to prevent that. It's possible it was totally destroyed. A midair explosion maybe?" she asked. "It's made of composite armor. Even a direct hit from an RPG wouldn't destroy it. Can you at least give me a search radius?" he asked. "Standby" she said. "Taking into account drift speed and shifting currents plus time since loss of signal...1,872 square miles" she said. Keith clenched his first. "That's the size of goddamned Delaware. Okay...is there any inhabitable land included in the search area?" he asked. "Yes. The Nicobar Island archipelago" she replied. "What info we got on there?" he asked.

"15 major islands surrounded by a series of smaller ones. Population scattered through the area is about 36,000. Some areas have high concentrations of iron ore and huh." she said. "Huh? What?" Keith asked. "Some islands are forbidden because of health hazards. Datura plants have infested them. Cross references say the plant emits a psychoactive chemical which absorbed can create hallucinations, vomiting, euphoria, and aggression. Prolonged exposure can lead to brain damage" she said. "Fuck that shit. Get Hope up here now" he said. Minutes later his daughter arrived. The giant father held her in his hand. She could see he was extremely worried. "Honey. Susan has gone missing. We need you to find her" he said. Her eyes glowed white for a moment. "She's there somewhere dad" she said pointing to the map. "Then she is on one of the islands. Can you bring her here?" he asked. She nodded and stood up in his palm.

She held out her hand and what seemed like a crack in the middle of the air began to form. Energy flowed from it and Hope began to struggle. "Something is blocking the connection! I can't make...ahhgh!" she groaned before falling into his hand. The crack in space time disappeared. He petted her head. "You did your best sweetie" he said. "Sorry daddy" she muttered. "It's okay. You confirmed she's not in the water. That's more than we had. Control. Contact the Indian government. We need permission to explore the islands" he said.

Meanwhile...

Susan and Scorpio both saw a crack in the air and it disappearing. "That had to be Hope. Guess the easy way isn’t gonna work" she muttered as she checked the meat. Scorpio watched her carefully. She had torn the skin off the animal like it was nothing. She even smiled as she impaled it on a stick for it to cook over the fire she made. "So, you gonna tell me how you ended up working for them?" she asked. "I was bought by a breeder. Spent my days fucking any borrower girl thrown into my cage. Needless to say, you got a shitload of cousins out there. And then one fine day a woman dressed in black buys us all up. I can only laugh at the irony as to why. Experimentation. I was made a lab rat again. This time though it wasn't about DNA or impregnation. ZODIAC had found an artifact called the Signet of Tantalus*. A kind of emblem cast in gold the shape and size of a coin. It's power is to recall anything asked of it. Think magical Google"

(Authors note: Tantalus was a son of Zeus. His claim to fame was stealing the food of the gods and their secrets. He even went so far as to kill and cook his son as a sacrifice. When he died, he went to Tartarus where he was tormented with water that would move when he wanted to drink and fruit which would be forever just out of reach. It's from his name that the English word tantalize comes from)

"See they tried using it on humans first but found it drove them insane. Then they figured with our photographic memories, borrowers could handle the information overload. Boy were they wrong. I still remember the muttering. Guy rattling off the periodic table over and over. A woman reciting the digits for Pi until she died of thirst. This young boy...listing off words in the Oxford dictionary until his throat bled" he said. "Wait. So, they used borrowers as experiments again. Doesn't that fly in the face of your beliefs?" Susan asked. "What they did was tragic, but they did try on humans first. Fighting a war means there will be accidents, testing, and what humans call friendly fire" he replied. "What exquisite hypocrisy" she mocked. He looked at her.

"Then my time came, and it was tested on me. It worked because I have a learning disability. I don’t have a photographic memory like others. It's easy for me to forget things in my short-term memory. The information gets crammed in my head, but it fades away shortly afterwards. Like right now I can tell you the time in Nairobi, the birthplace of Yoko Ono, or how far away the moon is. However, I can't tell you what I ate for lunch yesterday without using the Signet. ZODIAC presented me with their plans, saw to the survivors, and promised me a place at the table for our people. All I had to do was become their executioner" he said. "Thought that was Sagittarius" Susan said. "She was an idiot. She took some of my jobs to placate her boredom" he replied.

Susan took the meat out of the fire and tore off a chuck for him to eat. "That's strange" he said. She looked at him. "Normally you'd hear all kinds of thing in the jungle at night. In fact, during our walk I barely saw any wildlife" he said. "I noticed too. No reptiles. Barely any warm-blooded creatures" she said. She looked at him hard. "Where is it?" she asked. "The Signet? It's been reshaped into a breastplate for me" he replied. "What was the first thing you asked it?" she asked. "If you were alive" he replied. Susan got up. "I need a break from you. I'm taking a piss" she muttered before walking away. She walked about 20 ft. away slid down her shorts and panties and squatted. Her head was buzzing. Her skin tingled. Her nerves wracked. She had just finished when she heard a sound coming from the base of a tree behind her. She moved towards it and there was a dash of movement. Thinking it might be something dangerous, she gripped it and readied herself to kill whatever it was. She had no plans sleeping if she hadn't. She pulled her hand back not holding a snake...

"Hello there" she said smiling at the teenage boy in her grip. Something else moved. Her eyes focused to see an older male in his late 20's or maybe early 30's.  He was holding a sharpened twig. She looked back at the boy. She studied him for a moment. Green eyes, black hair, tanned skin, wearing nothing but a loincloth and tiny sandals. He was breathing hard glaring his teeth. "What species are you? Can you speak?" she asked moving him about. He snarled at her. "You should be nice to me. Needless to say, I could be very mean to you" she said with a slight ire. She flipped him upside down exposing his bare ass to her. He said something extremely fast. The male below rushed and poked her bare sole. "Ow you little shit!" she said slamming her sole on top of him. He made a squeaking sound trapped underneath her giant dirty foot. Susan flipped the boy right side up. Her finger traced his toned chest. She figured him to be 14 years old but looks could be deceiving sometimes. "You're actually cute" she muttered.

She sniffed him. "Not smelly. Sweaty but a hint of healthy boy" she said smiling. The boy stopped squirming for a moment. Her finger found its way underneath his loincloth. The tiny teen shuddered as her fingertip stroked his teeny sack and shaft. the male had wriggled just enough to get his head free. "Let go!" he yelled. "Was that German?" she asked surprised. "How do you know German?" she asked. He didn't answer. "Is he a friend? No, he's family, isn't he? Son? Nephew?" she asked. Still nothing. "He likes me doing this" she said in English. Susan slipped his sandals off and gently kissed his little feet. She flashed her teeth as she tore away his loincloth. Her heart beat faster, she was sweating more, the sweet smell in the air was no longer drowning out his youthful scent.

Her lips touched his chest. He gasped as the giantess kissed and sucked on his stomach. She chuckled as his small erection poked her lower lip. Her finger caressed the side of his face. A low animalistic growl escaped his lips as she enveloped his cock. Susan nursed on him slow and steady. Her fingers holding his hips while the other hand rubbed and flicked his tiny butt. With a whimper, he shot his little seed into her cavernous mouth. Susan sighed for just a moment, until she parted her lips and began pushing him fully into her mouth. "Oh fuck yeah" she thought as she sucked on him. Salty, musky, and how he wriggled on his tongue made her wet. The frantic squeaking from her foot caught her attention.

She took her foot off him just to grab him. With her free hand, she scored off her shorts and panties. She moved the boy to her right cheek. "Guess where you're going" she mumbled as she roughly shoved him in feet first. His screaming was incoherent German as she pistoned him in and out. She squeezed too tightly, and he shrieked as his ribs cracked. "Go in! Go right the fuck in!" she yelled shoving him entirely inside her. With a deep grunt, Susan came. Her toes curling as she came down, she pulled the man out of her and held him by his scruffy black hair. He coughed blood and was covered in bruises and pussy juice but alive. "My...son" he groaned in pain. Susan smiled wickedly and let her lips part. The boy was at an awkward angle. His face and right foot poking out from between her lips. He watched as the giantess closed those lips once more and placed him right on her throat. With a mighty gulp, she swallowed his son alive. He could faintly hear his screams as the bulge passed underneath him.

Susan stared at him as he lay whimpering in her hand. She was gasping breath as she felt his son dying slowly in her belly. He kicked at her thumb as it slowly came down on his chest. With an almost glee, she pressed it into his chest until his ribs broke like straw. He vomited blood and then died looking dead at her. Susan sighed as she tossed him aside like a broken toy. She pulled her panties and shorts back up and made her way back to her camp.

"Who were you talking to?" Scorpio asked. "The locals. Caught two of them watching us. They won't be a problem" she muttered lying down. He could smell her sex. "And how exactly?" he asked. "Fuck does it matter dad? Now go to sleep" she snapped. He could see a troubling change in her and worse yet he found his artifact not responding anymore.

"Wake up Susan" he said. "Dad it's early. Like give me an hour" she groaned. "We don't got that. We're not alone" he said. Susan sat up to find them surrounded and wore yet two had Scorpio captive. "How the hell..." she muttered. "Fast. Extremely fast" Scorpio replied. "What do you want?" she asked them. Scorpio looked curious. "Surrender or we kill him. Follow...to home" he growled. Susan nodded. "What did he say and was that German?" he asked. "Yeah. He wants us to follow him back home or he'll kill you" she replied. A small group poked the heels of the giantess. Susan nodded for them to lead as she put her backpack on.

She weighed her odds with each step. Was she fast enough to get him away from them? Could she kill them all? This group was far larger than the last one. Over a hundred this time and there was a weird smell coming from their sticks. She grit her teeth as the urge to stomp them into oblivion grew. She was hungry and a few would sate her. They were smaller than a borrower by nearly half an inch. "Five...no six" she thought as to how many it would take to fill her belly. She had goosebumps on her skin thinking about it, but she also felt a little cold. Her nose began bleeding. "Does your poison cause chills and bleeding?" she asked. "In the second stage yes. Do you feel nauseous?" he asked. "No. Quite the opposite. I'm thinking about how of these guys I could eat" she replied. "...that's an interesting line of thought coming from someone with your reputation" he remarked. Then, something caught his eye and he paused. His guard yelled in rough German to have him keep walking. "Hurt him and none of you will survive me" she warned them.

They either paid no mind to her threat or covered their fear up well as they didn't look at the giantess crushing twigs and weeds with her giant feet. "Something is bothering me. That flower I saw back there. Familiar for the wrong reasons" he muttered. "Just use your artifact" she said. "Can't. The thing stopped working as soon as we left the crash site. We must be walking right over the iron deposits" he said. "I'm trying to find out a few things myself. We're on an island in the Indian Ocean but the natives speak German. They're mixed blood so European ancestry maybe. But why German? And why do they want us alive now?" she asked. "Not sure but the answers may lie at whatever they call home" he said. They kept on walking wondering about the growing mystery of this place.

"So what's the word?" Fiona asked standing before the spare jet they arrived in. Kavaratty was a pretty island town in the Nicobar Archipelago but they were not there for vacation. "The answer is no therefore were going anyway" Keith replied walking to her. The borrower girl was human sized but that wasn't why she was fidgeting. "Why the fuck not?!" she yelled. "The species of datura that grows there is unique. 15x more potent than usual. A prime target for drug merchants. So, since they don't know us from Adam..."

"They told us to fuck off. When do we leave?" she asked. "As soon as we get a signal so shrink back down and get some rest" he said passing her by to enter the plane. He sat down to see his daughter sitting in his laptop keyboard playing with her toes. "Bored with cartoons already?" he chuckled pausing the video. "If I was better, we wouldn't have to be here" she muttered. "Honey you tried" he said. She stood up. "But I'm the Etherion child! I'm supposed to be the best!" she yelled stopping her tiny foot. "Being the best doesn’t mean perfect. Daddy is really good at his job, but he makes big mistakes sometimes" he said petting her hair. "No, you don't. Everybody loves you. Ms. Fiona wants to have your baby" she said. Fiona blushed deep red as she sat in an empty seat back to her regular size. "Remember what I said about reading minds without permission. Say you're sorry" Keith said. "Sorry Ms. Fiona" she muttered.

"How do I make you understand? Daddy loves Suzie but sometimes daddy hurts her with his love. I know I made a mistake, but I can't help being who I am. All I can do is try my best" he said. "Like me? I tried my best" she said. "Yeah like you. Now give me a smile before I tickle those adorable tiny feet of yours" he warned. Hope grinned at him. Keith leaned down and kissed her. "Better" he said. He unpaused the video and she went back to watching it. Keith got up and poured a drink. "About what she said..." Fiona muttered. "You're not the only one Fiona. Don't be embarrassed. I'm flattered really. Now rest. You shouldn't even have come in your condition" he said looking at her pregnant belly. "My best friend is missing and you're down a pilot" she said. "Point taken" he said picking her up and sitting in the seat. He reclined and placed her on his chest.

"This bothers you doesn't it?" she asked. "What? No, I'm fine with a cute tiny pregnant girl resting on my chest" he chuckled. "You know I meant Susan going missing" she said. "Losing an agent or soldier is hard enough. Telling their family is even worse. There's a girl at home right now not knowing if she will see her mom again. A mom she's had for a matter of days. It's not fair" he said softly. She glanced up to see the giant choking back tears. "Can you rub my belly for me?" she asked. Keith nodded and rubbed it. She sighed in contentment. "I've had more than a few commanders in my time but you're different. You truly love us as family. Lily was like that but you're way more hands on" she said. "A good leader leads from the front and doesn't do anything he wouldn’t ask others to do" he said. "And that makes you a good mate in my eyes" she said. "And here you haven't even popped this one out yet" he chuckled. "If I told you to lick my feet, you'd do it. Suck my breasts you'd do it. Tell me I'm a good person you'd do it. That I was loved you'd do it. Morality doesn't make someone good. Living for others makes you good. You'd be surprised how many don't get that" she said.

"Good to know. And um...id do those things in lieu of your husband" he smirked. "Belly rubs for now commander" she said wagging her finger.

"This was not what I was expecting" Susan said as they passed through a clearing and was exposed to their home. "Unbelievable" Scorpio muttered. 300 ft. long and 100 ft. wide was a city. A city with structures with some as much as 6 ft. tall made out of sandstone. They were of an ancient design and in the near center was a kind of temple. Natives lined the streets dressed in similar fashion. There were no modern civilized systems though. No shops, businesses, schools. It made Susan wonder how they did everyday life without such things. They were led through the street and she looked down at her feet. Her stomach grumbled as she wanted to dine on a few of them. A passerby would become her treat if she found a way. They had them stop in the dead center of the city and had her lie on her back. Her bare feet inches from the temple. "Remove...clothes" the commander growled. She could see Scorpio still be guarded. Susan removed all her clothes after placing her backpack down and was rewarded with a stabbing poke in her right side.

"You dirty fucks. I'll...kill..." she said as she slipped into unconsciousness. She was not prepared for what awaited her when she awoke. Still naked but now tuned and staked to the ground by vines. Scorpio was not to be seen but she felt her nipples being squeezed. She glanced up to a sight she would not forget. Natives had begun taking turns drinking her milk. One by one they crawled up, squeezed a few drops, drank, and then crawled down. "Get off me! GET OFF ME!" she screamed. She felt something at her pussy. "No. No please" she begged as she felt a small body fucking her. She grit her teeth yanking on her vines as they breastfed and raped her. And worst of all, they cheered. It had been a hour since she woke, and they had not stopped. She had fed a good hundred by now, raped more times than she could count, had her feet and toes played with. She swore if she got free, she would end them all.

"Even with our differences, I wouldn't want this for you" a voice said. She turned her head to the left to see none other than her father. "Don't just stand there! Cut me fucking free!" she yelled. "They confiscated my weapons" he replied. She didn't see any guards with him. "Yeah I'm alone. We're a curiosity to them. They've never seen a while person before" he said. "Then what? They let you go because you're unique. What's about my ass?!" she yelled. He didn't answer. "Look at me. I SAID LOOK AT ME! Your daughter has been raped for an hour, used like a fucking cow, does any of this bother you?!" she yelled crying. Again, no answer. "How does this benefit the world? Can you at least answer that?" she asked. He touched his artifact and it gave no answer for him. A group of people began delivering large cauldrons near her body. They had long blades on their backs. "What's that for?" Scorpio asked. "Harvest...meat" one replied.

Susan went into a fit screaming and yanking on the vines. "What did he say?!" he yelled. "They want to fucking eat me you asshole! They're a bunch of fucking cannibals! Still want to be worshiped?!" she yelled. "Not really" he replied walking to one. He smiled at him before yanking away the large blade. Before they could react, he spun around decapitating him. He rushed to the vine holding her left arm down and hacked it away. With that free, Susan was able to snap the other one. With seconds she was free standing up but by this point a small group had converged. "Bring it. I owe you so much and I pay my debts" she snarled. Her anger so great, Sudan tore the temple from the ground and slammed it down on the group killing them. "More...I owe you more!" she yelled. She began grabbing random people off the street, stripping them and eating them alive. The natives, as fearsome as they were paused. "What's the matter? Not used to prey fighting back?" she laughed. "Susan, we need to go!" Scorpio yelled from the ground. Susan glared at him. She grabbed two more and shoved one in her mouth as he looked on. With glee she swallowed. And she went for the other...   

"SUSAN STOP! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO!" he yelled. Susan looked at her hand. She froze at the sight of a tiny girl no older than six sobbing in her grip. She felt her stomach knowing she probably ate her mother just now. She placed her back on the ground and stumbled off a ways. There was a small aqueduct close by which she used to clean her palate. She felt full and was not happy about it. With not a word, she grabbed Scorpio and her backpack (which they had thankfully not disturbed) and stumbled away out of the city.

She had walked a quarter mile before she stopped. "My heart" she grumbled. "Yeah I know that was awful" he said. "No. My heart actually hurts" she whined. "The final stages. We have to get up the mountain" he said. "Rest for a moment. There a cave" she said stumbling into it. They had not gotten far when they found the answers to a few questions. "What the hell? Is that a swastika?" He asked seeing a rotted out wooden box. "Yeah. U-211 underneath" she replied. "Uranium?" he asked. "No dad. Uranium doesn't have that low an isotope. That means U-boat number 211. World War Two era stuff" she replied. "Susan over there" he said pointing to a fallen rusted table, chair, and a skeleton still dressed in uniform.

"SS uniform. Probably the assigned officer to oversee the crew. Usually had one posted to keep an eye on them. What's this?" she said picking up an old worn book. "It's a journal" she said. "What's it say?" he asked. "Gimme a minute. It's in German" she replied. 20 minutes had passed. "We can't stay here. We're on the clock" he said. Susan closed the journal. The answers are right here. They left port back in November of 42' on their way to Yokohama Japan. They were carrying top secret cargo namely deuterium" she said. "What's that?" he asked. "Heavy water. Used to develop nuclear weapons. By that time the allies had blown up all the factories that made it. Must've been the last shipment and wanted it safe with an ally of the Reich. They had mysterious mechanical failures halfway there and suspected that gremlins had snuck aboard."

"When they got near here, they had a total failure of the ballast tanks and had to abandon ship. Only a few made it off with the cargo. They couldn’t get a signal out and the survivors began to succumb to datura poisoning" she said. "That's the plant I saw! Damn things cause all kinds of problems" he said. "Like aggression, insanity, and anxiety just for starters. Kinda what I've been feeling. Goddamn sweet smell is been affecting me. Wait...why not you?" she asked. "I've developed a tolerance to poisons and hallucinogens. Given time it'll affect me too" he replied. "Well this guy ended up being the last one to survive. He talks about gremlins had stowed away in that cargo box there. They went nutty and ended up killing and eating the others. He only survived as long as he did because of a deviated septum and burning fires at the mouth of the cave. Did him well until the rainy season set in" she said. "That’s nice and all but we gotta leave now" he said. Susan listened and could hear sounds in the distance. "Guess they're hungrier than scared" she muttered leaving.

It was by good chance they had made it to the foot of the mountain only minutes later. The elevation revealed that hundreds of natives had decided the giantess was too tempting a meal to pass up. "They really want to eat you" he said. "They ain't got a choice. Since I got here, I've been hungry a lot. The drug must be speeding my metabolism up. For them they hunted everything here. Prey is scarce. No snakes, barely any birds. Only small mammals that can hide in the ground. Not entirely different from what happened to the wooly mammoth. Humans hunted them to extinction. Wasn't the end of the ice age that killed them. It was humans" she said.

"But what about their skin? Wouldn't they be white like us?" he asked. Susan treaded up the slope. "What we saw was the byproduct of interbreeding. Lawan once told me that centuries ago, yaksha had colonies all over Southeast Asia. That city must've been one of them" she replied. "So, they interbred?" he asked. "More like raped and murdered slash eaten them all. Humans did something similar to Neanderthals*" she explained.

(Authors note: For the longest time, we wondered what exactly happened to them. Did they just die out, evolve completely, or just bred out? We got some answers when we cracked the human genome. It was a combination of two things; breeding and systematic genocide. Anthropologists have found Neanderthal remains with crushed skulls and pits in their bones all in a mass grave. They were herded into the pit and beaten to death. The new species were too aggressive for them and those that didn't breed were pushed out of gathering areas or exterminated. There is even evidence of cannibalism. Bet they didn't teach you that in school...)

Susan kept walking before she paused again. "My vision...it's getting blurry. Dad...please" she begged. "Put me down. Gotta make it quick" he said. She did and sat down. Her sensitive feet could feel hundreds of very tiny vibrations about 700 feet away down the slope. Scorpio reached into his pockets and began balling up strange herbs. "Can't believe this. Be careful what you wish for right? Naked in the middle of nowhere with my crazy assassin father. This is not what I envisioned when I wished to find you" she muttered. "You're not naked. You're wearing your backpack" he said pouring a chemical on the balled-up pulp. "Cracking jokes? Dad...I really don't wanna die like this. I wanna go home. I want to see Ruby, Keith, and uncle Brian again" she sobbed. "You remember Brian?" he asked.

"Yeah. Saw him just a few days ago" she replied. "How is he?" he asked. "He misses us badly. He cried like a child when I told him about mom. He misses you too you know" she said. He gave her a tiny dot of antidote. "Swallow it" he said. "Why didn't you tell them?" she asked placing him back on her shoulder. "About what?" he asked. "About Tim. You know full well ZODIAC is looking for him. Why didn't you just tell them he's in Pike County Georgia?" she asked. "Tim lost everything saving us. I had to honor that" he replied softly. Susan began walking carefully as her vision was still blurry.  She paused for a second to grab the satellite phone. She turned it on. "No signal but hopefully it will kick in as we go up some more. So you're saying that Tim is one of the good ones?" she asked. "...yeah" he replied. "So it's safe to say that they will torture him if he doesn't cooperate right?" she asked. He nodded. "Tell me this. What kind of organization tortures good people?" she asked. He had no answer for that.

They neared the peak and a new problem emerged. "I... I got good news and bad news" she stammered as she placed him on the ground. "Good news...I feel my magic returning. That means the phone might be working too...yep it does" she smiled weakly. "And the bad kiddo?" he asked watching the advance of the natives below. "The spell keeping me big is running out. Not...enough...stamina..." she said before slumping to her knees. She began shrinking before his eyes. He looked at her as she wobbled. He picked up a stick and broke it looking at the pointed tip. He touched his artifact. "No chance of survival you're saying. I thought of worse ways to go" he muttered.

"We got a signal! 42 miles south southeast!" Fiona yelled. "Taxi us out!" Keith yelled. The plane left the hangar and onto the small runway. "We don't have clearance! They're demanding us to taxi off the runway!" she said. "Fuck em'" he growled. Fiona smiled and pushed the throttle. "FAE 002! You are not cleared for takeoff! Power down..." the control tower yelled until she turned the volume down. The jet tore into the air and banked on course for the signal. "Uh oh" she said. "What?" Keith asked. "They're on emergency channel. They're demanding our flight plan or they will intercept us" she said. "Ignore and take us to 85%" he ordered. She nodded and pushed the throttle. The jet shuddered and squeaked as it passed 500 knots.

"They’re getting closer. Susan...maybe...maybe you're right about a few things. I've been so angry so long....*thud*" he was saying until his daughter slumped onto the ground on her side behind him. He held her in his arms, something he hadn't done in over a decade, and felt a longing for a time he missed. He touched his pocket which contained his deadliest poison yet. Botulinum. Purified to its highest lethal degree. Just a nano gram would kill a human. He decided that when the time came, he would poison them both. If lucky, the natives would drop dead if they chose to eat them. A final fuck you. He began asking forgiveness for things he had done. He was not a religious man even with living under the floorboards of a church but if there was a heaven (and Mary and Susan would be there) then there had to be a hell too. Tim had once told him that even the worst deeds can be forgiven by God. Scorpio, no Teagan now found himself wanting to be a believer.

"Is there a Heaven or hell?" he asked his artifact. And behold it gave the most curious answer the old borrower had ever heard. "That all depends on you" it replied. The Signet never dealt in maybes. It wasn't all knowing but you'd know if it knew or not. As long as someone on the planet knew the answer to a question, it knew. If it was something abstract like the meaning of life, then it didn't know. "Thanks a lot" he said banging on the metal band underneath his uniform.

"Oh shit! Keith we got trouble!" she said pointing to a blip on the radar. "That's too fast for a commercial!" she yelled. "Daddy. What's a MIG-21?" Hope asked with glowing eyes as she perched on his shoulder. His blood ran cold as he realized they planned to down the jet if they didn't land. Sure enough, the stainless steel MIG inched up to the right of the plane. They could see out of the cockpit the pilot with his thumb down. "He's serious" Fiona muttered. "How far from the signal?" Keith asked. "23 miles and two minutes out" she replied. The fighter inches back. "Thank god he's bluffing" she sighed. "No. He fell back to get a shot" he muttered. "Dad. I'm scared!" Hope yelled. He held his little daughter in his hands. "Hope. I need you to stop that plane without killing him" he said seriously. She wiped her tears away and focused.

Shockingly, a flash of light revealed a miniature, floating downwards MIG in the cockpit. Keith placed his daughter back on his shoulder and caught the shrunken fighter. "I did good right?" Hope asked. Keith barely nodded astounded. "Sweet mother of god" Fiona muttered looking at the six-inch jet in his hands. Keith tapped the cockpit and a bizarre sight caught their eyes. Terrified by the giant, the pilot ejected. The seat flew up nearly hitting the cockpit ceiling and then the parachute unfurled having the shrunken half inch tall Indian pilot safely land in Keith’s right hand. "Well okay...Hope honey. Send the pilot and plane back to where it came from normal size now" he said. Hope shrugged and sent it away. The pilot found himself back in his hangar normal size not knowing if he saw a delusion or a horrible reality. A question that would haunt him the rest of his life. The only clue being his missing seat...

"It won't hurt honey" he said as the natives were barely 50 ft away now. Their snarling drooling mouths hungry for their flesh. Then, the rumbling of jet engines caught his ears. "I'll be damned" he muttered as the sight of the jet was coming into view very quickly. "Hope. Can you do it?" Keith asked "Trying. Still getting interference. Closer...closer..." she muttered straining. "Come on you big bastard!" Teagan said as they were now 25 feet away. And then before him a crack in space time began to form. "Daddy...almost got it!" she yelled. "Keith were on top of it in seconds!" Fiona shouted. With a yelp, Hope poured a massive burst of magic into the spell ripping a hole in the fabric of reality finishing the translocation spell. The hole no bigger than a dinner plate hovered in the air. "This is it sweetheart" Teagan muttered.

He took Susan into his arms and shoved them through the hole. Keith was shocked to see someone holding her unconscious body. "Tell her I never stopped loving her. Not once" he said dropping her. Keith caught the little woman in his hands just before the hole sealed itself. Teagan saw the jet screech over his head and fly away. He looked at the vial of poison and tossed it on the ground. He smirked holding the sharpened twig as they approached. "I'll make you sing for your supper" the three-inch man defiantly said just before the first ones began their attack.

"Tired dad..." Hope whined. "...set course for Thailand" Keith said to Fiona. "Don't know if we got the fuel for that" she said. "We got a plane full of magic users on board. We'll make do" he said sitting down. Making sure she was okay; Keith sighed and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

24 hours later...

Susan woke with an aching head. A glass of water sat by her bed which she gulped down. A fresh set of clothes lay in a chair nearby. She put the shirt, panties, and shorts on and left her room. Nervous about being in a unfamiliar place, she moved making as little sound as she could. Her last memory was on the mountain with the man she thought of as her father facing down an army of natives hungry for their meat. Or in her case, her breastmilk and eventually meat. For a moment, she thought this was heaven but the urge to pee kinda negated that theory. She found the bathroom and went and returned to the hallway. She found the living room and pictures that indicated where she was. "I must be in that yaksha homeland" she said to herself seeing photos of Lawan, Keith, Kannika, and their son Justin. True, they had brought her to Lawan's estate in the homeland, but nobody was home it seemed. 

Susan slipped on a pair of sandals as she stepped outside. She had not gotten far when she spotted a familiar giantess in the distance. She approached her and playfully tapped her giant big toe where she sat. Lawan opened her eyes. "Finally awake I see" she said. "How long was I out?" she asked. "31 hours. Long enough for us to cleanse the drugs out of your body" she replied with an odd tone. "Where is everyone? My dad, Keith?" she asked. "You knew he came for you?" Lawan asked. "I sensed the warmth of his hands" she replied softly. "Your father?" Lawan asked. "There was a man with me" Susan replied. "Oh. Keith mentioned a man giving you to him. He did not come though" she replied. Susan knew full well what that meant. "Where's Keith?" she asked. Lawan just stared at her. "I asked a question!" Susan yelled.  Lawan shifted her foot and placed it directly on top of the small girl. Lawan just stared at her face poking from between her toes. Her small body tickling the giantess as she squirmed. "What the fuck?! Get your...

"I'm trying to determine when I'm supposed to kill you" Lawan interrupted. Susan stopped moving. "Lawan, I'm sorry for being rude but that's not funny" she muttered scared. "Wasn't being funny. While you were asleep, I had a Farsight premonition. A vision of me killing you over and over. And my premonitions are never wrong" Lawan said quietly. Susan looked up from the crevice between the Asian giantess' toes wondering how or why someone she considered a friend would say that...     

"There has to be some mistake! A clone, an illusion!" Susan yelled. "There wasn't. I could sense it. It was definitely you. At some point in the future, you murder my husband, the father of my children" Lawan said gritting her teeth. She pressed her foot down harder squeezing the air out of the borrower girl's lungs. "I... can’t let that happen" the giantess said shedding tears. A rib cracked causing Susan to cry out in pain. And then, her innate power awoke once more. She held her tiny hand up between the giantess' toes. "Analyzing of spells. Growth and fortification level ones. Spell destruction" she muttered before a beam of light shot from her hand. Lawan yelped as her own magics were torn apart. She shrank down to her normal size and lay in the stone circle dazed.

"Ice blade level two" Susan muttered as she formed a sword of hard cold ice in her hands. She ran forward so fast the blades of grass cut her ankles. "Oh shit!" Lawan said as the girl closed the distance. She threw up a barrier for defense and Susan kicked it aiming for her head. The blow shoved Lawan to the right 15 (to their scale) feet. "Alchemical destruction. Oxygen separation...detonation" she muttered. Susan had torn the oxygen from the very air, compressed it and blew it up point blank in front of Lawan. Her ears were ringing. Her barrier broken. And now felt Susan’s hand squeezing her throat. The blade of ice looming over her head ready to strike her down. Lawan could see the magical array in her eye. Her hand trembled as she looked upon the Asian girl. "NOOOO!" Susan screamed tossing the blade to the ground. She collapsed to her knees shaking. Lawan rubbed her throat as she stood up. She walked over to Susan extending her hand.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed. "I... I won't hurt you" Lawan sighed. "Not you I'm scared of" Susan muttered. "Let's go inside so we can talk" Lawan said. Susan nervously held her hand as she got up. "Just a minute ago you tried to smush me under your dirty foot. Why be nice now?" Susan asked. Lawan still held her hand. "I panicked. I was terrified of losing him. You can understand that right?" Lawan asked looking at her with tears in her eyes. "More than you know" she replied softly. Lawan led her back into the house and prepared tea. "So, where is he?" Susan asked. "Your rescue didn't go without incident. Keith purposely violated Indian airspace and was nearly shot down by a fighter. According to Keith, Hope shrank the jet and teleported it into the plane" Lawan said. "You gotta be shitting me" Susan said. Lawan stood up and got the teapot. "No, I'm not shitting you".

"Hope sent the jet and the pilot back to its hangar normal size but what's done was done" Lawan said. "So magic was exposed?" Susan asked. Lawan poured her tea. "Shockingly no. From what your scouts said, the gun cam was damaged during the teleport and the pilot is catatonic from shock. What they do know is the jet disappeared from radar and then poof back in its hangar without being seen landing or anything" she replied. Susan sighed in relief. "Don't sigh. Keith’s in big trouble. India is demanding he be extradited from the UK" Lawan said. "We're not turning him over" Susan said. "Either him or Rose" Lawan said. Susan stood up. "They won't get neither. I'll send Briar Patch...

"And kill the entire judicial board?" Lawan asked. Susan had no answer. "Keith’s working on a diplomatic solution as we speak. But first those powers of yours. We should take a closer look" Lawan said. "Hell to the no. I get you had your Yoda moment with Keith and Clare but leave me out" Susan said. "You broke my spells as if they were cobwebs. We can't just pretend this power doesn't exist" Lawan said. "You don't understand! When I kick this power into full gear it's like turning off my soul! It took every ounce of will not to shove that sliver of ice through your heart."

"It's terrifying Lawan. Imagine knowledge being shoved into your brain so you can use it to kill someone. As I held you by your throat a hundred different ways of killing you crossed my mind. Decapitation, boiling your blood, ripping the potassium from your body and setting you on fire with it. Fuck! I didn't even know that shit burns until the magic told me! I thought this would be cool...it's not" Susan sobbed. Around that time, Keith entered the house. "What's up jellybean?" Keith asked. Susan held him tight and sobbed. "She's scared of her power" Lawan muttered. Keith nodded. "Any word?" Lawan asked. "They want our flight data and me" he replied.

"And?" Lawan asked. "Forwarded it to Rose and her answer was and I quote..."eat a bag of dicks. You tried to shoot down a civilian aircraft engaged in humanitarian rescue operations. You want extradition? We'll go over it at the same time we file a violation of the UN regulations regarding search and rescue in a non-warzone" he said reading off his phone. "That's my girl" Susan chuckled. "And now to you. Who was that man with you?" he asked. "My dad Tegan" she replied. "Whoa" Keith said. "Gets worse. He was Scorpio of ZODIAC and sent to kill me. That's how the plane went down" she replied. "He sent you through the rift" Keith said confused. "We were being hunted by cannibalistic hybrid gremlins. And no, I'm not making shit up. They were right on top of us when I fainted. He didn't make it did he?" Susan asked. "...no. He said to tell you he never stopped loving you" Keith said. Susan fell to her knees once more. "I wish I never tried to find him. I only did because of my luck powers. It was easier...easier when I thought he was dead!" she yelled.

"Now do you understand?! This power is a fucking curse!" she shouted at Lawan. "I'll bring ruin to everyone eventually. You, Keith, hope, my sweet Ruby. I should've let you kill me" Susan said to her. Lawan held her tight and used her free hand to knock her out. She carried her to her room. "What the hell did she mean by that last bit?" Keith asked concerned. "We can discuss it when we're of better minds" she replied. "Uh...no. When I ask a question, I expect an answer" he said coldly putting his hand on her shoulder. "You are my husband, but you will not talk to me with disrespect" she said. "Yes I am your husband but when a guest of our house, someone I care about I find with bruises on her arms and smelling of your feet, says you should've killed her, I will get my answer when I ask for it" he said walking close to her. Lawan could see the anger in his eyes. "Oberon shut the fuck up" he muttered. "She's going to kill you" Lawan replied softly. "So, you thought it was best to crush the life out of her" he said.

"If you had...if you had I would be forgetting who you are...and who I am. If we have problems with loved ones, we work it out not flatten them under your fucking feet!" he screamed. "You didn't see what I saw! You think it was easy to decide that?!" she yelled crying. "Easy? Maybe not but I bet it was easier knowing she's in love with me" he said coldly. Lawan slapped him. "Dinner time will be soon, so I have to get the kids from the neighbors. Don't even THINK of touching Susan" he growled before storming out. Lawan slumped into a chair and sobbed. Keith returned 20 minutes later with the infants and Hope. "Dad. Can I see the human city again?" Hope asked during dinner. "Only if you're big. You need practice" Keith said softly. Hope quietly nodded. She looked at Lawan and back at her father. "I don't understand" she muttered. "Understand what dear?" Keith asked. "How aunt Lawan can feel mad, sad, and scared at the same time" she said. Lawan put her fork down and covered her mouth. "Adult stuff" Keith said. "But I wanna know. It's hard to block out so many emotions and thoughts" she said.

"Me and your aunt said and did things very bad" he replied softly. "Then say sorry" the girl said annoyed. The husband and wife looked at one another. "I'm sorry for saying what I said honey" Keith said. "I'm sorry for what I did. You're right. We should look into this before deciding anything rash" she replied. "Good! Auntie you promised to paint my toes later. Don't forget!" Hope said cheerily before leaving the table. "It comes so easy to her" Lawan muttered as she cleaned the faces of the babies. "Most kids are like that. It's only when we grow older that we compound our issues with adult bullshit" Keith said.  "You're happy go lucky more than often" she said. "You should've known me five years ago. And I have reason to be now" he said tickling the cheek of his infant son Justin. "Can you bathe the kids while I clean up here?" she asked. Keith nodded.

As she washed dishes, she thought back to the vision she had. It was dusk, the sky was deep red, and she found herself on her stomach in a field. In the distance was the bodies of soldiers and close to her was Claire, Elena, and Hikari who was wearing a strange broken armor. The stars in the constellations pulsed overhead of a mountain. And hovering in the air was Susan who held Keith by the throat. Lacerations all over his body, blood dripping off him. His sword sticking in the ground underneath them. "You should’ve known this was coming Keith. You had fair warning when you saw what I was capable of" she said. "Should've killed you...back then" he coughed out. "Yeah...don't worry. You won't be alone in the afterlife. I'll personally see to it" she said coldly. "Lemurian spell. Alchemical destruction level three. Entropy" she muttered. Keith cried off for a single instant before his entire body was reduced to carbon ash. Ash which scattered in the wind. "You monster!" Lawan yelled. There was a flash of light before Susan floated to the ground and it now occurred to Lawan that the woman had cast a spell shrinking the area around her and everyone in it. Susan brought her blood-stained sole over her body. "Be a dutiful wife and join your husband" Susan said before slamming her foot down.

Lawan dropped the dinner plate. As she cleaned it up, the woman shook. She had seen some terrible things in the last year, but nothing compared to that vision. Her love of her life reduced to basic lifeless elements before her eyes.

Later that night...

Lawan sat on the porch looking at the stars. Everyone else was asleep so she was not expecting the sound of bare feet on the floor behind her. "Got anything to eat?" Susan asked making the Asian girl jump. "Didn't mean to scare ya" she said. "It's alright. I bet you are hungry. You missed dinner after all" Lawan said walking to the kitchen. "That happens when someone knocks you the fuck out" Susan grumbled. "You understand why?" Lawan asked getting food out of the fridge. Susan didn't answer. The sound of a crying baby broke their train of thought. Lawan left the kitchen and returned with Justin. "I can hold him" Susan said seeing Lawan trying to decide what to do. Lawan gave her her son but kept a close eye on her. "So fussy" Susan said bouncing him in her arms. "He's hungry. I'll put the food in the microwave and then feed him" Lawan said looking.

As she made a plate, she could hear the boy crying softly until suddenly it stopped. She quickly glanced over very worried only to find Susan gently cradling him as he breastfed. "Much better" Susan said softly. She sat down in a chair and rocked back and forth as she played with the boy's hair. Lawan couldn't help but notice how peaceful she looked. "I had no idea you had a child" Lawan said. "I don't. Almost did but I lost the baby. Carried it long enough to enter the lactation stage though" Susan replied. "I'm sorry. How did the father take it?" Lawan asked. Susan didn't wish to lie to the woman. "Keith was hurt by the loss. He's dealing with it as best as he can" Susan replied. Lawan froze.

"Not his baby per se. It's a long story full of parallel universes, rape, and dramatic rescues" Susan said. Lawan didn't miss the rape part. For a moment she was furious that Keith never mentioned fathering a kid with her but hearing the rape part meant there was far more to the story. She knew Keith was a horny fucker, but he wasn't capable of raping someone he loved. She left the matter be for now. "He fell asleep just like that?" Susan asked. "You have a knack for it" Lawan said. "Too bad I won't be able to put it into real practice" Susan said. "You're young. You can try again" the woman said. "There's a lot in my life I want but I don't see myself raising a kid from scratch. Look at me. I can barely keep my shit together for the adopted daughter I have. Can only imagine the hang-ups I could give a toddler. Mommy never being home. Coming home smelling of blood. Having to explain to their friends that mommy kills people. Ruby herself is just now realizing that my job is not some James Bond bullshit" Susan said.  

"What do you want in life right here right now?" Lawan asked placing the hot chicken and rice on the table. She took Justin from her so she could eat.  "What I want in life? Hmm. I want a normal nine to five job. I want to raise a kid in safety. I want someone to hold me when I'm hurting and suck my toes when my feet hurt. I want...I want bad shit to stop happening" Susan said slumping in her chair. "Eat" Lawan said. "And you want my husband to give you these things?" she asked. Susan didn't answer. "I know you took the loss of Lily hard and Keith was there to pick up the pieces for you. Does it have to be him?" Lawan asked. "Maybe I just want someone I know won't die on me" Susan said. "Buddha teaches us we all have desires. Some basic and others not. As a borrower you seek a capable mate that can protect you and your offspring. A mate versed in sensuality, affection, and kindness. But as Susan, you need someone who won't leave your life. Someone to keep you...sane" Lawan said. "I'm that transparent?" Susan asked.

"I only know because I was like you at one time. Stumbling through life. Waiting for the other shoe to fall. I can understand how it feels to find comfort in a man that makes you feel alive again. We have roleplay nights you know. And between you and me, Keith is one kinky bastard. He likes for me to shrink down in this house and hunt me. "Don't hurt me Mr. giant!" I say as I wriggle in his fist. I can see the lust in his eyes as he pulls my clothes off. His warm breath as his mouth opens up and lays me on his tongue. How he takes his time to suck on me. My heart races as I could just slip right down his throat. And when it's all over and I'm wiping the spit off my body, he sits there with his magnificent giant cock drooling semen on the floor looking at me with eyes so soft they tickle my soul" Lawan said softly in the end. "Is there a point to telling me this other than making me wet?" Susan asked.

"My point is this. It took me years to find a man like him. It didn't happen when I was trying to kill myself in the cliff outside the city. He wasn't there when I used my shrunken students as sex toys to feel better. And he wasn't there when my parents didn't call me on the birthdays since. It came in its own time" she said. "So, I should just wait" Susan said. "Keith is what you want. Not what you need. You confuse the two" Lawan said standing up. "Good chicken" Sudan said finishing. "The secret is the local herbs. Goodnight Susan" Lawan said leaving.

The next day...

"I still say this is a horrible idea" Susan said sitting in the training circle human sized. "You said you were focused enough to know you had to save that girl in Atlanta even though you were fully powered. That you had a specific intent separate from saving yourself. We need to find out why and that takes practice. So yes, you're getting the Yoda treatment" Lawan said playfully slapping her giant big toe. "So how do we start?" Susan asked. "Nice and easy. Create a steady gust of wind and direct it at me" she said. The giantess concentrated and a gentle breeze hit the three-inch woman at her feet. "How do you feel?" Lawan asked. "Nothing much" she replied. "Now kick it up a notch by making it rain on me" she said. Susan shrugged and pressed harder drawing on her magic. Her eye began to faintly glow. A patch of clouds formed over Lawan's head and it began to drizzle. Susan laughed. "This looks like some Bugs Bunny shit" she snickered.

"I'm glad you're so relaxed but I asked for rain not drizzle" she said. Susan frowned and it began to steadily rain. She grimaced where she sat and clenched her toes. "Stop holding back. You're fighting yourself. This wouldn’t even water my garden. Until you can straight up drench me, you're going to sit out here while I have fun with Keith. It's Friday so that means it's my turn for roleplay. Shrunken scientist? Yeah haven't had him worship my pussy in a while. He can worship my feet really good, but he knows how to hump a giant clit like nobody's business" Lawan muttered. Susan grit her teeth as her eye flared up. "Lowering barometric pressure. Lowering air temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit" she muttered. What came next wasn't a torrent of rain though. "Jesus! Shit!" Lawan said dropping to her knees as she was pelted with hailstones. Susan snapped out of it and dispersed the spell. "Christ! Lawan hold on!" the giantess said picking her up. She began healing the cuts and bumps on her small body.

"See! This is what happens when I push too hard!" Susan yelled. "No. This is what happens when you don't have the right frame of mind. Magic isn't just conjuring or using your energy to change a state of being. It's enforcing your will on reality. And will is an emotion. Mogwai use anger, rage, lust, and ego. Yaksha use peace, stillness, and hope. Fae used desire, structure, vanity, and synergy. And the koonago...honestly I'm not sure" Lawan said. "And what about me?" Susan asked. "That girl you saved. How did she make you feel?" Lawan asked. "Candice? She was adorable. That poor girl and she was so brave. That night we had together" she muttered. "So, you were intimate I see" Lawan said. Susan blushed. "I think I know what drives your focus now. Put me down and let's begin again" Lawan said.

Susan repeated the steps until there was a light steady rain on the tiny girl. Lawan could see the giantess trembling down to her toes. "Now listen closely. That day of the battle I saw how broken you were. The loss of a loved one I know that pain and as your friend I wished I could take it away. That night I went to your room and I heard you sobbing so hard. My cowardness prevented me from entering. I should have entered. I should have told you I'm sorry. And I know I should have told you you're not alone. And... I’m that person you needed. We became family that day through blood, pain, loss, and grief. And family loves one another without...conditions. I failed you then and I failed you yesterday" Lawan said. "Lowering barometric pressure. Condensing water vapor" Susan muttered shedding tears.

A torrent of harmless rain fell on Lawan before Susan picked her up and kissed her. "I knew that was your focus. It's love Susan. Whatever you may be, love is what binds you to your power. Never forget that" she said. With a sigh, Susan felt a weight leave her heart and her power briefly connected to the hearts and minds of those around. People paused to look at the giantess guest in their city and smiled warmly. Suddenly, Susan lashed out dropping Lawan to the ground. "What is it?!" Lawan asked worried. "Something...something is wrong with Keith! Pain! Anger! So much pain and anger!" Susan yelled. Keith was outside in the human city with Hope showing her around and getting her used to being human sized among people. Susan rushed from the training circle so fast her bare feet made tremors. She didn't even notice her strides were more like short glides through the air. She went through the magical gate to find chaos in the street.

People dead on the street. Women crying and wailing. A crowd had gathered not far away. Susan rushed over. "Oh god" she muttered seeing Keith bleeding on the street. "Help is in the way!" a man shouted in Thai. "Keith! I'm right here!" Susan yelled kneeling. "Men. Men took her! Took them all!" Keith yelled coughing out blood. Blood streamed from his chest from a lung shot. She knew from experience he would die before he got treatment. She picked him up in his arms. "You can't move him!" a man yelled at her. With barely a thought, she shoved him aside with a gust of wind. Only a few people watched the western barefoot girl walk back to the temple. Lawan watched in horror as she returned carrying a bleeding giant in her arms. His blood splattered buildings, windows, people as she walked. When she got near, she shrank themselves down and rushed past the terror stricken Lawan.

"No!" I'll do it" Susan said stopping the woman from healing him. "Too fast and he dies of shock" she explained as she concentrated. "Searching for bullet. Bullet found. Alchemical...magnetic force applied" she muttered using her power to yank the bullet out of him. "Stimulating blood cell reproduction. Stimulating cellular growth. Stabilizing blood pressure" she muttered as she healed him. His wounds closed but he was deathly pale. Lawan was trembling where she stood. "Men with guns took Hope and the kids. I have to...to..." before he passed out. "He's unconscious. Stable for now. Use a low-level healing spell. Nothing higher. Excuse me" Susan said leaving her. Susan walked to the dojo.  There was a sliding door which she opened revealing the combat gear Lawan had worn the day of the battle. She took one look and nodded.

Standing nude, Susan picked up the undergarment first. The breastplate buckled in the front locking it in. Next the shin guards. And then finally the sandals. Her toes set into the worn grooves of the leather insoles. Lawan's feet slightly larger than hers. Her toes slightly longer. Everything fit the wrong way until she touched the plate and concentrated. By magic, it transformed its fittings. Susan didn't pause to admire herself. The armor gleamed from the silver and crystallized iron it was made of. It's enchantments of defense and speed already doing its job. Susan returned to the living room. "You can't go alone" Lawan said. Susan picked up the bullet. "I have to. This was no coincidence" she said tossing the bullet to her. Lawan looked at it and went wide eyed. "It's made out of..."

"Iron. Not lead or copper jacket. THORN calls these fuckers Mage Killers. It'll blow right through a weak fortification like it's not even there. Whoever shot him knew who he was" she said. "Then who?" Lawan asked coldly. "We made some enemies lately. This part of the world who knows" she replied. Lawan put the bullet down and held her arms out. In a flash her trusted glaive appeared and dropped into her hands. "Take my weapon Black Lotus. It has served my family faithfully sister" she said handing it to her. "Sister...alright" Susan nodded before touching the forehead of Keith. Her eye glowed. "He saw them leave in a heavy transport. Jesus, they took a shitload of kids. He heard her screaming for him. He reached out..."

Susan shuttered as she broke the connection. "I'll hunt them down like dogs" she hissed as she walked out. Minutes later, Susan stood in the human city looking around. Her perception spell kept them from seeing the westerner in armor as she watched the makeshift police cart off bodies and take notes from sobbing parents. Overhearing an officer, the armed men attacked just as school has let out. The perfect time to kidnap a whole lot of them. But Susan knew that was just the public face of it. Someone knew Keith was a magic user. She gripped the glaive tightly as the officer confirmed that 31 kids ages 8 to 14 had been taken. Susan concentrated her power looking for Hope.

It wasn't that hard for her. Magic is drawn to magic, and Hope stood out like a lighthouse in the darkness of night. There was a mountain in the far distance and at its base she could sense her. With her destination in mind, Susan chose an old beat up Honda Civic, used magic to start it, and drove off. Ambulances passed by screaming. The old four banger screeching as she pressed the gas. The clutch grinding as she slammed it into third. A bobble head of Buddha jiggled on the drive on the bumpy road. Very dark thoughts entered her mind.

Susan was versed in many aspects of different countries. Knew seven languages. A necessary thing for a three-inch-tall international woman of mystery. Thailand was no exception. Beautiful, historic, exotic, was just a few words used by tourists to describe the place. However, it also had a saying. "Anything goes...for a price". It's part of the Golden Triangle and as such dealt in drugs, guns, and sex. That there is what worried Susan the most. This was no ransom job even if you exclude Hope. No, this was all for sex trafficking. She had heard of kids being taken from villages of the parents wouldn't sell them. Never did she think it was this bad. In her first year as an agent, she had a disagreement with Lily about an assignment. A dealer was pushing tainted extasy in London. The drug has killed 16 people in three months and the police couldn't find the guy. One victim was the daughter of a friend of Lily's.

Susan obliged out of respect but made it clear that they hunt monsters who use magic not drug dealers. Lily replied that not all monsters use magic. Susan searched the dead girl's room for a clue and found it as she got the scent of a human male. Sweat, body spray, and gun oil. She staked out a night club known for having the customers buy in the area. She couldn't see but she could smell the humans pass by not seeing the tiny girl on the ground hiding behind a trash can. Someone would walk by and she caught their scent. Wrong body spray, cologne, cigarette smoke, too old. Too young. Days passed as she waited and having to fend off rats in the meantime. And just before she began to regret even taking the assignment, she hit pay dirt. Two humans stood in front of her. The one on the right she took the scent. "Perfume. Leather, foot sweat, and alcohol. Female in her early 20's" she muttered. She took the one on the left. "Body spray, rubber, gun oil, and... cleaning powder" she muttered. She stood behind the man and used arcane to grow to human size.

"What?" the man asked wondering why the woman in front of him looked like she'd seen someone weird. Susan grabbed him from behind wrapping her arm around his neck in a headlock. "Get outta here" she growled to the woman. She ran off so fast she lost her heeled sandal. "Get the fuck off me slag!" the man yelled. "You sold tainted drugs which killed people" she said. "Fuck you on about?! My shit is legit!" he yelled. "You're lying. I can smell the lie on your breath. You left the stink of yourself on her shirt when you touched it. It's you I've been looking for" she said coldly. "Hey. I got cash. Got a thousand pounds on me right now and more at my loft. Just let me..."

She grabbed his right wrist as he reached for a gun in his pocket. He yelped as she broke it. "You knew it was killing people and sold it anyway" she muttered. "They were addicts. They'd die anyway eventually" he said. Susan understood what Lily meant then. With little emotion she jerked her arm up as hard as she could snapping his neck. She let go of his body and left the area. The cops found him within hours along with his stash. Took only a day to link him to the deaths.

Susan got close to her destination. "I know a thing or two about hunting monsters. God knows I do" she said parking the car not far away. She went the rest of the way on foot as it began to rain. She climbed a tree and shrank down to conceal herself as she looked into what appeared to be an abandoned village. She felt her power coming from a storehouse. The trucks confirmed that the kids were there as well. Rain obscured their scent, so she had to wait and count how many she saw. Two men every 50 ft. on the perimeter. Three more walking in the center. 11 so far. Her eyes say they carried AK-47's. She wondered who shot Keith and did they have just iron rounds. A snake behind her coiled up ready to swallow her whole until she stabbed it through the head without looking. The seven-foot python fell from the tree. She kept watching. They were no ordinary bandits. They did rounds. Kept the rifles tucked in their armpits. "Trained. Experienced" she muttered. Then a flash of light came from the storehouse. "What the hell? That was magic. Did Hope do something?" she asked herself.

Oddly, the men didn't seem to care. In fact, one brought in cages. Something wasn't right at all about this. She couldn't wait any longer and dropped to the ground. She got close and waited till one man was far away enough from his friend to move in. Susan jumped in the air and slashed his throat with her glaive. He fell to the ground clutching his bleeding throat gurgling for help. Susan looked dead at him and their eyes met. His look of confusion and shock to see a three-inch girl in armor holding a toothpick sized weapon staring back at him. Susan went about the other one. He turned to see his friend dead in the mud and went to go over. "Shrinking spell level two. Activation" she muttered as he got close.

The man barely had time to cry out as he quickly shrank down to the size of an ant. Susan walked up to him. She cracked a slight smirk seeing him mired to his waist in mud. "How many are you?" she asked. He went and fired his rifle. The little giantess stood there as speck sized bullets harmlessly bounced off her. The rifle clicked empty. "If you can't answer that than where are the kids?" she asked. "You're like the boss...I can't tell you. They'll kill me" he replied. "Boss? They know magic?" she asked concerned. "Just weird writing stuff. Supposed to use it to shrink the kids. Easy for transport" he replied. Susan grit her teeth realizing that flash was the shrinking spell. "How many are you?" she asked. "...13" he replied softly. With no mercy, she began pushing mud on top of his body with her sandaled foot. "Please! I answered you!" he begged. "What's your point? Shit in the woods gets buried" she said coldly as she pushed the mud coving him completely. She used her foot to compact it.

She made her way to the adjacent side and disposed of the men there. She felt satisfied shrinking them and watching them drown where they stood. She went to the other side and killed one man. His friend franticly looked around until he was shrunk. Susan almost left him to drown as well but caught a scent off him as the wind shifted into her face. He aimed his rifle at her as he was pinned between her fingers until Susan flicked it away. The smell of fear, late puberty, and youth radiated from him. "You're what 15? 16? You're still a kid yourself. What would possess you to enslave other kids?" she asked.  The westerner giantess who spoke perfect Thai glared at him. Susan squeezed her fingers causing him to scream out as his hip broke. "Make me understand" she muttered. He whimpered as he looked at her. Susan sucked her teeth as she tore away his clothing. He was slightly cute to her but that wouldn't save him. Susan felt her humanity slipping away as her stomach growled.

Nearing full power, Susan burned stamina every second which meant a shitload of calories. In fact, when she "ran out" it usually meant a dangerous crash of blood sugar. "Money? A chance to move up?" she asked twisting him around. "Who the fuck cares. You're gonna die like the rest" she hissed before shoving him into her mouth. His screaming rattled her teeth until she let him slip down her throat. Hungry, starving, her stomach acids were more potent than usual and within seconds has the shrunken Thai morsel sobbing in agony as his skin melted. His thrashing tickled her, and she cracked a smile as she decided to crank up her attack. Growing to human size meant the teen in her tummy was now a human bug in a sea of deadly acids. Acids that turned him into soup within seconds. Susan heard three pairs of footsteps closing in. No doubt the missing men had alerted the others.

"Hiya fellas. Made a wrong turn at Albuquerque. What? Not a looney tunes fan?" she asked seeing them draw on her. "So hasty. Never crossed your mind to capture me. White western girl in front of ya. My pussy is still tight. I'm bisexual and I just love having my toes sucked. Sounds like a good catch right?" she asked. The man smiled at one another and lowered their guns. "Condensing water. Condensing atmosphere. Pressurizing. Lemurian water spell level two. Water scythe" she muttered. A flat edge of water formed in midair within two seconds and went flying. The man on the right was decapitated instantly. His buddies stood in utter shock. "Condensing water, freezing. Lemurian water spell level two. Diamond Dust" she muttered. Again, within two seconds, she took the falling raindrops, froze them, and sent them flying. It was like being pelted by razor sharp hailstones moving at over 200 mph. The center man was shredded like cheese. The man left fired his rifle.

Susan deflected the most critical shots with the glaive until he ran dry. "Fast or slow?" she asked. He took off running shouting for help. "Slow it is" she muttered snapping her fingers. The man shrank full stride until he found himself slowed by mud. With a wave of her hand, Susan altered probability. A large frog brought out by the rain hopped through the village until it found something wriggling in the mud. The man heard a load croaking and turned to see the amphibian staring at him. It cocked its head. "No... not like..." he said before the sticky tongue ripped him from the mud and into his mouth. The frog swallowed his prey alive and hopped off. The man had thought he could make something of himself in this gang. Trafficking was good money and easy. Less dangerous than drug running. Now he suffocated in darkness among the fetid soupy remains of bugs, dank water, and baby worms. His family who prayed for him to be a good man would never know he was a meal for a common frog.

Five minutes earlier...

"Is it done? You better not have fucked it up" a man said. "We did it exactly as you showed us. This supposed to be magic?" another asked. "That's what my contact said. You little shits get into the circle" the first man growled. The man in the storehouse herded the kids into the large circle. "How much will we get for the white one?" one asked. "She's not going to the brothels. My contact has plans for her" the man replied. "How much boss?" one asked. "Enough for your greedy ass. Now get back" the boss said as he completed the arcane. There was a flash of intense light and when it was done, all 31 kids where perfectly shrunken down. Even the oldest was no taller than 2 1/2 inches. "Don't stand there you fools. Get the cages" he barked. The kids, crying and utterly terrified were shoved into the cages. The boss went and sat down in the corner leaving the others to stand guard. "Look at the white one. She's not even whimpering" one said. They looked at Hope.

"Weird. Even weirder we were told to slap that iron braided collar on her when we got her. What’s your story?" one asked her. "Why ask? She doesn't speak Thai" one said. "My father will come for me" Hope told them in perfect Thai. That raised an eyebrow. "This ain't the western movie Taken. Your daddy was shot in the chest with special bullets. He's quite dead" one chuckled. Hope flared up for a split second before she gripped the collar painfully. The lid on top of the cages was still open and one reached in and snatched her up. "I don't know how such a thing blocks whatever you do but it appears to work" he said grinning. "Not everything is blocked" she told him. Her glowing eyes stared at him. "I've seen your future. I've pierced your thoughts. You can lick me, suck on me, do bad things but you better hurry. You'll be dead in less than 10 minutes" she said. 

"You tiny..."

"Put her down now" the boss grumbled. The man obeyed. "I assume we can make them big again" the other asked. "If we want. Some we will keep small. Westerners call it Macrophilia. And those that pay very well can indulge in what they call voreaphilia. That's eating someone alive" the boss replied. Neither man had not considered that idea. One plucked up a random kid. "Can I?" he asked. "Nobody pretty" the boss replied. He looked at his catch. A girl about 10 years old with a cleft lip. The girl began crying and wriggling between his fingers as he brought her to his mouth. And just as he was about to drop the shrunken morsel into his maw, gunfire rang out. "Look into it. Make sure those fools aren't shooting at snakes and shit" the boss told them. The man placed the girl back into the cage and went outside with the others.

Susan stood there watching as they emerged. They only paused for a moment to look at the strange white woman in armor before taking aim and firing. Susan deflected half the shots, but the other half clearly struck her. She fell back into the mud. Her chest stung which confirmed the rounds were made of iron. The enchantments didn't deaden the impact at all. The rain beat on her face as she collected herself. "Shoot her in the head" one said. The man crept closer. "Synchronizing to 5 hertz. Neuron linked. Lemurian control spell level one. Puppetry" she muttered. The man took aim and then found that he couldn't pull the trigger. "Stop fucking around!" the other one yelled. "I can't move!" the man yelled. Susan stood up. She twisted her hand and the man turned around. She narrowed her eyes as she commanded him to aim at his friend. "Please help me..." he muttered. He fired.

He couldn't drop his rifle. He couldn't move a muscle other than his mouth and eyes. He could only watch as his body gunned down a friend. He stood there as Sudan walked around him. "You actually crying?" she asked. "What the hell are you?!" he yelled. Susan smiled and wiped his tears away. She kissed his forehead and caressed his cheek. "An agent of karma" she whispered into his ear. The man pissed himself before her. "Now let's not keep your boss waiting. I'm sure he's curious about what's happening" she grinned as she had him march like a windup toy.

The boss held his prize gun in his shaking hands. A fondness for western things had taken him to cars, women, movies, and eventually guns. The .44 magnum was his favorite ever since he saw Dirty Harry. In the chamber was rounds given to him by his contact minus one. The one Susan dug out of Keith’s chest. He heard gunfire, screams, more gunfire, and then the faint sound of sobbing. "WELL?!" he yelled. The sobbing got closer. The door flew open to reveal the controlled puppet of a man. "She's a monster..." he muttered. Then a flash of light and the man shrunk down to the size of a bug landing in her hand. Sudan glanced at the kids. Their tiny hands rattling the cage. Her anger boiled over. Her body glowed as a silent fortification spell took over. The boss terrified fired the gun.

Susan ducked, dodged, and deflected all five rounds and paid no attention to the clicking gun or the man. "SUSAN!" Hope yelled as she got close. Susan didn't smile as she opened the cage. She dropped the man she had right inside leaving him surrounded by shrunken yet gigantic to him children. Hope towered over him. "Not even ten minutes like I said" she told him as she raised her sandaled foot over him. "Please wait! I'm..."

*squish*

"No, you weren’t" Hope said coldly. She watched the familiar giantess walk towards the boss staggering slightly. "You...it was you" she said looking at a bullet on the floor. "Who was it? The one who told you to use iron. The one who gave you the spell?" she asked tired. "Oh, that was me" a voice said behind her. Susan turned around and threw her glaive at the direction. There stood a young man and the weapon went right through his body sticking into the floor with an audible thud. Shockingly, his body shimmered as water on the floor rejoined with it. "Water...illusion. High tier" she said. "Bravo. You have caused us some trouble Susan Durmont" he said to her. "Which one?" she asked seeing the ring on his finger. "Aquarius" he said bowing. "Hope was the target all along. They were patsies" she said. "You are smart but smart only gets you so far" he said as rainwater entered the room adding to his form. "You'll see I'm not the same as I once was" she said looking at the boss. "...I heard every word earlier especially the voreaphilia part. Separating potassium. Increasing water concentration. Lemurian fire spell level three. Shrieking Pyre" she muttered.

The boss screeched as his body spontaneously combusted. The potassium in his blood, normally safe and inert, was changed into its raw elemental form and burst into flame as it touched the water in his blood and tissues. Even Aquarius was taken aback by the horror as fire spewed out of every orifice of his body. Susan looked dead at him ignoring the burning corpse on the floor. "Well now. You're aren't the run of the mill borrower, are you? That glowing array in that eye...I know what you are" he said with a sinister grin. Susan lunged at him and went right through him. She pulled the glaive out of the floor and began swinging it through him. Aquarius sighed in annoyance and punched her in the face with a fist made of hard ice. Her jaw was shattered. "Calcium reintegration. Lemurian healing spell level one. Panacea" she muttered. There was an creepy cracking sound as her jaw reformed and reset. "In the light of things...I will consider your surrender" he said tapping his foot. Susan pointed her finger into the air. "Come now Susan. You can't kill water" he sighed.

"A caster of illusions must be near them" she said concentrating. "True but you have no idea where I am. The rain masks my scent very well and not even you can hear that good" he said. "True but you've been casting magic every time I disrupted your illusion. Even your ice punch...I traced...it. Traced...you..." she said. Aquarius stopped being aloof. In reality, he stood on a hill west of the village about 150 ft. away. Even pouring rain, he was bone dry due to his artifact. He heard thunder overhead. "You gotta be kidding me" he hissed. "Creating negative and positive ion path. Lemurian lightning spell level two. Sky Cutter" Susan muttered. A mighty bolt of lightning struck the point in which he stood. The flash dazzled Susan and the thunder shook her bones. The children screamed in fright. The water illusion collapsed into a puddle.

His ears bled, his vision blurred, his hair singed. He was on his knees in the mud but alive. Incredibly, the power of his artifact redirected the lightning just a few feet above his head. "So that's how it's gonna be? Okay Susan you had a good opportunity to survive but you fuckin' blew it" he hissed. Staggering to his feet, he tapped into his artifact once more causing the mud and soil to ripple and vibrate.  It felt like a small earthquake to Susan. Over a thousand tons of mud and soil cascaded down the mountain to the northeast. The resulting mudslide slammed into abandoned homes destroying them it slowed the onslaught but not enough to prevent the storehouse from being completely buried. Only a few cracks of light peeped in from the direction of the door. "Since you won't play nice let's have a change of plans. I'll just wait a few hours until you asphyxiate" he said from an illusion of a mouth made of water on the floor.

"You'll kill the Etherion child too" Susan said. "She's three inches tall. She won't need as much oxygen as you. Seeing how your batteries are running low I doubt you can move this much earth. Checkmate Susan. Toodles..." he said ending the spell. Susan slipped off her sandals and stamped her feet. The vibrations confirmed they were totally buried. She could sense she knew powerful earth spells, but he wasn't kidding about being tired. A small spell she could do easily but that could make the creaking roof cave in. And in her current state...she didn't dare dial up her power for one massive spell. She figured she could withstand the drain (as she found herself lasting longer with each time she practiced), but her humanity would fade out and the power would take over. A power bent on keeping her alive by any means necessary. "Susan, we need help" Hope said.  Susan saw the mudslide had caused the cages to tip over spilling the kids over top one another. She unlocked them and let the shrunken kids out. Susan sat some distance away trying to think of a way out.

Hope had calmed the kids by telling them the giantess was her aunt. It was terrifying to see her set a man on fire, but she did stop their kidnappers. A few began to approach her. "Stay back" Susan said quietly. "Susan they're scared. Can't you just hold them for a minute?" Hope asked. "Absolutely not. Keep them away please" Susan replied. Hope went right to her and hopped onto her thigh. "Jesus! Hope stay away!" Susan yelled. "It's...it's not safe to be around me right now" she said quietly. Hope sat on her thigh and just smiled. "Hope please. I'm starving right now. This power...it's telling me to eat you alive" Susan said shaking. "I want my mommy" a young girl begged tapping her giant big toe. Susan plucked her up and held the girl between her fingers. She was barely an inch and a quarter tall, maybe 8 years old with long pretty black hair. Poor girl was missing her shoe. "Her name is Ria. She likes chicken broth and noodles. Her favorite..."

"She's 37 calories. She'll taste delicious and wriggle all the way down my throat. That's what my power tells me. It has no morality at all" Susan said shedding a tear.  "Of course, not silly. It's just knowledge and power. It's not a person. I know how it feels Susan. To have that feeling of power at your fingertips and barely having control on it" she said. Susan looked at her curious. "Yeah. Yeah exactly. You've been acting different today. More mature" she said. Hope sighed. "The day I was born I had to fight but I had no reason, desire, or emotion for it. I was a cold thing until I looked into the minds of those around me and then heard my baby brother crying. It stirred something in me. I knew what right and wrong was. I ended the fight and listened to those who were scared for me. But in doing so I could sense the uneasiness of my parents and those around me."

"So, I did something to make them feel better. I acted like a kid. True I understand things like a kid but that doesn't mean I have to act like one. Daddy instead of dad. Begging with puppy dog eyes. Just enjoying life like an 8-year-old girl. But this is who I am Susan. I know what my body wants all too well. I want to use my power everyday to fulfill my desires. So many cute boys at home and they smell so damn good.  They stare at my chest, my feet, my eyes. I could take them. I could mate with them. I could eat them! But...how many hearts would I break if I do? You know what grounds me when I use my power?" she asked.

"Love?" Susan asked. "Bingo!" Hope laughed. Susan looked at the young girl staring at the giantess from her fingertips and gently kissed her. She placed her back on the floor. "I want a kiss too!" Hope yelled. Susan held her to her lips and kissed her. "I love you so much Aunt Suzie" she said. "I needed that. Hope. I can't move this much earth" Susan said looking around. "Silly. Just translocate" she replied. "That's a high-level spell and..."

"And you'll be fine. Do it" Hope said. Susan sighed. "Lord, protect your children in their time of need.  Amen. Alright everyone! Back into the cages! If I mess up at least you won't be flung all over the place" she said as she turned the cages right side up. Once they were in, she positioned them very close to her. "I've never tried this before. Pointers?" Susan asked Hope. "Not so much as a place but focus on a person or thing" Hope replied. Susan took a deep breath and dialed her power to max. Her eye flared brightly, and she got dizzy. She looked at the kids and her mouth watered at the sight of them. That is until she saw Hope. "Creating space time bias. Destination outskirts of..." she was saying until she lost her balance. "Dammit...I can't do it..." she muttered. "Aim big miss big. Aim small miss small" Hope said. "You are maturing" Susan chuckled. "Creating space time bias. Destination...108 feet from current location. Honda Civic. Lemurian reality magic level one. Translocation" she muttered. A rip in reality formed underneath them, and they gently fell through.

They emerged just millimeters off the ground just a few feet away from the Honda Susan had "borrowed". While the others were amazed, Susan was busy staring west at the hill. "I don't fucking believe it. Not even 10 minutes" Aquarius hissed as he saw them appear. Now though he could see Susan staring directly at him. "Your move dickhead. You wanna ride this train?" Susan asked making sure her voice carried over the wind and rain. Aquarius weighed his options. He knew she was exhausted but that didn't mean she was helpless. She had a spell or two left in her and she was the kind of person to die fighting. Her last spell nearly split him like a oak tree in a thunderstorm. "Another time...archetype" he said disappearing through a rift. "He got away" Hope said. "Good. I can barely keep my shit together right now" Susan muttered. She loaded the two cages into the passenger seats of the car before getting in.

Susan calmly drove back. Her body ached, tired and famished. "You gonna tell dad about me?" Hope asked. "What about...oh you mean acting like a little kid not to creep people out. No, that's your business but I can say this. We'll love you no matter what. I know personally that it's not how we came into being but what we do with our life that matters" Susan replied. "At least I made friends right?" Hope snickered looking at the shrunken kids holding into the bars. "I have to erase their memories Hope. You know that" Susan said. "But they’ll forget about me!" Hope yelled. "Humans aren't ready to know magic. Look what happened today. A human used shrinking magic to kidnap kids. You heard what he had planned. He was even open to letting people eat them if that had the money" she explained.

"You have no idea how lonely I am! Everyone looks at me as either the Etherion child or the daughter of Keith. Never Hope the person. Never seeing the girl who just wants to be known as just Hope" Hope sniffled. "I understand how that feels kid. For a long time, people saw me as either Lily's charity case or her lover getting preferential treatment. I can't tell you when it will change but it will one day. Look at Rose. She's her own girl now" Susan said rounding a corner. "And it took her mom dying" Hope interjected. Susan didn't interject. "I'm sorry. I know that a sore subject" Hope said. "Everything comes in its own time. Lord knows I learned that lesson" Susan said. Susan eventually made it back to the city and parked on the outskirts. She placed the cages on the ground and opened them.

The kids quickly got out and were utterly stunned at how huge the world truly was at their size. Even blades of grass towered over them. "Nobody run off. Lot of bad stuff out there that'll love a snack of tiny kids" she said. "Susan!" Hope yelled. "It's the truth and it won't matter soon anyway" she said. Susan held her hands together and focused.  "Analyzing spell. Shrinking arcane European type level two. Spell destruction" she said. A flash of light from her hands broke the spell instantly and within a few seconds, the kids were normal sized again and very much dazed. "Detecting chemical bonds made within the last two hours. Destroying bonds. Lemurian mind spell level one. Whisper of Amnesia" she muttered. A glowing mist enveloped the crowd of kids around her dazing them further. "Perception" she whispered as she took Hope's hand. They watched the kids confused as how they even got there just walk back into the city as if nothing happened.

People yelled as the children appeared. Parents and police rushed to them hugging, crying, and asking questions. They didn't notice Susan and Hope walk past them. She could hear the kids tell them they didn't know what they were asking as to how they escaped, who took them, where they had been. Hope sighed as she walked through the gate. The small yaksha citizens saw them appear. Giantesses tired, filthy, and so happy to be back. They had heard what had happened and felt horrible for the kids. Susan smiled giving a thumbs up. The people smiled and cheered as they walked back to Lawan's estate. "I love a hero's welcome" Susan grinned to Hope. Hope was not so happy. Susan hugged the girl and kissed her on the lips. "I know it hurts. If you can't talk to your dad then talk to me okay? Suzie loves ya" she said pinching her cheeks. Hope nodded and smiled.

Susan and Hope stood outside the estate. "Wait here kid. Until we can get that stupid magic blocking collar off, I don’t want to try shrinking you down again. Thing gives me the creeps" she said before releasing her own growth spell. Hope sat down with a heavy thud shaking the house. "Keith she's back!" Lawan yelled. Keith staggered out clutching his chest. "Oh god..." he said walking outside. "Susan..." he muttered seeing Hope flexing her toes looking at the sky. "I need chicken" Susan said walking past him.  Lawan watched the weary woman walk into the house and start raiding the fridge. "Susan?" Lawan asked. "Damn. Forgot your sandals and that spear thing" she sighed. Lawan snapped her fingers and they appeared her scale on the floor. "Neat trick" she muttered as she began devouring leftovers. Lawan touched her and she flinched. "Took everything I had. Everything. I nearly lost my soul" she said sobbing. "But you didn't did you? And look out there" Lawan said. Susan looked towards outside.

"Baby?" Keith asked trembling. "Hiya daddy" Hope said. Keith sprinted to the teen giantess and sobbed as he hugged her giant big toe. "Daddy my toes are dirty!" she yelled. Keith said nothing and sobbed his heart out caressing the mud caked toe. "I almost lost you" he muttered. Hope gently picked him up. "But you didn't. Susan was on the case" she said smiling. She felt bad for him. He had never cried so hard before her. She nuzzled him taking in his scent. Faint traces of blood she could smell, and she remembered him bleeding out on the street. Her eyes narrowed in anger for just a moment. She kissed and nibbled on his bare chest. "Please don't cry" she asked. Keith wiped his eyes and nodded.

"You understand, now don't you? All things have purpose. You literally gave people hope today" Lawan said looking outside. She turned back to Susan to find her passed out on the table with a chicken legbone in her mouth. 

Later that night...

Susan woke up feeling the need to pee. She felt a hand gripping hers. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness to find Hope asleep on her bed. Quietly, she excused herself to the bathroom. She bumped into Keith coming back. "Hey girl" he said. Susan smiled a little as she entered her room. "She refused to leave your side" Keith said sitting in a chair. Susan sat on the bed next to Hope. She gently played with her hair. "I couldn't have done it without her" Susan said. "She filled us in. I had no idea you had so much power" Keith said. "Neither did I. It was so primal and pure. If this is what a touch of Etherion feels like I can only imagine what Hope feels" Susan said. "I've tried you know?" Keith asked. He gently touched Hope's bare toes. "I know why she has these cute feet. That perky smile. Beautiful hair. That's all easy to explain but there's no science to explain the heart. If you were a kid who could remake the world...what would stop you?" Keith asked.

"Herself maybe? Like any kid she wants to be loved. She doesn't want to be feared. One day you will have to ask yourself a question unique to your position. It's not if she's ready for the world. It's if the world is ready for her" she said. "And if it's not?" Keith asked. "Then she waits until it is, and that day may not come till we're all dead and gone. Of all her powers, there is one that you, Aspen, and Claire will have the hardest time to deal with. Eternal youth. She's been alive 7 months now and has not aged a day. A 15-year-old body but hasn't grown a millimeter. Even her hair is still the same length" she said. "So, she'll outlive us all" Keith muttered. "And I don't envy her one bit. It will be the most painful thing she will bear but we'll prepare her for it" Susan said. She bent down and kissed her forehead. Keith picked his daughter up in his arms. "ZODIAC has got to be stopped. That collar was specifically made to dampen her. Took me a goddamn hour to pick the lock. They went so far as to employ human traffickers and give them shrinking magic. Can you imagine the damage they could've done?" he asked looking at his child. Susan looked at her bare feet for a moment.

"I'm afraid now they know what I am, they'll get desperate. And desperate people are even more dangerous" she said.

Meanwhile in Seattle...

A young man sat passed out on a plush sofa. Lines of cocaine on his coffee table as well as an odd metal shipping container barely a foot long and 6 inches high. Droplets of blood and very tiny scattered clothing littered around it. He woke up with a start as a searing pain in his head alerted him to appear before them. He wiped his nose and belched before making contact. "You didn’t have to shout" he said after appearing. "We feared you would not awaken from your idiotic drug and shrunken human binge" Taurus said. "We know you failed" Aries said. "You said you had a contact that was foolproof. Or was that just for the coke and access to sex slaves you could shrink and eat?" Pisces asked. "It was foolproof but there was an unexpected variable none of us could have foreseen" Aquarius said. "Enlighten us" a voice said. "Lord Ophiuchus! I swear it wasn't my fault!" he yelled. "I said explain you peon!" the mysterious figure yelled.

"Susan Durmont attacked us. She's...she's no ordinary borrower. She's the archetype" he said. "Bullshit!" Aries said. "It's true! Doesn't the archetype have access to the legacy magics of elevated Lemurians? The very spells she used had the name in them!" he said. "It would explain what happened to Capricorn. She was no pushover" Pisces said. "Libra?" Taurus asked. "She speaks the truth. I made sure of it already" she replied. "You used your artifact on me?!" Aquarius yelled. "Be silent!" Ophiuchus yelled. "She'll never join us and with that power I don't see how we can stand up to both of them head on. No offense my Lord" Aries said. "She will join us. If what you said is true, there is a way a Susan Durmont can join us" Ophiuchus said.

Three days later...

Very few knew of its existence. Once it was mentioned in whispers and those were mostly told by very old men drunk on sake. Its existence predates the name of the city itself. Back when it was known as Edo it was created. Its purpose was to protect the treasures of Japan. To preserve what they called the soul of the nation. The Magatama, the Kusanagi, the original Tale of Genji and Kojiki. And its newest member, the sacred mirror. Being technically royalty herself, Hikari got the frantic call of an attack on it. She was curious as to who as the place was underneath the Imperial palace a good 200 ft. In fact, those that knew if it today where royalty and the guards who themselves descended from guard families that protected the emperor and his family since the days of the Tokugawa.

They told her not to go but she was not one to shy from a fight. Her tiny toes wriggled anxiously in her geta sandals as she descended down in the elevator. It had been 12 minutes since the last transmission. A call full of screams. The elevator doors opened showing the alarm lights flashing. Her guards rushed past her guns drawn and rounded a corner. Hikari herself did a jumping glide through the air trying to keep up. Gunshots, flashes of light, screams. Then nothing. "REPORT!" she yelled as she got close. When she rounded the corner, she froze. A woman stood in front of her 15 ft. away. She looked dead at the koonago on the ground as she slurped something into her mouth. She grinned after swallowing. At her feet were splotches of blood and mush. "Impossible. Susan is that you?" Hikari asked. "Depends on your point of view" she replied. "You. It's the one from the mirror. How did you get free?! Tell me!" she yelled. Susan calmly walked to her.

"STAY BACK!" Hikari yelled hurling a spear of ice right at her throat. Susan easily caught it and broke it with her hand. Hikari used the ambient moisture in the air making large icicles and throwing them. She watched in astonishment as they impacted a barrier. Susan' eye glowed. "Increasing air density and air flow. Lemurian wind magic level one. Gale" she muttered.  A force of 200 mph wind battered the koonago and ripped almost all her clothing away. She flew at an angle into the wall. She barely had time to use a tiny cushion of water to deaden the impact. It was enough though to give the princess a concussion. Susan walked over and picked her up.

She chuckled at the state of the girl. Bruised, battered, and left in only her panties and sandals. Susan used her fingernail and flicked the tiny footwear off. "Where I'm from you're dead. Keith was the one that ended you, but it seems I get the pleasure this time. I bet princesses taste yummy" she said smirking. "If you think I will beg and scream you are mistaken" Hikari weakly said. "Oh, I know you won't. You didn't back then either. The only sound you made was crunch. Like stepping on a cockroach. Sayonara" Susan said letting the girl tumble into her mouth. Only Hikari's bare soles were visible sticking out from between her giant lips and then they were slurped in. Her ears popped from the suction as the giantess from the mirror world sucked on her. She thought of her mother, her people, Keith, and her son Yuusha. She allowed one sob to escape her lips. Her honor would not falter for something so understandable. Suddenly, she was spat out into the giantess' palm.     

"Yes, a message" a male voice said. "You're the boss" Susan muttered. Hikari wiped the drool and spit from her eyes to see a young man standing just behind her. "You got lucky koonago. You get to keep your life so you can deliver a message" Susan said. The young man whispered into Susan's ear before walking past them. "Tell him ZODIAC says he officially crossed the Rubicon. He'll know what that means" she said. Susan watched her new friend round the corner. "And have you deliver a personal message from me. I'm more than ready for round two" Susan said as she placed her thumb on her back and index finger on her chest. She pressed hard and there was an audible crack. Hikari shrieked as her back was broken. Susan laughed as she callously tossed the koonago over her shoulder like a crumpled-up piece of paper.

Hikari landed with a small thud on the floor. She felt nothing below her waist. Blood ran down from her forehead. Her arm broken in the fall. The shock of her back being broken making her piss herself and breastmilk to seep out of her nipples. She felt cold, so very cold as unconsciousness tugged on her. "Keith...help me..." she begged with her very soul.

"I want you to take it easy for a few days when we get back. That's an order" Keith said. "Well I was planning to go to the movies but not alone" Susan said sitting in her seat. "What me? Like a date?" Keith asked. "Kind of? Wined and dined. A nice movie. I'll paint my toes any color you want" she said smiling as she slipped her sandal off and rubbed his bare leg. "Preparing for takeoff sir" Fiona said. "What do you say? Don't you want to suck the toes of a pretty junior officer?" she smirked. Keith blushed. "You're so fun to tease" she giggled. Keith dragged her to him and hugged her tightly. He kissed her. "I like this side of you much better. The part of you that's happy" he said. Susan quietly nodded. She looked behind him to see Hope looking out the window at a waving Lawan. The babies were in a double stroller in front of her. "She misses them already" Susan said. "I know the feeling" Keith muttered. Suddenly, Keith gripped his head in pain. "What's wrong?!" Susan asked worried. "Hikari. Something horrible just happened to her. I felt her cry out to me. don't know how I know. I just feel it."

"Fiona. Change of plans. Inform the control tower that were flying to Tokyo on last minute emergency" he said.  "Uh, sure boss. What's the emergency?" she asked. "...I don't know" he replied. Susan felt a chill run up her spine. At the time she thought it anxiety as very little made the man she loved break out in a cold sweat. But the real reason was so much worse...

"You sure this is the place?" Keith asked looking at the building. It looked like a normal two-story building in the heart of Shibuya. "She's here Keith. My scrying places her here" Susan said. "Strange. This isn't the Ministry of National Affairs" he said. Susan and Fiona looked puzzled. "Last time I was here, Hikari had a kind of embassy out of the division. This is not it" he explained. "Let's just take a look dad?" Hope asked tugging on his hand. Keith shrugged and walked into the building lobby. They were immediately stopped by security.  "This...not...tourist place" one said in broken English. "We're not tourists. We're here to see Hikari" Susan said in fluent Japanese.  Security looked at them oddly.

A man, a teenage girl, and two women, one of them ready to give birth any day. That and being foreign didn't dissuade their skepticism. "Nobody here by that name" one replied. "You are lying" Susan said after sniffing him. "Hikari knows me. Please step aside and direct me to her" Keith said walking close to him. "Leave foreigner" he said gripping his shoulder. Susan went to stop him until Keith motioned not to. "If you decide this is what you want, I will dishonor you in front of your friends. One way or another I will see her" he warned. His two friends stepped forward. "Hard way it is" he muttered. Keith gripped the wrist of the man holding him and sneezed hard making him cry out in pain. He stepped back and his friend came in with a nightstick. Keith grabbed it mid swing, yanked it out of his hand and snapped it easily. Keith spotted the third reaching for a revolver. "STOP!" someone yelled. Keith and the group turned to see a young woman walking quickly to them. On her shoulder was a tiny young woman.

"Enough. Back to your posts" the small one commanded. "But we know nothing of him!" the one nursing his wrist said. "I do. If he so wished, he could've killed all three of you within seconds. Forgive them. They are...dutiful to a fault. Please come with me" the small one said. The group followed them to an elevator. "You said you know me?" Keith asked. "The Princess said to expect you. It's a pleasure to meet you Keith-san" she said bowing while holding onto the black hair of the giantess she was perched on. Keith returned the gesture as the elevator dinged on the lower level. They were led to a room under guard. They took notice of the group, but the small woman waved them off.  They entered to find a familiar koonago in a hospital bed her scale sitting on top of a moving table.  

"Jesus! Hikari what happened?" Keith asked getting close. "Chisame. Please leave me with him. I wish to be alone" Hikari said softly. "It's okay. Wait outside" Keith said. Keith watched them leave. "Are they gone?" she asked. Keith nodded. The koonago broke into sobs. Keith sat in a chair near her and went to pet her only to find most of her body in bandages and a back brace. "I felt you call out to me. What happened?" he asked. "She came back. The other Susan" Hikari replied. "She did this?" Keith asked. "She's different now. Some kind of power in her. A young man was with her. They tore my security apart. Crushed and devoured them" she replied. It had not occurred to him that the mirror Susan could have the same powers as his Susan. Made sense as they had the same DNA. "They left me alive to give you a message. They said you "crossed the Rubicon". What....what does that mean?" she asked. "When Caesar chose to control Rome, he marched an army to it. The senators knew of it and told him if he crossed the Rubicon river, the boundary between Rome and its provinces, there would be no going back."

"What they meant in that message is there will be no terms of surrender. They're all in concerning destroying us. Did the young man tell you who he was?" Keith asked. "She called him Ophiuchus" she replied. "The 13th ZODIAC" he muttered. He looked her over. "How bad?" he asked. "Skull fracture, three ribs broken, left leg shattered. My spine was snapped, the discs shattered. Most of my injuries are healed but my spine..." she said before drifting off. Keith pulled her sheets back. His fingernail found her tiny bare sole and he raked it up. Nothing. Her toes didn't so much as clench. "I didn't feel it at all" she muttered. "Just a few more healing spells..."

"The damage is too extensive. Since you are here and I have done my duties...there is another matter to speak about. You have heard of seppuku correct?" she asked. "Yeah I've read about...now hold on a minute!" he yelled. "The koonago have a similar custom but it differs. When a koonago is gravely injured and cannot be healed, we perform a ritual suicide. They are taken outside the safety of the village and left to be eaten by wild animals. A way to pay back what nature gave us in life. In my case I have chosen different. You will eat me. I will be bathed and prepared. My last instructions written out for my mother and our son when he comes of age. As for Yuusha our son...please take him into your household officially. He will...need..." she said shaking.

"So what? You get prepared like fucking sushi?" Keith asked angry. "It is my last wish" she said. "Fuck your wish! I have enough stains on my soul! Hope get in here!" Keith yelled. Hope entered. "My daughter is the best healer on earth. She can help you" he said. Hope looked at her father who was literally red in the face. She could sense his outrage. Hope took his seat. Her finger traced the half-naked body of the koonago Princess. "She's really hurt bad dad" she said. "Yeah but you can fix her" he said. She looked at him odd. "The smaller stuff no problem. Her back is another matter. It's like someone took a sledgehammer to it" she said. "I saw you reconstruct Richie from a mass of pulped meat! I know you can do this!" he yelled. "It's not that easy dad! Back then I didn't have to tiptoe around shock, blood pressure, heart attack, stroke...."

"He was dead. None of that stuff mattered. This here is delicate, like house of cards delicate. Each disc is the size of a sesame seed. I'm not all powerful like you think I am!" Hope yelled. Hope sat there crying. "Sorry for pushing you too hard" he muttered. "I... I can try dad, but I can't guarantee anything. I really don't want to hurt aunt Hikari" she said. "Please" Keith said. Hikari felt ashamed that this girl who she barely knew cared more for her life than she did. "I understand" he muttered. Hikari yelped in pain as the girl forced her onto her stomach. "You should leave the room dad. While I said I don't want to hurt her, this is going to be very painful" she said. "What about you?" Keith asked. "I'll deal. I'm my father's daughter" she said softly. "Please leave beloved. I do not wish for you to hear me scream" Hikari said quietly. Keith nodded solemnly and went outside. "Not that he's gone we can begin" Hope said. She pulled away the cast around her back and abdomen with her fingernails. Her back was severely bruised and swollen. "Try to think of a happy place" Hope said as she placed her fingertip on her back.

She concentrated feeling the damage. She sensed the pulverized discs. Shards of bone embedded in muscle and tissue. Her spinal cord crushed. The process would begin with pulling the shards back together like a jigsaw puzzle and essentially recasting the bone discs. An arduous task that would be painful like nothing imagined in her over a century and a half life. Hope shrank down and sat right next to Hikari. Hope stroked Hikari's hair which made the koonago frightened. She placed her finger on her back and began dragging the first fleck of bone. Hikari went rigid and bit her lip as it felt as if a needle was being yanked through her back. Then it stopped. "One down, 173 to go" Hope muttered.

"Got someplace I can relax?" Keith muttered as his borrower hearing picked up Hikari whimpering. "Of course. We have a reception room right down the hallway. Please follow me and Ryoko" Chisame said. They were led into a room with a traditional tatami mat floor, a low table, and a flatscreen tv on the wall. Chisame was placed on the table and slipped her heels off. By courtesy and respect, Keith, Fiona, and Susan took off their shoes before entering. "Some tea for our guests please" Chisame said to her human sized friend. The others sat at the table. "My daughter is trying to heal her as I refused to..." Keith said before stopping himself out of annoyance.

"Eat her alive?" Chisame finished. "So you do know!" Keith yelled. Susan and Fiona looked on in shock. "Well, I would be the one to prepare her and carry out her last wishes for the koonago" Chisame said. "I'm not harping on your culture but that's insane" Keith said. "Oh, that's not my culture. I maybe small like them but I’m 100% human" she said. "Wait. So you're fine being shrunk?" Susan asked. "Well the spell isn't permanent, and it does let me see the world from a different view. I'm not crazy about cats anymore" she smirked. Keith leaned in close. "Keith cut out!" Susan said. "Sorry but the last helper she had turned out to be a Mogwai" he said coldly. "Well I'm not. Born human, went to human schools. Was scouted for my knowledge in folklore and passed psych evals" she said quietly. "Psych evals?" Fiona asked.

"Everyone here has to pass certain tests. The main one is the treatment of tiny folk. You're not told beforehand about them for starters. You're placed in a room where a koonago enters. They beg you to save them as they say they were kidnapped and brought here. If you agree a person comes in and offers a... ahem...shitload of yen for you to keep quiet" she said. "And if you refuse you pass?" Fiona asked. Chisame nodded. "Isn't that dangerous for the koonago in the room?" Keith asked. "They make sure the koonago is a trained Mage than can protect themselves just in case" she replied. "But still" Susan said. "All I can tell you is that it works. No losses even with a failure rate of 74%" she said. "And the girl that you ride on. You're okay with trusting her?" Keith asked.

"Ryoko? She's harmless. Poor girl is mute, so she uses her phone to speak. Truthfully, it's comforting to place one's safety in the hands of someone 200x your size. That kind of trust is rare these days. Ah, just talking about you" Chisame said as the young woman returned with a tea tray. She typed on her phone "only good things I hope". "Yeah silly" Chisame chuckled. Ryoko placed the cups before them and poured tea in each one. Susan sipped her tea and paused. There was an odd scent in the air. It came from Ryoko or more precisely her nylon clad feet. Now one of the things Susan had to deal with having a very strong sense of smell was sweaty feet. Airport security checks, people wearing leather shoes, sandals, even something as simple as shoe play sitting down. She had gotten good at screening it out of her mind. In Ryoko's case, she could smell foot sweat and nylon but there was something else...something chemical.

Susan turned all her attention on her as she walked by. Another scent. Alkaline in nature and faint. Ryoko bent down and poured Keith his tea. She stood back up, reached into her pocket and held something as her hand came down towards the back of his neck. "KEITH!" she yelled throwing her teacup at her face. It smashed on her head throwing her to the floor. "RYOKO!" Chisame yelled standing up. By this point, Keith had her pinned on the floor. "Susan some help!" he yelled. Susan rushed over and put her finger on the struggling woman. Instantly she began shrinking to a far more manageable size. "Please don't hurt her!" Chisame said as Keith held Ryoko in his fist. "Check her right foot! Something isn't right there!" Susan said. Keith pinned the shrunken girl down on the table with his middle finger. His index pinned her right leg. With his free hand, he tore her nylons away revealing her thin small bare legs and feet. Keith looked closely at the right leg and foot as the shrunken girl thrashed and yelled silently. "The hell?!" Keith said noticing something.

On her tiny bare sole was drawn an arcane. He was close enough to smell her little feet but most importantly the inky chemical residue. He dipped his finger in a cup of tea and began rubbing the ink off her foot. Ryoko went into a fugue state as soon as it came off. Keith released her. "Ryoko..." Chisame said walking over to her. Keith sighed watching the two shrunken women hugging it out on the table. "What...what happened? Why did you do such a thing?" Chisame asked her. "Wasn't her fault. Somebody took a magic marker and drew a mind controlling arcane on the sole of her foot" he said. "This is fugu (Japanese blowfish) toxin on the tip of this needle. One good stab in the brain stem and you'd been dead before you hit the floor. The toxin would've necrotized it. No healing spell would've saved you" Susan said studying the needle. "Who did this?" Chisame asked Ryoko. The girl shook her head as she cried. "I don't even remember it being done" she typed on her phone. "We know who did this" Keith muttered. "Ryoko. Can Susan look into your mind? We need to see what happened" Keith asked. Ryoko looked at Chisame frightened.

"Will this hurt her?" she asked worried. "As long as you keep your mind clear it won't" Susan said. Ryoko nodded. Susan sat at the table and placed the girl in her hand. She was trembling. "It's going to be okay" Susan whispered petting her. Her eye changed as she drew on her power. "Synchronizing brainwaves. Isolating chemical bonds for the last 6 hours. Lemurian mind spell level one. Recollection" she muttered. Susan saw her memories as if they were hers. She had showered, ate breakfast, and suddenly got a call that she needed to report to the ministry immediately. Before she could leave, there was a knock on her door. She opened it and was shoved backwards by a man she never seen before. He didn't bother to cover her mouth. He pinned her down by roughly sitting on her chest and yanked her right leg up.  She punched and scratched his back as she felt something on her sole. Then...an odd calm rushed over her as he got up. The man sent her a text and handed her a small box before leaving.

She opened The box to find the needle and her phone had the picture of Keith and the simple instruction to stab him at the base of the skull. Susan cut the connection. "You remember now don't you?" she asked. The girl curled into a ball and cried as she nodded. Suddenly, she froze. "I... I know him. The one that did this" she said typing it out as Susan placed her back on the table. "You do?!" Chisame asked. "It's why I opened the door. It's Osamu from maintenance" Ryoko said. Chisame called for a small security team to come to the room. "Bring Osamu-san from maintenance here" she ordered coldly. Less than five minutes later, a middle-aged man sweating profusely was pushed into the room. "Sit" Chisame said. The man did and Ryoko hid behind the girl. Chisame put her fingers together oddly and chanted in ancient Japanese. Instantly the man shrunk where he sat and was placed on the table. Chisame had the guards leave. Keith and the others were shocked to see the girl use magic.

"Do you know why you are here?" she asked. He looked at the cowering Ryoko. Understandably frightened of the man who attacked her, she did not meet his gaze. "...yes" he replied. "Why?" Chisame asked. "A man came to my home very early this morning. He did something to me stopping me from moving. He went into my home and returned with my wife and daughter shrunken and in his hands. He told me if I didn't attack Ageha-san (Ryoko) and draw this exact symbol on her foot, he would kill them" he said softly. "This man describe him" she said. "Young foreigner about 18 or 19 with black hair and amber eyes. Tan skinned" he replied. "That matches the description the princess gave" Chisame said. "I didn't wish to do it! My family is everything to me! Forgiveness please!" he said bowing until his head rested on the table. Ryoko didn't fear him anymore.  "Do you have a picture of them?" Susan asked. Chisame had him answer. Susan shrank down and hopped the table. The man and Chisame were shocked to see her using magic without incantation or symbols.

"They're cute" she said looking at his phone. A 29-year-old woman and 8-year-old girl smiling with him at a theme park. "Chisame can you give me a map of the city. I can see if they're alright" she said. Chisame used google image to pull up Tokyo. "We can see if he kidnapped them and if they're alright" she explained. She began scrying for the wife first as such magic was specific. Her pendulum never moved. Susan looked at Keith and Fiona. "What? What's wrong?" Osamu asked. "...she's dead" Susan said softly. Susan tried for his daughter and the pendulum swung out hard. She minimized the map smaller and smaller until she got a hit. "Your daughter is alive. I can tell you that" Susan said. The man sat there broken. "Where is she?" Chisame asked. "Oddly enough, moving very fast towards...Kyoto" she replied. "Anything related to magic there?" Keith asked. "Yes. There's shrines and onmyoji but nothing like the Ministry of Magic. Not even close" Chisame said puzzled. "What about him?" Fiona asked.

Chisame released the magic spell keeping him small after being taken off the table. "My child?" he asked looking at the shrunken woman helplessly. "Is probably on a bullet train" Chisame said. "Can you translocate Susan?" Keith asked. "Not a chance. Target is crap and I can do 500 ft. at best. I'm getting good but not that good" she replied. "Hope?" Fiona asked. "Hope is occupied" Keith said. "I'll book a ticket for Kyoto. Osamu...we need to place you in custody for now. Go with our guards" she said. The man solemnly stood up and left the room. "How are you casting magic like that?" Keith asked wary. Chisame snapped her fingers. Instantly, ofuda (paper talismans) appeared on the walls, and a large star on the floor. "Thought this room is for guests, it's also the most fortified barring the actual VIP area. If I so wished it, I could shrink someone to the size of a flea in here with the onmyoji power surrounding us" she replied.

There was a nervous pause. "Ahem. If one would be so kind to place Ryoko on the floor?" she said. Fiona placed her on the floor and Chisame grew her back to normal. "I need to make a few calls" she said as she was taken out the room. "Excuse me" Keith said leaving seconds later. "Never boring with you around" Fiona quipped. "I try to keep it interesting. You should go back to the hotel" she said. "I will in Kyoto" she replied. Susan shot her a look. "I'm pregnant not disabled" Fiona said. Susan sighed and sipped her tea. She glanced at Fiona's belly. "What does it feel like?" Susan asked. "There's no comparison I could make. A life growing inside me. A life that shares my blood and that of my mate. My body getting ready for it. Lactating, sweaty feet. Raging libido" Fiona chuckled. "You could try again" she said softly. "Maybe when all this is over, I could give Ruby a sibling" Susan said. "And the mate you choose?" Fiona asked. Susan didn't answer.

"Aww don't do that. We both know you want the boss" she said. "So do you" Susan whispered. "And your point? He's got to be good in bed. While we were there, I could hear Lawan moaning at night. I don't speak Thai but I'm sure she said something along the lines of "fuck me harder" Fiona chuckled. "Just drop it" Susan hissed before leaving the room. She made her way back to where Hikari was staying and saw Keith in the room with her alone. "You should see me this way" she said. "Don't be like that. This is me" Keith said looking at her twitching tiny body. "Is it working?" he asked. She didn't answer. Keith petted her bare ass. "Nothing but pain" she muttered. His fingertip gently held her hand. He bent down and she turned her face away. "I can't kiss my princess?" he asked. "What kind of princess lies naked on a table crippled below her waist?" she asked. "The kind of princess still loved by her people" he replied. "A sentiment that does nothing for the situation" she said.

"You once told me you looked after a shrunken girl dying of radiation sickness. Did her life lose meaning for you?" he asked. "Of course not" she replied. "Then why would your life lose meaning for me or people like Chisame?" he asked. She turned her head to look at him. Once she did he stole a kiss. "So much pain" she whimpered. "Life is pain my pretty koonago but we can grow from pain. I know my daughter. She'll heal you because she hates to lose. Gets that from daddy" he chuckled. "How arrogant to think a commoner can teach royalty" she chuckled. "You want arrogant? This lowly commoner (after you're better) is going to make you his sex toy for one night. And once I'm done, well sleep in the same bed alongside our son. I'm not so dense not to know what you wish for Hikari-chan" he whispered. "Hope is letting me take a break. Please ask her to return. I want that night to come" she said with a regal tone. He kissed her once again. "At once my princess" he whispered. He left the room. "Susan?" he asked seeing her. "Just getting some air" Susan smiled. Keith shrugged and went down the hallway.

Not long after, the group, minus Hope but now including Chisame who was human sized for the moment, was getting into taxis for the train station. "I take it Ryoko isn't coming?" Susan asked. "No, she is...resting. Pardon me. I've been shrunk for weeks. It's a little weird being human sized again" she said looking at things. "Our luggage" Susan said. "Will be waiting at the station" Chisame said. "That's efficient" Keith said. "We pride ourselves on it" she muttered looking at her phone. "It's vexing. What would two powerful beings want in Kyoto?" she asked. "It's never straightforward with these guys" Susan said.

At the same time...

"Are you still playing with that?" Ophiuchus asked. "That you mean her?" Mirror Susan asked holding the shrunken child up to him. "Yes. She served her purpose. Do away with her like her mother" he said. "Oh that wouldn't be any fun Ophiuchus. Say, don't you have a more normal name? That's a fuckin' mouthful" Susan asked. "If you must know...I've been going by the name Markus these past few decades" he replied. "Decades? How old are you?" she asked. "Old enough that all from my childhood is dust. Places, people, everything" he replied. Susan looked to the inch-tall child between her fingers. "Mr. Grumpy here says I should eat you too. Yep. Mommy was yummy. She wriggled all the way down. You wanna join mommy?" she asked grinning. The child still dressed in her pjs didn't understand her English, so she wasn't aware of the threat of being devoured alive. "Susan?" Markus asked looking at the passengers.

"Relax. I have this entire rail car under my best perception spell. Check this out" she said dropping the child into her breast pocket and standing up. She went to the seat next to them where a boy about 16 sat dressed in a school uniform. He was busy on his smartphone as Susan stood next to him. She ruffled his hair and bent down to smell him. "Yummy" she muttered. She squeezed forward of his seat and bent down. Susan unzipped his pants and pulled his cock out. A few good wanks and she began sucking him off. Being young, the boy began shooting into her mouth within two minutes. Still playing on his phone and twitching slightly. Susan swallowed his seed smirking. "You point has been made" Markus said. Susan held her hand up as she went about shrinking the boy where he sat. Happily humming to herself, she pulled off his clothing and once nude, placed him in her mouth. She sucked on him for a few moments before letting him slide down her throat. "Now my point has been made" she said returning to her seat.

"We will be arriving at Kyoto station in five minutes. Please take your seats for deceleration" a woman said over the intercom in Japanese. She sat sipping her coffee smiling with the idea of the teenager in her belly dying without actually knowing what just happened. Even the hot coffee raining down on him did nothing to break the hold her spell had on him. Not long after, she and Markus stood outside the station looking at a local map. "The history museum is not far. This way" he said walking. She took a few steps and felt the shrunken girl riding up on her nipple. She took her out and dangled her over her mouth. "Naw. Good luck little one. You'll need it" she snickered tossing the girl into a discarded paper cup on the ground. "Whoo...two points. Hey wait up!" Susan yelled running after him.  

A half hour and six blocks later...

Markus walked through the museum ignoring the patrons and school kids there on a field trip. "What are we looking for?" Susan asked. "A particular exhibit. It caught my attention a few days ago. Ah. Down this way towards the Jomon exhibit" he said spotting a sign. When they arrived, they could see kids huddled around a young woman in business attire. "And this here is a clay tablet dating back to the earliest time of the Jomon period*. These markings here indicate cord used as decoration when making the clay. Feel free to take pictures" the woman said cheerily. The kids looked bored as hell and eventually walked away leaving her, Markus, and Susan. "H... hello” ‘she said in English. "Japanese is fine" Markus muttered as he studied the tablet encased in a reinforced case. "It's an honor to have foreigners take interest in our culture" she said. "It ain't your culture" he said quietly.

(Authors note: The Jomon period existed from 14,500 BCE to about 1000 BCE in Japan. Around this time, nomads from Asia crossed over a now long-gone glacial bridge into Japan. The people were hunter gatherers with similar lifestyles of Pacific Northwest America populations of that time. They made clay pottery that used braided cord as a design in their work. Eventually they would become the native Ainu tribe that exists today...barely.)

"Excuse me?" she asked. "This is not your culture and it's not from the Jomon Era" he said studying it. "Sir. Archeologists have dated it to 13,000 BCE" she said. "Your archeologists are fools. This is far older than that" he said before muttering an odd language. In a flash, the tablet was in his hands. The woman stood in utter shock as he teleported the tablet out of the case. "I've spent thousands of years looking for this" he said brushing his hand over it. He pulled out his phone. "It says it's there in an area called Aomori. Come Susan" he said putting the tablet down. "What about her?" she asked. "I don't need that koonago and her goons coming here. Dispose of her" he replied. "Sorry girl. Just business this time" she said snapping her fingers. The woman shrank to an inch tall. Susan's footsteps like small earthquakes as she walked closer. The woman screamed and took off running. She fell down as wearing her heels didn't make for good running shoes. She looked up to see the giantess lower her foot on her. A small crunch silencing a squeak. Susan ground her into paste before following him out of the museum.

3 hours and 30 minutes later...

"The station manager and chaperone for the kids confirm that a male student is missing. That can't be a coincidence" Chisame said. "Nobody saw anything?" Keith asked. "Nothing" she replied. "Susan. Try tracking the girl again" he said. "Keith. That boy is probably dead. It would be a miracle if that kid is alive" she said. Keith gave her a look. "Okay. Just a moment" she said pulling her pendant out. She held it over her smartphone with a map of the city. "Son of a bitch! Not only alive but right here!" she yelled. "Here?" Keith asked. "Like right here right here!" she said. Their blood ran cold looking down at their feet. "Thousands have walked through here. Street sweepers, trash collectors, rats and god knows what else" Chisame said. Susan used clairvoyance. She saw something and took off in a sprint. "HERE! RIGHT HERE!" she yelled. "Oh god" Fiona muttered. Susan bent down and plucked the passed out shrunken child laying on top of a discarded hamburger box. "God. What did this?" Fiona asked. Susan could smell it on her. "Dried corn syrup and formic acid. Ants did this" she replied. They rushed the girl to the hospital.

"Chisame?" Susan asked. "She'll live. A hour or two more she wouldn't have. She'll need stitches for the ant bites and treatment for the acids burns. She's in critical trying to warm her body back up from exposure. Who the fuck feeds shrunken children to ants?!" she yelled. She shuddered. "Forgive me. That wasn't professional" she muttered. "It was human" Keith said wiping her tears away. Chisame got a phone call. "Censor the video immediately. I'm on my way" she said ending the call.  "Facial recognition caught someone matching Susan's description with a young man at the Kyoto Natural History museum" she said. They drove to the museum and Chisame pulled some strings to let them on even though it had just closed. "The director said a tour guide didn't clock out" she said. Susan sniffed the room. A faint scent caught her attention and she walked over near the display. "Found the tour guide" she muttered bending down.

Chisame bent down and pulled a crushed tiny high heel out of a splotch of blood and meat. She looked at Keith in disbelief. "I want these people Susan. I want them bad" Keith hissed. Susan nodded and walked past him. "Shouldn’t that be in a case?" she asked pointing to the tablet. "Indeed, it should" Chisame said quietly. Susan picked it up. "Please be careful with that. It's a priceless find from the Jomon Period" she said. Susan's eye lit up. "This...isn't Japanese at all. Keith this is Lemurian" Susan said. "Susan are you sure?" Fiona asked. "My power tells me things. These fine lines are a system of language they used" she said brushing her finger over them. "Can you read it?" Keith asked. Susan spoke in a language none had ever heard. "In English?" Chisame asked. "Hard to explain in English. A marker? Signpost? It says something about a Lemurian outpost. It gives a set of coordinates" Susan said. "Really?! What are they?" Keith asked.

"They aren't the system we use. Three sets of coordinated with zero starting at...Sirius?" she asked. "The North Star! Brilliant! Even with stellar drift, Sirius wouldn’t deviate much at all. That's why it's known as the constant star. Hmm...three sets. Triangulation probably. Give me the numbers Susan" he said. Susan seemed to struggle as she translated Lemurian script into that which we use now. "If we use the North Pole as starting points, north to south by way of X is here. Then Y is here. And finally Z axis would be here. I'll be damned. It points to a mountain region here in Japan. Aomori...." he said showing the map to Chisame. "It will be hard getting there. Snowfall is heavy in the winter" she said. "Regardless we should go anyway. Whatever is there can't be good for us" Fiona said. "Agreed. The cars will take us back to the station" Chisame said.

About an hour later...

"Your heartbeat has been elevated for awhile" Keith said. "When I took this job, I thought only of the wonders. Being shrunk and going about my day like a koonago. Now seeing what can happen to a shrunken person..." she muttered. She sank into her train seat. "It can be dangerous yeah. But people like us exist to keep things like this from spreading. That is our burden.  To see the ugly side of possibility" Chisame stared at him for a second. "That is a very interesting way to see it. I guess I was kinda childish to think in only those terms" she said. "It's your first time seeing people die or almost die in ways you never considered. No shame in being weired out. If more people had your cheery outlook on magic and shrinking, we'd be out of a job" he chuckled. "Arigato Keith-san" she said. "You're welcome. The train slowed down and an announcer spoke. "I was afraid of this. The train is suspending service due to the snow. It will stop at a small town on the border of Hokkaido prefecture" she said.

"Shit! That gives them the advantage" Keith said. "Not quite. The train before us ran into the same problem. Given the timetables, our targets are most likely on it" she replied. "How far away?" Keith asked. The next town north of our stop is...47 miles away. Too far away for us to walk even with magic assistance. Observe" she said pointing out the window. The snowstorm was blinding, well over a foot had already fallen. The train arrived at the stopping point and everyone got off. They were directed to stay at a few inns in the area. Chisame used her pull to book a room at a hot springs inn. "Will it be a problem for just one room?" Chisame asked as she checked them in. "Only if a snore" Keith snickered. Susan looked annoyed. "The room is the fourth on the right. Our bags have been sent to it. I'll be along shortly" Chisame said. Keith, Fiona, and Susan made their way to the room.

Susan flopped onto the futon while Fiona stretched and looked outside. "The snow is kinda pretty" she said. "Yeah..." Susan muttered looking at Keith. "What's got your jaw so tight?" he asked. "Just trying to figure out how long it'll take for you to fuck Chisame" she replied. "Excuse me?" Keith asked. "I think I'll partake of that hot spring" Fiona said. "Shower. Hot springs are a no no for pregnant girls" Keith said turning attention to her. Fiona skipped into the bathroom. "Care to explain yourself?" Keith asked. "Am I wrong?" Susan asked. "Oh so that's what's up. You're jealous because I'm being nice to her. Well suck it up. That girl just had cold reality slap her in the face. She saw a half frozen shrunken child nearly eaten to the bones by ants. A tour guide crushed flat into the floor. That might be a typical Tuesday for you but that's frightening as fuck to her. And you and your selfishness got the nerve to be jealous when I show compassion to her? GET OVER YOURSELF!"

"I love you and care about your wellbeing, but you are NOT my mate. And who I chose to fuck is not your business" he said coldly. "Then pardon me. Not everyone was blessed with a spouse, mistresses, and biological children. Pardon me for wanting to be protective of one of the few things going right in my troubled life. You send mixed signals Keith. Don't be a pissy child when you're called out on it" she spat standing up. Susan walked out of the room. Fiona emerged not long after. She disrobed and tore her arcane apart keeping her human sized. She sat quietly on the pillow. "You heard all that?' Keith asked. "We have good hearing so yeah" Fiona muttered. "Was I wrong?" he asked. Fiona climbed into the lap of the giant and sat quietly. Keith found himself rubbing her pregnant belly with his fingertip. "Why are you doing that?" she asked. "Thought it would feel good for you" he said stopping. "Never said stop" she said pulling the giant finger back.

"You do things to make people feel better. You go out of your way to do them. Why? And don't say it's because you like being nice" she said. "I know what emotional pain feels like. I don't want others feeling that way if I can help it" he replied. "Now imagine how Susan feels. You know the shit she went through and like it or not, she's bonded to you. She's taken your scent, tasted you, chose you as her protector. You really think she'd be rational in the face of losing your attention?" Fiona asked. "Probably not" he replied. The tiny woman pulled his fingertip just underneath her swollen tits.  "Do you understand how rare a strong, caring, sensual partner is? To know what you desire, to sense your hidden pain, to hold you in their hand with a touch so gentle it could tickle a snowflake?" she asked. Her milk leaked onto his fingertip. Keith licked it away. "So I was wrong" he muttered. "More like right in the wrong way."

"You're right in saying who you mate with is your business and she needs to understand there will be other girls in your life. However, you need to understand why she feels the way she does and compensate for it" she replied. Keith held her in his hands. He looked outside the window. "Give her time and right now I need you" she said. "Okay..." he muttered. "I need...your touch" she muttered blushing. "I understand" he said petting her hair. Keith was gentle as he sucked the milk out of her swollen breasts. The tiny woman cooed in delight as she rested on his lips. It only took a minute to take care of that. She rested as she laid back in his palm. His fingers playing with her tiny feet chuckling at how her teeny toes curled and spread. "Shit that feels good. This is what I'm talking about" she moaned. Chisame Suddenly entered the room. "Oh! I can come back" she said. "Nonsense. Sit and relax" he said. The young woman sat down on the floor lightly embarrassed. "You feeling better?" he asked. "Yes, a little bit" she replied. "I... I didn't know you were a couple" she stammered. "We're not. I'm kinda connected to those I command. Fiona needed some extra attention due to her condition. Can you look after her while I change?" he asked. Before she could answer, Keith handed Fiona into the hands of the Asian giantess.

"Don't be so nervous. Just start with my feet" Fiona said. A minute or so in Chisame asked if she was hurting her. "Nope. You got the touch of an angel" Fiona sighed. Her finger rubbed her legs and thighs. "You sure you haven't done this before?" Fiona asked. She shook her head. "You're too good to be a beginner. Ryoko did this for you didn't she?" Fiona asked. Chisame blushed bright red. "Look, it's okay to feel different things. I can already tell you're a macrophile. It's not a sin" she said. Chisame wanted to cry. Her finger brushed her tiny pussy. Fiona groaned. "Sorry!" Chisame blurted. "Don't be sweetie. If you're gentle, you can suck on me" Fiona said. Chisame gently placed Fiona feet first in her mouth and moved her lips just over her belly. Keith chuckled to himself and dialed his phone.

"How is she?" he asked. "Halfway done. She's sleeping now" Hope said. "Good. And what about you?" he asked. "Missing you" she said. "Aww...I’ll be back soon" he said. "Daddy?" she asked. "Yeah sweetie?" he said. "Something bad is gonna happen. I can sense it but can't see it. Something really strong is blocking me. I'm scared" she said. A chill went up his spine as he knew she had the FarSight ability. "We'll be extra careful" he said. "...okay" she muttered. Keith ended the call. "Damn you're good. AHHH...." Fiona said cumming in the giantess' mouth. "You like the taste of western food?" Fiona chuckled. Chisame placed her on the pillow and hid her face. "I'm teasing! This is how we roll. We break each other's balls and make sure each other is cared for" Fiona said. "That's right. Now live a little" Keith said using arcane to shrink her. Chisame wanted to object but Fiona hushed her. "There...there is a koonago spring just outside" she said. Fiona stood up. "Show me" she said. Keith wanted the little women leave. "Well, I should see to Susan" he muttered going to the mixed baths.

Meanwhile...

"So, what's your artifact?" Mirror Susan asked. Markus looked disdainfully at the throng of shrunken Japanese citizens before her. Some rubbing her still sweaty feet. "My artifact was taken from me and dismantled" he replied. "So you're powerless?" she asked. He snapped his fingers and incinerated a random shrunken person on the spot. "Guess again" he muttered. "So how did you spring me anyway?" she asked. "In modern terms, I hacked it. It is of Lemurian design, so I know how it works inside and out" he replied. Susan goaded a young woman towards a piece of sushi. "And this magic I have?" she asked. "Lemurian. Superior to all others except Etherion" he replied. Susan pushed the girl onto her bare back on the sushi and used some wasabi to stick her to it. "So, I'm like you?" she asked. "I'm purebred. Elite class. The last pureblood Lemurian alive. You are frankly an imitation" he said coldly. "An imitation you need" Susan said roughly as she dipped the sushi and the girl into soy sauce. She looked at him as she placed them in her mouth and swallowed them whole. She bid another to approach. A man this time.

"The others are...lacking. I need talent and you have it" he said. "Well I don't follow those weaker than me. Not anymore" she said. Markus took a chopstick from her and plunged it into his heart. He fell backwards into the floor bleeding and not moving. "What the fuck?!" she yelled. A second later, Markus sat back up pulling the chopstick out. "What would happen if you did the same thing?" he asked. "How...how did you do that?" she asked. "Long ago I mastered immortality. Ultimate immortality. How else would someone live over 20,000 years?" he asked. He stared at her with both eyes with magic arrays in them. "Have I impressed you enough?" he asked. She quietly nodded. He looked over the dozens of naked spellbound people around her. "You enjoy torturing them" he said. "Absolutely. They nearly drove us to extinction. Crushing them, fucking them to death, watching their faces contort in grief and agony as I eat their children as they watch. They deserve no less" Susan said with ire.

"They have their uses. With the right hand, they are useful servants" he said. Susan scoffed. "It's true. A firm hand is what they need" he said. He snapped his fingers cancelling out her mind control spell. Immediately the humans before them began screaming and looking for escape. "Shut up or you all die!" He said with glowing eyes. They stopped screaming but huddled together in fear. "Lick her feet. And you there feed us!" he commanded as he laid down on the floor. Susan watched them obey. "Please...please let us go. At least my children" a man asked. Markus looked at him before glancing at his wife and two kids. "You can all go at the cost of one of your children. Decide" he said. The man lowered his head weeping. He bid his family to grab sushi to feed the giant. "And that's how you do it Susan" Markus said smiling.

"Just keep your end of the bargain" she said. "Hmmm...good. I will. Once the convergence is over and my kin are free, you will have all the artifacts. We will have no need of them" he said chewing his food.

Back with Keith and his group, he entered the spring. As it was getting late, there were no young people or really old. A few middle-aged men and women plus one sulking borrower. The Japanese watched curiously as the westerner entered the water. "Konbawa." he said politely to them. They nodded. Susan heard his voice and wiped her tears away. He waded close to her. She pretended not to smell him and kept her eyes forward looking at the falling snow beyond the sloped awning. "It's pretty" Keith said. "Is it like this all the time?" he asked the others. "No...English" a woman said. "My idiot boss asked if the snow is like this all the time" Susan said in Japanese. The people chuckled and laughed. They nodded. "I know what baka (idiot) means" Keith said. "Saves me the trouble. You were a callous asshole tonight Keith. And I may have been pushy and jealous, but you stomped all over my feelings" she said turning to him. "So Fiona said" he said quietly. "I've...been touchy lately. I snapped at Lawan over something similar recently.

"She even slapped the shit out of me when I blurted out it was easier to try killing you because you love me" he said. Susan sat back listening. "I can't be all you want me to be" he said softly. "I don't need you too! Just love me in the moment! Understand where I'm coming from when I'm hurting. Be there for me...be there to grieve...when I finally die" she said sobbing. "Wish I knew English" someone muttered. "Susan..."

"Don't. Close your eyes" she said. Keith closed them and felt her fingers close to his own eyes. He felt an odd warmth for a moment. "Open them and look North" she said. Keith did and was amazed. "Whoa. Is that an aurora?" he asked. "No Keith. That shimmering yellow light is what magic looks like. The stronger the user, the brighter their magic aura can be. Our adversary is causing that. And before you ask no I can't find their exact location. However, their cloaking spell can't hide them completely.   

You can't comprehend how much power it would take to be that visible" she said shaking. Keith felt a chill even in the hot water. He remembered Hope saying she sensed something bad coming. Keith took Susan into his arms. The Japanese couple close by who stuck around excused themselves but not before winking and nodding.

"They're gone. You can shrink back now" he whispered. Susan let out a sigh as she let go of her spell and drifted into his cupped hands. "No. Not like this" she muttered swimming from him. She restored her human size. Keith looked confused until she used her magic to shrink him. "If...I'm dying tomorrow, I'm having this my way" she said biting her lip. She held him in her hands looking at his erection. "Mine. Just mine...for tonight" she muttered shedding tears. Her giant lips engulfed his crotch and began sucking and slurping away. "Gentle...please" Keith groaned. She laid back and slowed down on him. Her finger rubbing his bare ass. She felt him stiffen and shoot his load onto her tongue. She let him gently slip from her mouth and he stopped as her cleavage caught him. "No more milk" she said sadly. Keith could feel her heart racing. The poor giantess was so fragile to him right then. "I would've loved it" she muttered. "You told me that" he said. She sat on the edge of the spring and spread her legs. She gripped him and shoved him in feet first.

"I would be dead right now of it wasn't for you. Every day I came home I stared at my sword. How easy it would be to place the blade at my throat and just pull to the side. The pain would end. The empty heartbreak. You didn't let me go. You held onto me so tightly. I want you to know that" she groaned as she fucked him in and out of her. "All the stupid shit you put up with because of me and you still keep me around! Oh god! I don't deserve you...but please don't let me go" she sobbed as she bucked and came. Her pussy squeezing Keith as hard as it could before it let him go. Keith rested in her hand as she sobbed her heart out. "Cancel the spell" he said. Susan nodded and did. It was clear to him that all the events that occurred had taken the woman to the breaking point.

"If it was this hard, why didn't you say anything to me?" he asked. She didn't answer. "I knew you had some rough shit going on but this?" he asked. She turned her face away from him. "I told you we don't let those we love suffer in silence. Yeah, I'm your boss but it's more than that between us. You know that. We share our burdens. That's the first thing we learn growing up as borrowers. Share yours" he said. "No. I... I can't" she muttered. Keith pulled her roughly to her. "That's an order" he said. Susan nodded reluctantly and used her magic to link their minds...and their souls. Keith was overwhelmed by the flood of emotions at first. Grief, pain, jealously, all washed over his heart like the ocean tides. He shed tears. He saw images carefully hidden inside her. Susan sobbing in the middle of the night as she wrapped herself in the last pair of Lily's dirty socks. Her sitting in her room holding her sword and placing it at her throat. Only the knock on her door from Rose stopped her.

Her lust for Keith and the guilt of it. Her jealousy of Lawan. Constant nights of praying for him too not leave her behind. When the link broke, the woman was shaking. She didn't have the heart to look at him. Keith turned her chin and wiped her tears away as he gazed at her magic eye. "I'm so ugly inside" she muttered. "Lonely" he said shaking his head. Keith kissed her and held it as his tongue explored her mouth. "I will never abandon you. Never leave you. My love won't fade. I may have...others that come my way but that doesn't mean I pushed you out of my heart. You are mine. My burden, my choice, my blessing" he told her. Her tension so tight she collapsed into his arms. Her focus broken, she shrank down to her regular size. Keith carried her back to his room.

Chisame and Fiona was fast asleep on a giant pillow as they returned. Keith laid down in his futon still holding Susan. He placed her on his pillow. "Don't go to sleep yet" she said kicking his lip with her tiny bare foot. He pursed his lips around it and sucked. She giggled as his taste buds tickled her sole. "We have a long day tomorrow" he said. His finger rubbed her crotch for a moment before he petted her head. "It's not a dream" he said as if reading her thoughts. "I want to try having another" she said softly patting her belly. "I figured you would. When this is all over. I'll be glad to" he said. Susan squealed in delight. "Shhh! Bedtime" he said. "...I love you" she said. "I love you too" he muttered closing his eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Mirror Susan asked patting her full stomach. "Our competition" Markus replied looking outside. Susan had not noticed but as she focused her power to something other than malice, she saw the faint aura of magic. "You serious? They tracked us?" she asked. "For some time. It matters not. If you are done devouring the locals, it is time for rest" he said. Susan laid next to him. "Have you ever taken a mate?" she asked touching his chest. "Thousands. My descendants are spread all over the world" he replied. "Then you won't mind another?" she asked. Markus sat up and tore off what little clothing she had on. He pulled his cock out before pinning her down. "Do not play with me. You want the honor of my seed you must be worthy of it" he said. "Borrowers don't take sex lightly. We can be very passionate people. We're also very resilient and... sensual" she smirked. "I know full well what your kind likes. I had a borrower as a wife once back in the 1880's" he said.

"Then you know how we like our feet worshipped?" she chuckled. He took ahold of her foot and sucked her big toe. "Tell me. Did she please you? Bear your children?" Susan asked. "We were not married long. She found out what I had done to some of the Native American tribes and their brownies. Called me a monster. I ate her alive for it" he replied. Susan got a perverse chill from that. "Well I'm not her. And by the way, the plumbing works down there. Fixed with my magic on the first day" she said with a smirk. She pulled him close as he pushed into her. He fucked her slow and deep as the woman from another world kissed him and smiled. Her belly full of sushi, sake, and dozens of innocent people gurgled as her body moved and jerked. And with a grunt and moan, and a climax, fate moved forward.

The next morning...

"I understand..." Chisame said ending her call. She suddenly punched the window startling the group. "What happened?" Keith asked. "24 people. 24 people this time. I'm calling in SWAT to intercept at the station" she said. "No. They can't do shit" Keith said. "I'll have snipers" Chisame said pissed. "You prepared for mass casualties? You'll have to evacuate the scene to prevent that and as soon as you do, they'll know what's up. Even if you got shots off, there's no guarantee they'll get through their defenses. Don't provoke them" he warned. "I know it's horrible Chisame, but we have experience running these kinds of ops" Fiona said. Chisame hung her head. "The waiting is the hardest I know" she said holding her hand. "They’ll arrive in 13 minutes. I've ordered the conductor to increase speed, so we'll arrive about 6 minutes behind. A car will be ready" Chisame said.

At the same time in Tokyo...

"I've aligned the discs. Now to reintegrate your spinal cord. This will hurt auntie" Hope warned. "As opposed to the pleasant tickling from earlier?" Hikari smiled weakly. "Yes" Hope replied flatly.  Like a tailor, Hope threaded her spinal cord back into place trying to screen out the ungodly shrieking of the tiny princess. The guards were nervous as they were ordered not to enter under any circumstances. "I finished that part" Hope sighed. Hikari whimpered and twitched. "This is most embarrassing. Hope. I need to be...cleaned" she muttered. The shock of reconnecting her spinal cord had caused Hikari to lose her bowels. "Don't be embarrassed auntie. I'm proud of you. Other people would've quit halfway" Hope said. Hope gently rinsed her off. "See that door to the right? Open it and carry me inside" Hikari said. Hope did and found a small pool in the floor. "Place me inside. I can use the spring water to heal my body from here" she said. Hope placed her in the two-foot diameter pool. "You may join me if you wish" she said. Hope shrank down to join her.

Hikari sighed as the girl massaged her legs. "That is unnecessary" she said. "But it feels good right?" Hope asked. The koonago shrugged. "Thank you" the woman muttered. "You need to take it easy until the discs solidify right" Hope warned. The koonago nodded. "I wish I was pretty as you" Hope said as she rubbed Hikari's feet. "You are pretty dear" Hikari said. "Not like you. The way you carry it is...spectacular" she said. Hope began sucking her toes which made Hikari jerk. "Sorry. It's just you're so pretty and I love you. I don't get to see you at all..." Hope said softly. Hikari remembered that borrower sensuality was shared with family members as well. She pulled the girl to her side and smiled.  "You said I carry it spectacularly. Because I was taught to. Most of my life I despised my noble birth. I wanted to play in the mud like other koonago. Play toss the acorn like other kids. I couldn't even have a boy I liked. Everything was either arranged or done for appearances. I couldn't even show my bare feet to anyone other than family or my maids."

"As I got older into my teens, men lusted for me. My cleavage, my thighs, the shape of my ass. All they saw was my beauty and not me. Which is why I didn't choose a husband much to the annoyance of my mother. Even when I was a prisoner, I would be chosen more often to please the guests. The cute koonago. The pretty little one. That one looks good to rub my penis against I'd hear them say. Sorry, this kind of talk is unbecoming" Hikari said. "No. I appreciate the honesty. I feel the same way. I tune out the thoughts of boys back at home. After hearing them wanting to suck my toes enough times it gets irritating. If I told dad the real truth, he'd never let me go out in public again" Hope said. "Sounds to me like people think you're spectacular already" Hikari winked. The girl blushed. "In truth, people can be beautiful in their own unique way" the Princess said. Hope nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile....

"Bring the taxi driver. I'm sure he has a use" Markus said as they got out of the 4WD. The man found himself yanked out of the driver seat by a western woman with superhuman strength. "Let me AAAHGH!" he yelled as Mirror Susan broke his collarbone. "Shut up" she growled as she pushed him ahead. Leaving the station, they had flagged the taxi down. The man thought they were simple tourists, but he was dead wrong. He found it bizarre they asked to be taken to the base of the mountain 10 miles outside the city. There was nothing there. Sure, there was an artifact find not far away but that was years ago. Nobody would bother themselves with digging through a foot of snow and ice when it was far easier to wait till summer. Markus led them right to the face of the mountain where he felt for specific indentions. His fingers rubbed centuries of soot and dirt off the surface and found what he was looking for. Glowing symbols appeared in the air over the surface and he touched them. Markus grunted as bolts of energy burned his hand until a passageway revealed itself. "What the hell?" the man asked. "Security system" Markus explained. "Any other surprises?" Susan asked. "That's what he's for" he replied pushing the man forward. "We should hurry" Susan said sensing powerful magic getting closer...

"Eyewitnesses say a foreign couple took a taxi to the mountain. Hop in" Chisame said. They quickly piled into the Toyota Land Cruiser and raced to the mountain. "Plan?" Susan said checking her sword. "Shock and awe. Don't let up. Heavy         spells followed by melee attacks. Overwhelm their defenses" Keith muttered. "And me?" Fiona asked. "Long range support. I don't want you in the fray for obvious reasons" Keith replied. "Roger" Fiona muttered. Chisame was impressed with how cool and calm they were going into a situation that was tantamount to a battle. "Chisame?" Keith asked. "YES! Ahem...I mean yes?" she said. "Fiona will keep you safe. Stay close to her. If anything happens to her Ryoko and Hikari will skin me alive. So do as she says" he said. "Don't worry boss. I'll keep our cute little guest safe" Fiona winked. Chisame blushed. The car arrived and they got out. "Tracks lead up into that" Susan said. "Chisame?" Keith asked. "Not a clue" she replied. "You two stay out here. They retreat, you dust them from range" he said. Keith willed Rune Breaker to full human scale. Chisame stared at the now legendary blade. She got goosebumps as the situation got more real.

"Keep walking" Susan said. The man stumbled terrified as strange lights flickered on as they walked through the hallway.  Magic arrays lit up before casting lightning. The man screamed as he was electrocuted. Markus destroyed the intrusion sensing spell. Susan shocked his heart back to life and stood him up. "Back to walkin'" Susan said coldly. "Please...I have a family..." he begged. "Lucky you. On a related note I ate 8 families last night. So excuse me if my farts smell funny" she said grinning before shoving him forward.  He got another 15 feet before magic arrays glowed. The panicked man fell backward just as a torrent of icicles came flying down. Most missed but a few embedded into his legs. The man sobbed and whimpered as he bled. He screeched as Susan yanked them out and cruelly cauterized the wounds instead of healing them. "Is that it?" Susan asked. "The chamber? Yes" Markus said as it came into view. He stopped her. Markus pointed to the room. "Get there and you're free to go" he said. The man limped painfully for the room and just as he set foot in it, a magic array glowed under his feet. The man screamed as the spell shrank him smaller and smaller until he had disappeared from sight completely. Markus destroyed the final trap. "They really didn't want intruders" Susan said following him. "The enemy faction was a cautious bunch" he replied. "Then this isn't your side?" she asked. Markus looked over a surface made of obsidian and brushed away centuries of dust and cobwebs. "No" he said flatly. "Markus...I hear footsteps" Susan said.

"Keith, you smell that?" Susan asked as they ran. "Blood and urine? Yeah" he replied. "I hear voices. A man and...mine?" she asked. As they got close their enemy came into view. "There we go" Markus said activating the ancient console. "Holy shit" Mirror Susan whispered seeing a holographic like display of the Earth including a long-lost island south of India.  Markus took note of three highlighted points on the globe. "MARKUS!" Susan yelled as Keith rushed in so fast the wind whipped up behind him. With blistering speed, he swung his sword and decapitated Markus where he stood. "I told you what would happen if you returned. Don't blame me for this" Keith said raising his bloody blade. "Not even a hello?" a voice said. Keith froze as the blood on his sword moved, not dripped, off his sword onto the ground. The severed head of Markus was pulled along by the pool of blood right back onto his neck. The man stood up, cracked his neck, and stared at them. Keith stood dumbfounded and Susan was frozen in place by shock. "What the hell are ya?" Susan muttered.

Markus looked at this universe's Susan. "Don't know about you guys but I got a craving for double mint gum" he laughed. "Where's that sense of humor Keith?" he asked. Keith growled and stabbed him in the chest. Markus smugly pulled himself forward impaling him right through. "You can't kill me boy. I'm the original Shrodinger's Cat. A smart man like you know what that means" he said as he raised his hand. "Gravity" he muttered. A shimmering pulse of energy slammed into Keith launching him into the wall. Markus pulled the sword out of him. "Rune...Breaker..."

"Can't break this kind of spell. Neat toy" he muttered before snapping the blade over his knee and tossing them to the floor. "Bastard!" Susan yelled. "Forgot little old me?" her counterpart asked before kneeing her in the stomach. Susan flinched and coughed before being struck by lightning. Susan looked at Keith who had the look of disbelief on him. She found her resolve and powered up fully. "Alchemical destruction. Level two. Decay" she muttered as she lunged at her. Her hand snagged her coat which disintegrated instantly. The spell spread to her shirt, bra, and skin before Mirror broke away. Dust and underwire laid on the floor. Mirror Susan found her skin cracked and peeling. "Nasty bitch. A few more seconds and she would've killed me with old age!" she yelled. "This is boring" Markus muttered. He typed a series of commands and an odd sound began going off in the room. "Let's go" Markus said as he began the translocation spell. "I just got started!" Mirror Susan yelled. "You're overconfident. There will be other times...if they survive what I just unleashed" he said grinning. "What...have you done?!" Keith yelled picking up the pieces of his sword. "Awoken an old weapon. You wish to continue this fight by all means but it won't bode well for the town nearby" Markus replied. The room, no the entire mountain shook violently. "Boss we got a big fucking problem out here!" Fiona yelled over a magic link. Markus waved bye as he and Mirror Susan departed.

Susan helped him onto his feet. "What is it?" he asked. "Some...thing is breaking free of the side of the mountain near the entrance!" Fiona replied. "Oh my god. Keith" Susan said pointing to a display. "Can’t read it" he said. "Sen... sentinel. It's a giant humanoid shaped weapon" she muttered. "A WHAT?!" Keith yelled. "It is a weapon. Left over from their war. Right now it's set to attack targets with the largest concentration of people" Sudan said trying to comprehend what her magical blood was translating. "Stop it!" he yelled. "Can't. Need command code. A magic array code" she said. The floor lurched hard. "Come on!" he yelled. "Wait" she said looking at the globe. The ceiling began to crumble. Keith pulled her out just as it fell. Keith and Susan made it out just as it collapsed. Fiona and Chisame stared up and behind them in terror. Standing there sitting up was a human shaped statue thing with glowing green eyes. Lines of energy racing through its surface. It put one foot forward, and then another before standing to its full height. "Of course. Why the fuck not? Come to Japan and fight a kaiju" he said. "Keith, I doubt you could call that a kaiju. It's made of stone" she said. "It's a giant right? Monstrous right? Then it's a fucking kaiju" he said looking at it exhale steam from its mouth and shake off dozens of trees and dirt on it.

It turned to look at Setogahara. "It found its target" Susan said.  "What target?!" Chisame yelled. "The city. It's a goddamn doomsday weapon Chisame" Susan replied. "There's....there's 6,000 people in that city!" Chisame yelled. "Then take Fiona and head back! Get people into shelters!" he yelled. "But...how...we can't tell them the truth" she asked. "Make up some bullshit saying North Korea test fired another missile or something" he said. Chisame and Fiona ran back to the car and sped off. "Keith. The way it's moving it will get to the city in 10 minutes tops. Jesus it's big!" Susan said. "Every bit of 300 ft. tall. We have to stop it" he said. "How?" Susan asked looking at the broken pieces of his sword. "By any means" he replied. Keith drew arcane into the snow and began firing off spells rapidly as Susan powered up.

"Come on you bastard!" Keith hissed as fire and ice spells had no effect at all. "Igniting Oxygen. Lemurian fire spell level two. Incinerate" she said firing off a large blast of fire at it. Nothing. "Lowering temperature. Lemurian ice spell level two. Diamond dust" she said. It was pelted with shards of ice. No effect. "Can you shrink the fucker?!" Keith yelled. "Collapsing space. Decreasing mass. Level two reality magic. Miniaturization...error" Susan said recoiling. "I can't. It's like it's coated with a magic repulsion" she said. "Like iron?" Keith asked. Susan nodded. "Lightning! Even this bastard has to obey the laws of elementary physics!" he yelled as he drew lighting arcane. He let lose a bolt of lightning which made the sentinel pause. "Condensing ions. Separating positive and negative. Lemurian lightning spell level two. Skycutter" she muttered. A massive bolt came crashing down on it shaking the thing. It turned his head at her. A odd crack and grinding sound came from its chest. A shining green jewel emerged. The two felt a weird pull as a vacuum formed. Small streaks of electricity formed around the jewel as it pointed itself at Susan. Keith ran to her. 

*PEEEEEWWEEE......BOOOOOM*

Keith tackled her out of its line of fire a second before it unleashed a greenish beam from its chest. It impacted the ground vaporizing the snow and topsoil before the blast tossed the two 50 ft. sideways. "Plasma...condensed the air...ignited it into plasma..." Keith groaned in pain. The world was spinning as Susan collected herself. Mercifully, the giant weapon didn't fire again and went back to its march to the city. The concussion rattled their bones. If not for their fortification, it would've ruptured their organs. "Stay down" she said to him. "You...can't fight that..." he muttered. "It'll scorch the city before it even sets foot in it" she said. "Susan...can't lose..." he said before passing out.

At that moment...

"Hmmm..." Hikari muttered. "Something wrong with your back still?" Hope asked. "I felt your father in pain. Something has gone terribly wrong. Get dressed and run me to the room at the end of this hallway. Quickly!" she yelled. Hope got dressed and ran to the room indicated. "Takeshi! Takeshi!" she yelled to an overweight young man watching tv. "Princess? You feel better?" he asked. "No time for pleasantries! Is the project done?!" Hikari asked. "You mean the Henshin (transform) Driver?" he asked. She rubbed her temples. "What's that?" Hope asked as the man held something in his hands. "Your father sent the artifact Pisces used along with the mirror. The idea was to find a way to mass produce it as a kind of body armor. This fat otaku took it in a weird direction" Hikari replied. "It's not weird. It's elegant. Onmyoji magic mixed with Japanese modern culture. A magnificent device" he said proudly. "Which I might believe if you didn't keep asking me to wear your Sailor Moon doll clothing. Does the goddamn thing work?" she asked.

"Never been fully tested. The spellcraft is solid so it should. However, it's very physical. You up for it?" he asked. "As the imperial princess, my condition is irrelevant. My nation is under attack. My people in danger. Hand it over" she said. He reluctantly did and as soon as she touched the oval shaped device it shrank to her scale fitting in her hand. She touched it to her waist, and it telescoped a belt which held it in place. "You Kamen Rider otaku...can't believe I'm doing this" she muttered. "Hope. Take me to your daddy" she said. Hope nodded and opened the gateway leading to the mountain. 

"DADDY!" Hope yelled seeing her unconscious father sprawled out on the ground. She immediately began healing him. "...Hope?" he asked opening his eyes. "By the kami...you were fighting a kaiju?!" Hikari asked sitting on Hope's shoulder. "Haha...told Susan it was a kaiju. Hikari. That thing is going to turn Setogahara into ash. Susan ran ahead to stop it. Chisame and Fiona are down below getting people into..." he was saying before they heard sirens. "Into shelters" he finished. Hope went dizzy and fell into her father's arms. "She's exhausted. Don't think she even slept" Hikari said landing on his shoulder. "She tries her best at everything she does. Hikari. Only lightning slowed it down. Even then the damn thing nearly vaporized us. Without Hope I don't see how we'll stop it" Keith said. Hikari hopped onto snow. Her tiny feet barely making tracks. "I didn't come expecting to lose. No, you won't see me so broken and helpless again" she said angrily. She touched the artifact driver on her waist.

"Yokai Driver on.”

"Henshin" Hikari said. A flash of light surrounded her as elegant clothes began magically fitting on her body. "Yokai Change. Form Koonago" the odd device said. Hikari checked herself. No injuries. No weird magical side effects. Her kimono fit perfectly with its hues of blue and brown. Even her geta sandals fit well abet her toes were cold. "This four won't work. Now he said to draw the kanji with my fingers..." she muttered. "Yokai Change. Form Yuki Onna" it said. Again, Hikari was surrounded by light until she stood human sized before him. "I'll be damned" Keith muttered. He always though she was pretty, but she was magnificent now. She was as tall as he was, barefoot with long black hair with streaks of white going to the small of her back. Her eyes blue as sapphire “Time to reclaim my honor" she muttered looking at the giant. "Hikari!" Keith yelled. She turned to him. "Come back safe" he said. She smiled warmly and took to the air.

A gentle snowfall had started at that moment and Keith watched with awe as it seemed she hopped on invisible footfalls in midair. In reality, using her borrowed power, she was using snowflakes to rebound her steps. Literally hopping from snowflake to snowflake. The giant had gotten halfway to the city with a desperate Susan hitting it as best as she could with lightning attacks. It seemed the giant had considered her less of a threat as he closed on his primary target. "You did well Susan. Allow me to assist" Hikari said landing in front of her. "HIKARI?!" she asked. The woman let out a smirk before she began her assault. A cold wind descended onto the giant and got colder, tighter, fiercer. The woman grimaced as she concentrated. A sheen of ice formed on the rocky skin of the monster. "You alright?" Susan asked.  "I need you to punch the shit out of it. Take heed in using your defense magic on your hand. I have chilled its skin to that of liquid nitrogen" Hikari replied. The giant was groaning as it couldn't move. It turned his attention to them.

Susan leapt into the air as she concentrated her fortification into her hand. "Manipulating gravitons. Condensing gravitons. Lemurian striking magic level two. Touch of Infinity" she muttered just as the chest weapon melted the ice off in front of it. It charged up for its attack. A mighty punch from her staggered the beast enough its shot went very wide. Far away there was the sound of an explosion...

The ice shattered taking its granite rocky skin with it. "Iron. The whole damn thing really was covered in it! Hikari!" Susan yelled landing. "Leave it to me. Stand back" she said drawing kanji on the driver. "Yokai Change. Form Oni" it said. Susan was blinded by light as an immense figure took form. When it dissipated, there before her was a massive figure as tall as the iron weapon. No clothes on her body. Her skin the color of blood, her hair so black no light shined off it. Her eyes glowing amber. She flexed her muscles and Susan could hear them move like heavy rope under her skin. Her fingernails longer and sharper matching her toenails. "Even these?" Hikari muttered feeling two short horns growing out of her forehead. The giant threw a punch so hard the sound shook Susan’s bones. "Jesus Hikari!" Susan yelled. Hikari wiped blood from her lip. A massive 40 ft. kanabō (club) shimmered in front of her and she took it in hand. She swung and knocked the thing onto its back. "That stung" she muttered. Hikari planted her feet firmly into the dirt as she straddled it. She raised her made over it to deliver a crushing blow. And then...it fired a small burst.

The giantess crashed into the ground. Her skin smoking. Susan barely avoided being squashed like an ant as Hikari fell backwards. Susan watched in fear as the hit was so powerful it made Hikari's heart race. Her pulse so rapid Susan could see the Hikari's 9 ft. exposed pussy throb.  "Hikari! Please get up!" Susan screamed as the giant got back on its feet. A large lightning bolt flashed right over Susan's head horizontally striking the giant. It howled as Hikari began standing up. "My god..." Susan muttered. "Oni...have very tough skin. Susan ran away now. What comes next will decide all our fates" Hikari said weary. On the artifact driver, the kanji for Oni glowed. Hikari pressed the plate inwards until she felt it click. "Form Oni maximum burst!" it yelled. At first Susan thought it was a huge flock of birds she heard but there was none. No, it was the sound of static electricity collecting rapidly in the air. Her hair stood on end. The building charge so massive even her pubic hair stood on end. The giant charged for his own attack seeing the imminent threat she posed. Susan was about to give warning but realized this is what Hikari meant by what comes next. She knew this would be the deciding factor. "Join your creators yaro" she muttered as she let off the biggest lightning bolt Susan had ever seen from her horns. Susan screamed in pain as her sensitive hearing was assaulted by thunder at 130 db, over ten times louder than a normal lighting strike. The snowfall was utterly blown away by the shockwave. Just a few milliseconds before, the giant fired its weapon as if fate demanded it.

It happened to quickly nobody truly saw what transpired. Only the aftermath. The plasma blast moved at over Mach 5 but compared to lighting it might as well just have been frozen*. The magnetic force and ions of the bolt split the plasma like a prism and blasted clean through the iron plating. The electrical charge overwhelmed the magical circuits and spell totally destroying the monster's functions. It fell on its back dead but not harmlessly. The overcharge overwhelmed the philosopher Stone firing gem in its chest which glowed brighter and brighter. "Oh Jesus..." Susan muttered.

 (Authors note: The return strike of lightning, which we see, travels at one third the speed of light)  

Susan saw the horror that was coming. A stone detonation was a fearful thing. A high-quality stone the size of a golf ball could destroy a two-story house. And Lily had told her that the only other green stone (encased in the Ring of Shishak) was at least 1000 times more powerful. And the green stone pulsing to detonation in the sizzling chest of the iron sentinel was the size of a car. Hikari heard Susan mutter with hopelessness. She scooped the woman up so quickly she took the snow with her. Her booming footsteps shook the mountain as she sprinted to Keith and Hope. The oni giantess snatched them up without stopping and ran as hard as she could. Her back ached as muscles yanked on still fragile discs. Her eyes closed shut to prevent freezing wind drafts as the 290 ft. giantess broke 250 mph. The horrible whine behind them turned into a screech and then a flash of green so bright it could be seen for miles.

*BOOOOOOM*

The shockwave struck Hikari in the back and she screamed in pain. Thankfully, she had the sense to go limp and roll as she was tossed off her ginormous red skinned bare feet. She came to a stop sliding in the snowy dirt. "Please be alive" she muttered looking down hoping her cherished friends weren't pulp in her hand. "We're alive...thanks to you" Keith groaned. "Damn right. I thought that was the end" Susan muttered. "It seems the gods still have use for us" Hikari said standing. Quietly, she was thanking her gods she could still stand at all. A small mushroom cloud ascended overhead. "My god Hikari. That must've been at least a kiloton of explosive force. We should be asking if you're alright" Keith said. "Oni are legendary for tough" she muttered. She fell to her knees. "Yokai Driver. Form Out" the device said before deactivating leaving a normal, yet very tired and sore koonago in the snow. "As you see the project we decided to do works. I take back every bad word I said about that fat smell otaku" she chuckled. Keith picked her up before she face planted in the snow. He handed the still sleeping Hope to Susan before taking his phone out. He dialed a number.

"Huh?" he asked dialing again. "Strange" he said. "Something else wrong?" Susan asked. "Tried calling Fiona to give the all clear. It just says the number is either turned off or out of service. That shouldn't be a thing. I got service so she should too" he said. "Fiona. Check your phone. Fiona?" Susan asked trying a magical link. It took nearly 20 minutes to return to the city. The all clear had not been given yet and Chisame wasn't answering her phone either. Fire crews raced down the main roads towards the same location. Billowing smoke rose over them as they got closer. "Chisame!" Hikari yelled seeing the girl sitting on the curb shaking.

"There you are. Where's Fiona?" Keith asked. The girl looked at him with heartbroken eyes. She turned to where the fire was. A massive scorch mark on the ground led to the gate entrance of a high school. The front entrance had been blown away setting off a fire in the main building where firefighters were hosing down as they watched. "What are you saying? She...she's in there?" Susan asked. Chisame shook her head. "She was standing here right next to me. We...we were making sure no civilians were left outside and then she...she grabbed me and threw me across the street. There was a green flash" she muttered. Keith looked away from their location. As The school and gate sat on higher elevation, it was in the line of sight of the giant. Keith remembered there was a faint explosion when it's shot went wide. "It landed here" he muttered. He stood in the scorch mark before the gate. A twisted solidified pool of iron before him where the metal gate had stood. His lip quivered as the sickening revelation came to him.

Fiona had seen the blast coming with her borrower sight and with her borrower reflexes, tossed someone she loved away just a few seconds before the end. Thousands of degrees of plasma energy didn't even leave ash behind. Fiona...along with her unborn child was vaporized. "Hope...honey wake up" Keith muttered poking the tiny girl in Susan's shaking hands. "Yeah dad?" she muttered wiping her eyes. "In know you're tired but daddy needs you. Fiona...Fiona died" he said. Her eyes went wide. "I'll, I'll bring her back!" she yelled standing up in her hand. A few seconds went by with nothing. She looked at her giant father. "I... I can't" she said. "But you brought back Ritchie! He was chewed up!" Keith yelled. "Exactly! I had something to work with! I don't have anything here...nothing at all" she muttered. "All that power..." he thought.

She heard that thought. "I'm not a god dad! Believe it or not I have limits! Why can't my own dad see that?!" she sobbed. Keith walked away in grief and shame. He said very little else for the remainder of that day. The incident was classified as a failed sub fired missile test by the North Koreans. The damage attributed to falling debris of a missile exploding at high altitude. The wreckage of the giant was carefully carted off by the JSDF much to the annoyance of the American military and news crews. Of course, North Korea denied any test. Keith stayed to himself for the remainder of their stay barely saying anything to Hikari and only looked quietly at his son Yuusha. The flight back was awkward as Fiona had been their pilot which left Keith to do the job. Susan didn't even know he could fly a plane.

"Yes Control. Make preparations for a memorial but keep it quiet until I arrive. I should be the one to tell her husband. Will do. Keith out" he said ending the call. Susan entered the cockpit. "Something I can do for you Miss Durmont?" he asked. "Don't. Don’t push me away like that" she said sitting copilot. "I had Control unseal her final wishes. Where she wants to be buried. Who should speak. She has you singing the farewell song. When we get back you should start practicing" he said coldly. "I'm hurting too Keith" she said softly. "...our descent into Heathrow will begin soon. You should return to your seat" he said whispering. Susan sniffled as she left the cockpit.

Later that night...

Susan was going over the events in her mind that occurred earlier that day. After leaving Hope in the house, he made his way to Fiona's apartment. Susan followed as she felt it was her duty. Keith asked for the man to come out onto the balcony. The familiar giant sitting down in front of their apartment had garnered attention making others come out. Susan quietly gasped as the man came out with two tiny very young borrower children. She forgot Fiona was working on her third child, not the first. Keith told him slowly that Fiona had been killed in the line of duty and that he was sorry for his loss. The children didn't understand a word of it. The man asked how and Keith answered flatly that it was very quick and painless. "She saved lives sir. She was brave until the end. The man looked at the giantess. "Thank you, Susan. Is there even a body?" he asked. She shook her head. He looked at Keith with eyes that he would not forget. Pain, grief, rage, and the question of how to go on...

(Authors note: When I envision scenes, I kinda put myself in the position of the characters. Yes, corny I know. In this scene I think of families of soldiers that get that knock on the door with a soldier standing on their porch. I tried to think of how it would feel and couldn't. Not truthfully. A moment to consider what they feel please...)

Keith watched the man break his stare and disappear back into his apartment. He bent down hugging his kids tightly sobbing. The people watched in disbelief at the scene. Keith stood up. "You should've done it. You're his friend. I'm just the asshole who sent her off to die" he muttered walking away. Susan broke the news to Ruby who just broke down on the floor crying. She had come to regard Fiona as an aunt figure. Susan cuddled her on the sofa. "I won't say not to cry. I won't" she said. Susan stayed by her side rubbing her little feet as she blankly looked at tv. The news still reporting about the incident. "Daddy won't come in" Hope said over a sudden magical link. "Come in from where?" Susan asked. "The city. He's so sad. Please bring him back into the house. I'm worried" Hope said. Susan out her shoes on and stepped outside. There was a faint smell of hard liquor in the air. Susan followed it through the heart of the city past last midnight and it led her to a drunk giant sitting beside the building meant for ceremonies and funerals.

"Little late for a stroll" Keith said. "Drinking alone?" she asked. Keith used the bottle cap to pour one out for her. Susan sat on the ground near his feet. She took a drink from the cap and nearly gagged from pure vodka. The low illumination from the Christmas lights revealed his bloodshot eyes. Drinking, crying, or maybe both had caused it. "Number 300. Fiona was number 300. That's how many funerals I've overseen since I took this job. No... its 301 ain't it? Fiona was pregnant" he said before taking a swig. "Keith. She was an agent. Agents die in the line of duty" Susan said. "I could've prevented this one! If I used the sense, I claim to have I would've left her pregnant ass back at the inn! This is on me!" he yelled. He breathed hard. "Because of my dereliction, she's dead, her unborn kid is dead, the kids she did have got no mom, and her husband sees me lower than worm shit" she said before reaching into the memorial hall. He pulled out a stained wooden box and popped it open. Susan looked somberly as the contents was Fiona's wedding dress. "Not even a fucking body" he said as he closed it back. He held the box to his lips gently kissing it. The giant stifled his crying with short gasps.  

"I disappointed my daughter so badly with my selfishness and insensitivity. The very thing I swore I'd never do I did. I made my child cry" he muttered taking another drink. "Put the bottle down. It won't stop the pain Keith" she said. "But I'll feel better" he said. "Then I'll drink it all up before you can" she said roughly before drinking. Keith watched her drink for several seconds nonstop. Once it passed 20 seconds, he got concerned. "Stop. Stop Susan. I said stop! You want alcohol poisoning idiot?!" he yelled. "You...callin' me idiot?! You're the idiot! What happened to sharing our pain?! She was my closest friend! The godmother to her kids! You think you got the monopoly on pain here?! I'm now the oldest living THORN agent. I don't want that title..." she said crying. Keith picked her up in his hands.

"I can fall apart and take the easy route, or I can keep moving forward. I made the mistake of choosing option one before. Won't do it again. And by God and His Host, I'll be damned if I let you do the same thing I did! You owe me a baby! I won't let one of the few lights I have left shining in my dark life be lost. I won't. I WON'T!" she screamed sobbing. Keith slipped her tiny shoes off. "Stick your feet out sweetheart" he said softly. Susan lifted her legs up as Keith sucked them in right to the claves.  Susan’s crying turned into whimpers as his giant tongue licked her bare soles. He let go and cuddled her in his hands. "The fact you can mourn says you're a good leader Keith. No such thing as caring too much" she said looking at his saliva between her tiny toes. Keith placed her on his shoulder and screwed the cap back on the vodka bottle. He carried her back to her home. With his free hand, he removed her roof and placed her in her bedroom. "Do you mind?" she asked pointing to downstairs. Keith nodded and picked up the sleeping Ruby.

The teen girl fit so easily in his palm. Her pretty red hair lying to the side. Her little rosy bare soles. Her steady breathing. Keith petted her arm all the way down to her right foot which rested on the pad of his finger. Her teeny little toes curled slightly on the tip of his fingernail. Susan watched his intense eyes. She smelled no arousal from him, so it wasn't that why he fondled her. "The future. He's destroying the future" he muttered as he placed Ruby in her bed. He tucked the small borrower in. "The memorial is at noon but we're having a briefing shortly before. Won't be long. Just need to make an announcement" he said. Keith closed her roof and left.

The next morning...

Susan rubbed her feet as they weren't used to heels. The briefing room was occupied with all agents not on assignment abroad and all wore funeral attire. "Susan I'm so sorry. I know you were close to Fiona. Did the boss say anything to you about this? Most meetings are longer that what we were told it would be this time" a girl asked. "No Beth. Not a word" Susan replied. Keith walked in moments later wearing a blue suit and tie. "Thanks for coming. We got somewhere we need to be soon, so I'll keep it brief. As of December 16, 2018, 1145 hrs. GMT, I'm declaring Protocol Omega for ALL missions regarding ZODIAC. All other protocols are rescinded including the protocol regarding collateral damage" he said. There were more than a few murmurs. "These people decided they give not one shit about mass casualties and I for one am tired of the kit gloves. Time to raise the black flag and slit some throats. Yo motherfuckin' ho" he said angrily.

"Objections?" he asked. One by one agents stood up. Keith and Susan held their breaths. In unison the three-inch specialists in spycraft and combat saluted him. "Alright. Now, let's say goodbye to a friend" he said leaving.

The hall was packed. Keith and Susan were shocked at how many attended. Over 300 had come. Keith sat on the street outside along with Rose who was dressed in a dark dress and barefoot. With Susan speaking, she asked Keith to hold Ruby in his hands for emotional support. One by one, people that new Fiona best talked about her. Stories mostly but the happier moments she gave them. Ruby sniffled in his hand as he rubbed her back. Oddly enough, Hope was not with him but in the hall. Hope assured him that it wasn't because she was mad with him. As solemn as it was, it was a learning moment for the girl. Keith had sheltered her from the grieving Borrowers that lost people in the battle. Simply put, she wanted to grieve like a normal girl.

Her husband spoke about her. How they met, their first child being born. And then he spoke of her service to THORN. "She said it gave her life meaning. Purpose and that she was blessed to work under two of the most loving people she ever met" he said looking at the giant above him. "I don't blame you. I don't" he said to Keith. Keith shed tears hearing that. Rose squeezed his shoulder. Ruby saw the giant holding her crying. This huge opposing male. Strong, fierce, cute and desirable to her budding needs and drives. But as she looked in his eyes, she saw he was only a man. A man hurting so much on the inside. She rubbed her bare feet on his palm to get his attention. She smiled at him. Keith kissed her head and nodded before wiping his tears away. And then it came time for the farewell song...

"It surprised me to learn that she chose me to sing this. I'm not no professional singer so there were plenty better to pick from. But when I saw what sing she chose I understood. Fiona knew I was a Christian and she was no believer of God. Not shocking but when she became a mother, she had me teach her prayers. She began to believe in a greater purpose to things. I told her God wasn't responsible for suffering. That through him we find the strength to carry on. That we can't know the good times without the bad times. Hehe...one time we got to arguing about Jesus. She said Jesus used magic and I said it was miracles. What's the difference she asked. That...that made me think. Fiona asked the hard questions. The ones that made us think. The ones...that made us feel good about ourselves when we saw things we never seen before. One of the things she used to say was a quote from one of her favorite songs. "No matter how far we've come, I can't wait to see tomorrow". And I shared my favorite song of mine I heard when I dreamed. It's...it’s the song she chose for her farewell..." Susan said taking a deep breath.

(Authors note: The song in question Susan is about to sing is "Walk Around Heaven All Day")

One of these mornings won't be very long... you’ll look for me and I'll be gone, yes I will. I'm going to a place where there'll be nothing, nothing to do. But simply walk around heaven all day. 

Susan walked to the box and placed her hand on it.

"What’s your name?" Fiona asked. "Susan" Susan replied. Fiona held her hand out. "Ummm" she muttered. "If you're doing something, I'll have you know I'm blind" Susan said. Fiona took her hand and shook it. Susan pulled away. "Don't. Everybody is giving the 13-year-old blind girl grief for joining the academy. You don't want misery by association" she said. "I'll be the judge of that" Fiona said...

When I get to heaven I'm going to jump and shout! Nobody will be able to put me out. My mother, she'll be waiting, my father, my three sisters too. We'll get together and walk around heaven all day.  

"Shit!" Susan yelled. "What's wrong?" Fiona asked. "I can't get the footing for this stance right without falling" Susan replied. "You're on the balls of your feet is why. Put your soles flat and keep your toes loose" she said bending down to her feet. Susan twitched and squeaked as she felt her fingers touching her feet. "What was that?" Fiona asked. "My feet are extra sensitive" Susan replied.  "Ohhh...lets see how sensitive" she giggled. "Haha! Cut it out! Damn you Fiona! I won't forget this!" Susan howled as the girl raked her nails up her soles after catching her stumbling.

Oh Father up above, don't you hear, can't you hear me praying? I need you, I need you to the walk right by my side. Lord, when my way, when my way gets cloudy. I need you for my guide.

"Fiona. I can't see where to go. The smoke and noise is too strong and loud for me to tell" Susan said. The fire spell the man had been using backfired setting the house ablaze. Their mission ended when a beam fell on him, but it seemed they would die as well. "Go...on...*cough* without me" she said. "I'm not leaving you behind partner. I need my bridesmaid" Fiona said pulling her to herself. "At this rate you'll burn too. Don't throw it away for me" Susan said weakly. Fiona kissed her and pushed some air into her lungs. "We're getting out of this together. Just hold tight to me no matter what" she said as she drew wind arcane in the ashes. "What are you doing?" Susan asked. "Riding the backdraft. Hang on tight!" Fiona yelled as she activated the spell. The air was sucked inwards pulling the flames and suddenly expanded behind them. The pulse of compressed oxygen ignited blasting the three-inch girls through the air through a broken window and landing softly in the grass outside. "Nothing. OWW...to it" Fiona chuckled. Susan didn't let go of her. Fiona quietly carried her away from the inferno holding her tight.

Everyday will be like Sunday, my lord, Sabbath will have no end. We'll do nothing but sing and praise his holy name. And when he says "sister, well done", then my race shall be won.

"Fiona, I don't know what to do. If I tell Lily, she'll never let Rose go to a human school again" Susan said. "And those are the kidnappers?" Fiona asked. Looking at a freshly shrunken minivan sitting on her nightstand. "They won't come out" Susan muttered. "Not even for a cute giantess like yourself?" Fiona chuckled. "Not funny. They got really close. Too damn close. I shrank them but..." she muttered. "But you don't want them to get away. Cops and all that. I understand" Fiona said. With little care, she tore the doors off the van and emptied them out. Four of them and at their scale as small as breadcrumbs. She snatched up three of them and tossed them into her mouth. Sudan watched shocked as she swallowed them without hesitation. "We're not sanctioned for that!" Susan yelled. "Susan. You got the sweetest heart of all of us, but this job isn't about morality. Not about rules. These kinds of people don't give one shit about feelings, wellbeing, or any of that. These kinds of people would've cut off Rose's fingers or toes until her mother paid up. There are times we don't have to kill and then there are times like this" she said.

"We can't play god Fiona. Not even us" Susan said looking at the survivor. "Then pray for my soul" Fiona said before squashing the last one under her hand. She wiped the blood off on her pants. Susan watched the woman leave with a sadness on her face. Now, Susan wished she comforted the girl at that moment.

As Susan began the final verse, she stumbled. A giant hand descended from above bracing her back. She looked to see it was Keith.

Gonna walk around heaven. Walk around heaven...I’ll walk around heaven. Walk around heaven...walk around heaven all day.

"God. I don't even know you exist, but I'll try just in case. My friend Susan is hurting so bad. She lost someone she loved dearly and she's getting worse by the day. She pushed us out of her life, and I have her space. But...I'm scared. I'm really scared. I think she wants to die. I don't know what to do or say. Please. Please tell me what to do" Fiona sobbed on her knees in the locker room. Susan was close by listening. She emerged from the shower. "Susan! Didn't know you were here" Fiona said getting up. "Washing off the sweat from a workout. Two for one tacos in the cafeteria. Join me?" Susan asked. Fiona glanced at the ceiling but they both knew it wasn't the lights or tile roof she was looking at. "You had me at tacos" Fiona giggled.

Susan placed her shaking hand on the box. "Goodbye. Until we meet again...partner" Susan muttered.

An hour later...

"Had no idea you could sing so beautifully" Claire said. "Thanks. Now that my memory is back, I can remember lots of practice in the choir back in Georgia. Pass the baked chicken please" she said. The wake for the funeral was held in the house. Hundreds attending and the maids had a time tip toeing around not to step on so many small people. Trays and tray of food for everyone. Keith listened as people laughed at some of the antics Fiona had gotten into. "It's sweet Hikari sent something too" Susan said sitting next to him. "High dollar sushi. First class flown in" he said. Aspen looked at him with concern. Keith weakly smiled back. "It must be hard for him. The trauma of losing his family makes this hit close to home" Claire said. "I'm worried this job of his is getting to him" Aspen whispered. Keith glanced at Hope sitting to his right. She grinned at him exposing a bit of lettuce stuck in her teeth. "You're silly" he chuckled. He kissed her forehead. "Thanks for trying to cheer up daddy" he told her. Susan suddenly put her fork down. "Keith. We have a visitor. A very powerful visitor" she said concerned. Just then a maid came up to him. "Sir. We have a visitor at the door. He's insistent on entering" she said. Keith looked at the giantess. He quietly excused himself along with Susan.

After growing to human size, Keith flexed. "If they show even the slightest threat, we kill them on the spot. No banter, no posing, no taunting" he said to her. Susan nodded. Keith opened the door. "Hi Keith. I'm sorry for coming in unannounced but I thought it was high time we all met" the man said. "Buddy. You have no idea how thin a line you're treading" Keith said. Susan held out her arm to stop Keith. "Wait. I... I know you, don't I?" Susan asked. "Well, it's been a long time for you but yes Susan. It's so very good to see you all grown up" he said. "Susan?" Keith asked. "Keith. Look at him. The white hair, the tanned skin, that build and age. He matches the description my real father gave for the man he called Joseph" she said.

"Right on the nose sweetie. Now can I come in and we can talk about what was, is, and shall be?" he asked smiling.

"Mind if I sit down to eat?" Joseph asked. "...go ahead" Susan said. "Susan! This dude just showed up on our doorstep!" Keith yelled. "This dude probably has the power to blow this house into splinters if he wanted. I don't smell any malice from him. Please. Let's just see where this goes okay?" Susan asked. Keith reluctantly let him in. He was on edge until the man shrank himself down to sit at the small but fitting dinner table. Keith shrank himself down to join him but motioned with his eyes for Susan to remain large. She sat on the floor behind them. "My condolences by the way" Joseph said putting food on the plate. "How do you know that?" Keith asked. "I know a great many things Keith. I know the spirit of an ancient fairy resides in you. I know Susan hates hairy fruit. That Claire is worried she's not spending enough time with her son. That Aspen feels she needs to find something else to do with her life" he said eating.

"You're not making me feel better about you" Keith said. "I'm not here to soothe your anxiety. I came because you need guidance. Sun Tzu wasn't kidding when he said you need to know your enemy" Joseph said. The man devoured his food quickly. "These baked beans are exquisite. Better cut back or I'll be playing the butt flute tonight" the man grinned. Susan chuckled behind them. "So, you're really the man who helped my family?" the giantess asked. "The same. I can tell your seal broke. Must've been terrible for that to happen" he said. "I got ran through with a needle" she said. He stopped eating. "...I see. Well it worked out anyhow. Got those memories back I bet" he said. "You never answered my question" Keith said. "I know things because I can see things. Calling it clairvoyance doesn't do it justice.  Hmm..." he said seeing a few staring at him. "Can we talk more in private?" he asked. Keith nodded and led him to the library.

"An original first edition of Moby Dick? Is that the original page from the play manuscript by Shakespeare? Lily had excellent taste" the man said admiring the collection. "Ahem" Keith coughed. "My apologies" Joseph said sitting on the floor. Keith sat inches away with a looming giantess Susan nearly between them. "On behalf of my sisters, I apologize for the trouble Ikaros caused" he said. "Sisters? Wait...Ikaros was you sister?!" Keith yelled. "Keith. Pelé said she was the sister of three siblings. Her, Ikaros, her little brother who died, and then another brother she doesn’t mention" Susan said. "That's right. I'm that other brother" Joseph said. "Hold the phone. That means you had Etherion. Is it true that you created the Lemurians?" Keith asked. "Both true" he replied. "You white haired asshole! You have any clue how much misery your actions brought on humanity?!" Keith yelled.

"How your Generation says it, slow your roll. What they did was by their own choice. I'm no more responsible for that than a mother giving birth to a murderer. And besides, it worked wonders for the first thousand years. My intentions were noble I assure you" Joseph said. "Forgive my skepticism but I have reason to doubt your sincerity" he said. The man snapped his fingers turning Keith into solid gold. "You made your point!" Susan yelled. With a snap of his fingers he turned Keith back to normal. "How did it feel to have your soul trapped inside your gold body? Gold is eternal" Joseph said quietly. Keith didn't answer. "Keith. I'm here to help. No tricks. No cons. Now I can leave you to fend for yourself and bury more of your beloved people, or you can take my help" he said. Keith silently nodded.

"When I made the Lemurians, I did it to elevate humanity as a kind of penance" Joseph said. "Penance for what?" Keith asked. "You may have heard this tale from Pelé already. Us four were gifted with Etherion at the same time. Not long after we got to arguing about how to use it. Our little brother wanted to transform the world to ease the suffering of humans. Pelé wanted to let humans fend for themselves and intervene when absolutely necessary. Ikaros wanted to rule over humanity and force evolution through culling. And myself, I wanted to use the power to evolve humanity peacefully. Our squabbling turned into an all-out conflict with our brother trying to broker peace. Pelé tried to kill her sister with a super volcano. Ikaros tried to obliterate her with the power of the sun itself. And I used my power in an effort to seal Ikaros away in what you call a micro black hole. Yes, you heard right. The battle ended when our brother got caught in the crossfire. He didn't survive our attacks."

"We came to our senses too late. Our brother was no more, and the sky was choked with ash and soot. The very land itself was broken by the upheaval of magma, nuclear explosions, and super gravity. We vowed to use our power to prevent such a tragedy from coming again. We went our separate ways after that" Joseph said. "So, your penance was for your brother and the damage you caused?" Susan asked. "Not just that sweetie. Our battle was so fierce, we nearly caused the extinction of humanity. Imagine, thirty young girls being what was left to rebuild the species. Can you understand the gravity of such a thing? A 11-year-old girl having to bear children before the winter sets in to stave off extinction? That was my sin" Joseph said. "So, you took random humans and gave them magic?" Keith asked. "With a bit of guidance Keith. I'm remorseful not stupid. And even then I waited almost 40,000 years before making that decision.  Within a thousand years, Lemurians had created a civilization that rivals anything modern."

"I selected people from across the globe for genetic diversity, gave them my Etherion seed, and showed them how to use magic responsibly. So peaceful I took a mate and lived as they did...under disguise of course. And all that ended when an Etherion child was born among them. They divided his power and chose to use it to expand their culture and influence onto the continent" he said. "Why didn't you stop them then?" Keith asked. "Last time I swung my magical dick around we burned the world Keith" Joseph replied. "I could only watch the horrors they inflicted on the helpless humans. Slavery, forced breeding, shrinking them down for sport, food, and pets. But the seeds of their destruction had been sown as Lemurians had already begun taking some as husbands and wives. A civil war broke out. One side wanted freedom for the enslaved humans, the other to dominate not just them but the entire population. The ruling council sided with the slavers and brought their power onto their own people rebelling."

"It all ended with the defeat of the council but not without cost. The city was in ruins, most of the population dead, and tidal waves approaching followed by quakes that would swallow the continent. The council was immortal, some of the few that mastered the power, and the rebels feared their rise to power again. As the end came closer, they decided to seal them away with a powerful magic array. However, as even you know, magic arrays can be destroyed depending on the medium. Paper can burn. Blood can wash away. Stone can erode. They needed something eternal. Something not even the mightiest spells cannot corrupt" he said pointing up. "The stars" Susan said. "Bingo kiddo. They used the stars in the sky as the base for the array and sealed them in a prison without light, heat, matter, or energy. A void of nothing. The very stars the bars of their cage."

"And it was done. The rebels had won at the cost of their nation. But the legacy of the thirteen members of the council lives on in their surviving descendants along with the artifacts they inherited" Joseph said. "And now these descendants are members of ZODIAC". Susan said. Joseph nodded.

" I explained what was. And now for what is. As you probably surmised, the array that imprisoned the council has declined. On December 31, 2018 at 3:38 local time, the moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will come into alignment obscuring one of the key stars that binds the spell. A crack will form and with the power of Etherion that crack can be wedged wide open. The council will be freed to finish what they begun so many years ago" he said. "There is an entire nation of magic users we can call upon" Keith said. The man chuckled. "The yaksha are nothing in terms of power to them. It would be like a child competing against Stephen Hawking in a science fair. You struggled against Ebonheart. She was an amateur compared to the council and there's 13 of them Keith. But there is a silver lining in this. The rebels took this into account as well and broke apart a key artifact the Etherion user would need to free the council" Joseph said. "Artifact? They can't just have her snap her fingers?" Keith asked. "No. There has to be a focus for it. We're talking about cracking apart a dimensional plane. A spell relying on celestial gravity, time, and space" he replied. "So what is it?" Keith asked. "The most dangerous artifact ever created. The Eye..."

"of the world" Susan finished. "That's it exactly. Susan? How do you know that?" Joseph asked curious. Keith looked at the giantess wanting the answer as well. "That's what's been rattling around in my head since we came back from Japan. I saw Lemurian script talking about it and three places marked on a globe" she said. "Just now telling me?" Keith asked. "Keith. Half of their language doesn't even fucking translate. And forgive me for being distracted" she said coldly. "Sorry Suzie" Keith muttered. "Suzie?" she asked. Keith shrugged. She grinned slightly as she scooted over to him. "Oh? My vision didn't tell me you two were involved" he said. "It's complicated" Susan and Keith said in unison. "Anyway...this artifact?" Keith asked. "A ring-shaped object around the size of a dinner plate. It focuses gravitons, and exotic particles into a tight singularity..."

"Creating an Einstein Rosen Bridge" Keith said. "A what?" Susan asked. "A wormhole. A shortcut in reality" Keith answered. "Like translocation?" she asked. "Nothing that simple. The Eye can focus magic power like a lens and project it millions of times farther than any movement spell and that's not all it can do" Joseph warned. Joseph used his fingers to make an O and sent his power through them. Above their heads was a shimmering in the air. Joseph stuck his finger through the O and to Keith and Susan's shock, a huge finger appeared over their heads. Joseph pulled his finger back and ended the spell. "Whew! Gimme a sec" he said huffing. "How the hell did you do that?" Keith asked. "Using the same principles as the Eye. Due to reality being distorted, what goes in can come out a different size. And the Eye can do this ANYWHERE. Nukes don't mean shit if you can flatten an missile base under your hand whenever you want. Hell, a fucking city like London can be

squashed flat as a pence, people and all" he said.  There was a uncomfortable silence. "The Eye was broken into three parts though" he said. "And this Markus has one already" Susan said. "Yes...Markus...." Joseph muttered.

"Markus, as he calls himself now, is the last pureblooded Lemurian in the world" Joseph said. "What kind of spell can keep someone alive even after their fucking head gets cut off?!" Keith asked. The man sighed. "He said something about Schrödinger's cat but that's a quantum physics theory" Keith said. Susan looked puzzled. "It's an idea that subatomic particles are in a unknown state until they're observed. It's also why...Lily might still be alive" he muttered. "Are you kidding me?!" the giantess shouted. "I didn't want to burden you with something we can't do anything about! We shrink down to go after her we fall into the same trap and we can't search for her without combing trillions of particles in just one square millimeter. I tried crunching the numbers..." Keith said.

"Keith. It's not just particles. All of reality is based on observation. Even that we cannot see is grounded in the belief of the unknown. In the case of the cat, it's both alive and dead at the same time until it's observed. What Markus did nobody, not even me has done. He used his power to believe his own existence. Simply put, he can't die unless he accepts his death. You could burn him to ash and as long as he thinks he isn't dead, he's not" he replied. "Excuse me. If he is so powerful and long lived, why hasn't he conquered the world already?" Susan asked. "The giantess has a point Joe" Keith said, "What makes you think he didn't? The first record of his existence by human writing names him as Gilgamesh. And then later on down the ages others. Ashoka, Ardashir, Umar, William..." he said. "You telling me he was all them?" Keith asked. The man nodded. "Don't feel so bad about getting my ass handed to him now. Bastard even broke my sword like a tree branch" Keith said. "Show me" Joseph said.

Keith had the sword appear to him. "Wow. He did a number on her" the man said looking at the broken blade. "You can fix it right?" Keith asked. "Not that simple Keith" Oberon suddenly said. "You should listen to your fae friend. He didn’t just break it. He tried to murder it" Joseph said. The man gestured as the hilt of the sword came to his hand. He inspected it closely. "Got good news and bad. Good news is the soul anchoring the incantations is intact. The bad is nobody can fix this kind of break" he said. He saw disbelief in Keith’s eyes. "Susan. Be a dear and hold these two pieces. Oh and don't move or speak" he said handing them to the giantess. With a snap of his fingers, he and Keith vanished.

"Where are we? It's humid as fuck and smells like the ocean and something else" Keith said looking at an expanse of rosy pink under his feet. The ground felt firm but spongy in places. Stranger yet, the ground rose like steep hills or small mountains every hundred feet or so. "Don't recognize this? Ah, you've never been this tiny before. We're standing in the sweaty right palm of your sort of girlfriend. By your estimation, were about one nanometer in size" he replied. "Why the hell would you shrink us this small? Are those gaping holes sweat pores?" he asked looking the flesh at his feet. "Yes, and pay attention. Look that way" he said pointing far left. In the distance, like a mile to him, was what appeared to be a towering shiny wall awash in reddish light rising into the sky "That's your blade or the exposed broken part of it. That light is a kind of curse eating away at it like poison or acid. The blade is a total loss" he said. *

(Authors note: The math...the horrible math. If Keith is six feet tall normally, then he's a nanometer tall here. Since the blade is about an eighth of an inch thick, it makes what he's seeing about 529,166 times his height. Or...601 miles tall...I think. Still not as tiny as what happened to Lily though. Not even close)

Joseph snapped his fingers and they reappeared where they vanished. "Where did you go?" Susan asked. "On your sweaty hand. Nervous much?" Keith asked. "There is a way to restore your sword though. Won't be easy but it's possible" Joseph said. "There's always a catch" Keith sighed. "Deep in a mountain range in Kazakhstan exists an ancient village. There you will find a special sliver ore" Joseph said. "Waiting on the other shoe to drop" Keith said. "This ore is special. Crystallized silver. From it we can forge a new stronger blade" he said. Keith waited still. "The catch is its guarded by a tribe of matriarchal people descended from both Yaksha and Mogwai. My suggestion is you send Susan alone" he said. "And that was the other shoe dropping. I'm not sending her alone. This is my problem. I'm going and that's that" Keith said sternly. "Keith. The Xi, as they're called, don't take kindly to males with chips on their shoulders. While mixing human blood with theirs has weakened them considerably, they're not without ways to kill you...or worse. Consider this a moment" Joseph warned. "Considered. Not changing my mind" he said. "So be it. Meet me back here when you're ready to go" Joseph said growing to human size and picking out a book to read.

Not long after...

"Daddy where are you going?" Hope asked. "Central Asia. I have to fix my sword" he said as he looked for his hiking boots. "I can come with you" she said sitting on his pillow. "No honey. I don't know what we're dealing with. That's no place for a kid" he said. "I'm the strongest kid in the world dad. Don't treat me like I'm glass" she said coldly. "I know you're not made of glass. You are my child. It's my job to keep you out of harm's way" he said. Keith sat on the bed seeing her not buying it. "Do you remember me getting shot? Bleeding on the street as you were torn away from me?" he asked. Hope nodded shedding tears. "That feeling. That fear, dread, that coldness. It's so much worse when it's for a child. I'm only as strong as the people around me Hope. I... I cannot lose you. And that goes for your brothers and sister. I'm not stupid enough to think you won't have to fight one day but until that day comes, you're just a teenage girl. No battles, no missions, no spy shit" he said. "...okay" Hope huffed.

"Leave the bad guys to us kiddo" Susan said entering the room. "You ready?" Keith asked putting his boots on. "I guess" Susan shrugged. "Something on your mind?" Keith asked tying his shoes. "Markus is looking for the other two pieces while we go mining" she replied. "Can't be helped. He beat our asses like we owed him money. The only reason he let us live was because we disappointed him. Take heed that it will be his undoing" Keith said standing. "Take heed?" Susan asked snickering. "Oberon has been chatty the last hour. His way of talking kinda rubs off on ya" he replied. "And what has old fairy been saying?" she asked. "He blames some of this shit on himself. Said he should've kept teaching me magic, so I'd be better prepared" he replied. "I doubt it would've made a difference" Susan said. "I told him" Keith said. Keith picked up his daughter. "Be good while I'm gone" he said kissing her face. He placed her back on the bed.

"Have you considered enrolling her in martial arts classes here?" Susan asked as they walked to the library. He shook his head. "She's at an age where she needs to be physical Keith. Your little bug hunts aren’t doing it. We're borrowers. We need to practice our instincts. Feel our hearts pumping. Smell the air. Feel the dirt between our toes. And do I have to point out she's ovulating?" Susan asked. "No. I could smell that" he said. "And you didn't forget that sexual frustration can lead to mood disorders for our kind, right?" she asked. "What is your point? Suck on her a little? Eat her pussy to calm her down?" he asked irritated. She stopped walking. "You just might have to Keith. I heard the speech about her young mind but she's not normal! We are not celibate creatures Keith! We're tiny and we need to fuck to survive. Evolution doesn't give a flying fuck about her circumstances. Now I agree she's not ready for a mate but you're her father. Even if it's just an intimate massage" she said. "Let's just get on with our mission" he said walking past her.

"They call me Ishmael" Joseph said. "Never read it" Susan said entering the room. "You should. It teaches you not to let your obsessions ruin your life. An odd lesson coming from a man who drank whiskey like water" Joseph said putting down the book written by Hemingway. He looked them over. "Guess you're ready. If you're going Keith, there's something you should know. The Xi keep their males shrunk. Age old law so get small" he said. "Gets better and better" Keith said shrinking. Susan placed him on her shoulder. "Relax. Don't make waves. Don't piss anyone off and just get the nugget of silver you need. Simple" joseph said as he made a translocation gate. The man watched them leave and the gate close behind him. "Think I'll take a look at this city of theirs" he muttered leaving the room.

The air was cooler than they thought as they came out the gate. "It's...beautiful" Susan said. Where they appeared was at the shore of a majestic lake surrounded by mountains. "I don't see any city and what's the weird smell?" he said. "Don't know. Kinda like almonds but with a metallic twang to it. Wait...there's something in front of us. Something hidden" she said stepping forward. As her feet got close to the water, they both felt an overwhelming urge to turn around and leave. "We uhhh...we should leave this place" Keith muttered. "We...we can't. He sent us here to get the ore" Susan stammered. Her feet felt heavy as she stepped closer. "Susan turn around. Turn around!" Keith yelled. Susan didn’t listen as the magical part of her pushed forward. She took another step and the world changed.

"What the fuck?" Susan asked as the crushing anxiety disappeared instantly and what they saw next astonished them. "A spell ward. Similar to what the koonago used to keep outsiders from their village. My god..." Keith said taking in the sight. Before them was a stone bridge that extended for at least a mile right into a collection of ancient but majestic buildings. They didn't have much time to take it in when two women ambushed them. "CTON!" one shouted. "That was Russian" Susan whispered as she tensed up. The women were in their early 20's dressed in light red robes, which exposed their tits, with sandals. Both had black hair. One had green eyes, the other hazel. Curiously they looked Asian. In their hands were silver spears with tips sparking with energy. They cut of Susan and Keith and aimed their spears at her. "Easy" Keith muttered. The woman began asking questions in Russian. "English?" Susan asked in Russian. They looked at one another. "Where did you come from? How did you pass the barrier?" one asked. "We walked through. We mean you no harm. My friend and I are looking for..."

"What species is the male?" one said cutting her off. "Borrower" Susan replied wary. She held her hand near Keith as they eyed him strangely. "Come with us" one said before throwing out an odd disc of silver which expanded many times its size. She had Susan hold her from behind as they stepped onto it. The other guard followed closely behind. "Susan this is incredible! They're using lightning magic to levitate these discs! Susan?" Keith asked over a magical link. "I don't like how they're looking at you Keith. Their pheromones are jacked up" she replied. "Well, I guess I'm kinda rare" he chuckled. "I'm serious. They're looking at you like they want to rape your ass" she said. "Duly noted" he said quietly. As they got closer, they could see this was no village at all but a sprawling metropolis. "How the hell did this all...oh. That...that's clever. That barrier we passed through didn't just hide this place, it shrinks anyone of anything within it down to their scale. And my lucky ass got shrunk even smaller" he said. "This reminds me of something" Susan muttered as some buildings were stepped pyramids. "Kinda looks Mayan doesn't it?" Keith asked. "Aztec actually. That's it! Aztec!" she yelled making him wince.   

"This place reminds me of Teotihuacan the Aztec capital city. That too was built on a lake" she said. "Both built on a lake and both have the same pyramids. Can't be a coincidence" Keith said. "Didn't you say you believed that all small races had a common ancestor?" she asked. "Yeah except the fae. Yaksha and Mogwai both are related to koonago for example" he said. "What about the alux?" she asked. "Elena just said they existed before human's arrived in the region. Wait. You're saying that the Xi are the ancestors of the Alux?" he asked. "Or they have a common one. History is rife with settlers branching off from nomadic groups to settle while the others keep going. What if their ancestors traveled all the way to Central America? What if the story of this place was passed down until the Alux told the Aztecs which in turn built their own city modeled after the story?" she asked. "Fascinating theory that'll have to wait. We’re entering it now" he said.

Keith and Susan were shocked at how many people lived there.  It must've been thousands as they zipped down Main Street and those close enough looked on in wonder at the westerner. They passed a cart filled with men in chains but other than them they saw no males. Not yet anyway. "Off" the woman told Susan as they arrived at the foot of the largest pyramid. She stepped off as onlookers stopped to eye the woman. "Keith. These women..." she said. What they saw didn't bode well for Keith. One woman had a shrunken male tied to a necklace. Another tied in her hair. Even a young girl had a young shrunken boy with a kind of chain around his neck like a leash, in her hand. They were led inside which was far more glamorous than one would think. Polished marble floor, carpet, modern amenities like a fountain and lights. It was as if one took the ancient city and made a 2.0 version of it. One spoke to a woman dressed in red and black robes. "Can you hear them?" Keith asked. "Yeah but my Russian is shit. Test? Male and empress?" she said. "What kind of test?" he asked. "On the platform" one said. Susan was led into a lift with a silver disc under their feet. The woman tapped the disc with her spear and it rose carrying them up.

Once it stopped, they exited into a beautiful room with a unobstructed view of the city and lake. It gave off a sense they were hundreds of feet up but in reality, it was more like 25. And near one window was a throne of polished black marble matching the floor. In it sat a woman around 25 years old barefoot with her feet sticking out. Down at her feet were four shrunken males servicing her soles and toes. She stretched tossing her long black hair from her shoulders. One eye was brown their other blue. Her robes were black with red and gold accents. Her breasts bare "Who may this be?" she asked in Russian. "Forgive the sudden intrusion Empress but these two were caught at the northern gate" the guard replied. The woman bid them to come closer. Susan stepped closer and smelled a scent very familiar. She glanced around. "Westerner. Ah. This is why you rushed here. An outside male and he's small already. You understand me yes?" she asked. Susan nodded.

"What are your names? Where do you come from?" she asked. "Her name is Susan Durmont and the pipsqueak on her shoulder is Keith Empress" a voice replied. From behind her throne stepped none other than Aquarius. "You! That last as whupping wasn't enough for ya?" Susan asked stepping forward again. The guard poked Susan with her spear shocking her. "Compose yourself in front of her majesty!" the guard barked. "Take the male from her" the woman said. Susan stood up as she activated her magic. "I mean you no harm, but I will defend him and myself" she said as her eye glowed with the magic array. The woman motioned to her guard. Susan felt her try to strike her with the spear. She grabbed it and judo flipped the girl. She threw the spear hard enough it stuck in the wall. The empress glared at them as Keith scrambled back to her shoulder. "Cancel the shrinking..."

"Nope" Aquarius said using his artifact. Sudan and Keith felt a force drive them to her knees. Strangely, it wasn't pushing down on her. It was as if her own body knelt. "What the hell is this?!" she yelled. "A technique I enjoy when I'm this close to my target. Don't bother fighting it. You can't" he snickered. Susan concentrated harder. Whirls of energy enveloped her. "Slow learner aren't you?" he said gesturing with his hand. Susan vomited blood immediately. She gripped her heart. "Stop it!" Keith yelled. "Will you continue to fight me?" the empress asked. "...no" Keith replied. The woman took him off Susan's shoulder.  "Let her go" she told him. Aquarius stopped his attack. Susan coughed out a little more blood before gasping. "Give him back" Susan snarled. "Give her shit again and I'll reverse your blood flow till it kills you" he warned. "Susan" Keith said shaking his head.

"Take him for inspection and send the woman to the cells" she commanded. The guard yanked Susan to her feet and carried her out. She then gave Keith to the other one. "Not wanting to be rude but my master is waiting" Aquarius said. "Tell him if you deliver as per the agreement, you can have the part of the Eye" she replied. He bowed and left the room. Keith caught that just as he was carried out. He was carried to a room and left on a table all alone. There were cages around him, but all were empty. However, the smell of blood and piss could be found in them. "Weird. Looks like some kind of medieval lab" he thought looking at oil burners, optical lenses, and glass containers. Nervous as to what they had planned, he used his spit to carry out a spell Oberon had taught him some time ago. "Translation...activation" he muttered finishing. It would allow him to understand their language to an extent. The guard returned with a woman in white robes. 

"He speaks English" the guard said. "And he's from outside? He hasn't been afflicted like the others?" the woman asked. She shook her head. "Then he has uses" she said. "What do you mean uses?" Keith asked. They were surprised by his question. "Take off your clothing" she said. Not seeing an option and worried about Susan, he obeyed. Keith stripped off his clothing until he was naked. "Your age? Species?" she asked. "20 and I'm a borrower" he replied. She jotted down notes. "Children?" She asked. "Five" he replied. The guard and woman smiled. "Lie down" she said. He laid down and Keith his eye on her. “Do not move" she said as her finger went right to his crotch. He grit his teeth as the giantess used her fingertip to raise his cock and balls. A few gentle strokes and he was erect. "Excellent" she muttered. She smiled at him as her giant fingers jerked him off. Keith tried to fight it, but he came on her finger anyway. The giantess studied his semen. "Sticky, thick, appropriate smell. Healthy" she said. "Why are you doing this?" he asked sensing another reason other than sick fun.

"Our males are experiencing infertility. We need fresh males to continue our society" she replied. The guard looked at her. The woman simply shrugged. "I'm a scientist. You don't have to treat me like some stud sex slave. I can help" he said. "We already have someone helping us. What we need is fresh blood to mitigate the damage. Prepare a lottery. No more than four entries per day and only the healthiest females" she told the guard. The guard nodded and left. Seeing her gone, the woman licked her finger clean of his cum. "Hey. Wait a minute now" Keith said as the woman took off her clothing. She snatched him up so fast he got dizzy. The woman sat down in a chair as she looked him over. "Do all borrowers look as cute as you?" she asked petting his chest. "Never compared. Why the fascination with me? There has to be hundreds of males here" he said. "Thousands but none as healthy as you and you're prime for inseminating me" she smirked.

She gave him a long lick before kissing his stomach. "Look, I'm no average borrower. I don't want to hurt you" he said. "You're in no position to threaten anyone unless you want that female to die painfully" she said coldly. "...I'll have you remember you said that" he said softly. She gave him no mind as she forced him up her cunt. Keith closed his eyes and timed his breathing as she pushed and pulled him out. He didn't struggle at all as he planned what to do. Her fluids covered his body. Her heart beat faster as her body temp rose. She was by no means gentle as she left bruises on him. He felt a rib crack and almost cried out but that itself was dangerous as what little air pockets were disappearing. He fell right against her cervix and felt her spasm. "About time" he said. The woman lost on her orgasm didn't feel a slight pinch inside her nor did she notice light coming from her cunt. He felt the cool air as he was dragged out by his left arm.

She placed him back on the table before straddling it. Keith watched as she shrunk herself down. "Thought so" he muttered. He grimaced as she sat up and was suddenly pushed onto his back. "Shocked? I know about borrower strength, so I made sure I was stronger that you" she giggled. "Stop please. You don't have to keep raping me. Let me fuck you normally. I'm begging here" he said. "...very well since you asked nicely" she replied. Keith had her lay on her back. He pushed into her and began fucking. "Now you get the picture. I'm just glad I got to sample you first" she said. Keith said nothing as he bent down to kiss her. The woman smiled contently. She locked her legs around his waist and pulled him in tight. "Yeah that's it. Tell me exactly how strong you are" he thought. He pushed all the way into her and came. "I'm extremely tempted to keep you to myself. Hopefully, the baby will be a girl" she said smiling. With vicious speed, Keith wrapped his hands around her throat and squeezed.

She panicked and went to push him off. "What happened to you being stronger than me? Oh, must've been that fortification spell I cast while I was lodged in your fucking snatch. Used my fingernail to scrape the tissue to draw the blood in needed. Her hands flailed about trying to cast lightning spells. Keith took his left hand off her throat and slammed her right arm down so hard it popped out of its socket. "Please...don't...kill" she wheezed. "You threatened someone I care about. You raped me till you cracked my fucking ribs. And what I have planned next I don't need you fucking up" he said coldly as he bore all his weight down. There was a sickening pop as her windpipe was crushed. Her eyes went into the back of her head. She jerked a few times before she went still.

Keith got off her and put his arm around her neck. "Keith what are you...*CRACK*. By the goddess" Oberon muttered. "Not taking chances anymore. I'm done" he said letting the corpse fall from his arm.

Meanwhile...

"What will they do with her?" a guard asked. "Not a clue. The last outsiders that were women were cycled into the birthing programs" another replied. "Feel sorry for her. Forced sex is a fate that should only be for males. Has she said anything since she got tossed in there?" one asked. "It's been only 20 minutes. She's just sitting there with her eyes closed tapping her bare feet on the floor" the other replied. That indeed was what Susan was doing and for good reason. Closing her eyes sharpened her hearing. Tapping her bare soles on the floor sent out very tiny tremors that gave her an idea of how the layout of the cell block was. And by using her own magic listened quietly to what others were saying. All this didn't distract her fears for Keith though. "Susan. Can you hear me?" Keith asked over a magic link.

"Jesus I was worried sick!" she nearly yelled out loud. "I take that as a yes. Your status?" he asked. "Stuck in a cell with iron bars. Two guards" she said. "Got it. Cancel the shrinking spell on me" he said. Susan willed it and heard him wince in pain. "You alright?" she asked. He didn't answer. "Keith please" she said. "I got a cracked rib from being raped" he replied. Swirls of energy formed around Susan. "Can you meet me in front of that pyramid we entered?" he asked. "Yes" she said coldly. Susan put her socks and shoes back on. She stood up. "Analyzing stone. Sandstone. Alchemical destruction level two. Degradation" she said touching the stone wall that held the bars in place. Instantly, the sandstone turned into sand making the bars fall to the floor. "What the hell?! Sit back down!" the guard yelled. Susan cocked her head as her magic flared up. One went to strike her with the spear only to have Susan catch it.

She spun on her heels tossing the woman still holding onto it. With her momentum, she stabbed the other woman. Susan kicked her to the floor before going to the other woman nursing a bump to the head. "Transference" she muttered magically switching clothes with the woman. She waved her hand over her face changing her appearance to look like the guard. "What the he'll are you?!" she yelled. Susan walked over to the dead girl and shrank her where she lay. She picked her up still in the spear like a cocktail weenie and ate her. She coldly spat out the robes and sandals terrifying the woman. "Don't...don't kill me. I was just doing my job" she cried. Susan watched her piss herself. With a snap of her fingers, she shrank her down to the size of an insect. She plucked her up and paused. "We're you the one who said you felt sorry for me?" she asked. "YES!" the woman screamed. Susan placed her on the floor after using her magic once again. "The spell will wear off in a few hours. Take note I can smell a spider in that corner. That's the extent of my mercy" she said coldly before leaving her.    

Susan calmly made her way out of the prison wing passing guards that gave her no notice. She still worried about Keith who sounded detached. She knew that was when the darker part of his personality took over. She once asked her therapist about that. Her response was that it was a defense mechanism some sensitive people have to cope with trauma or severe emotional stress. A common issue with borrowers she explained. Speaking of Keith, he was busy scribbling arcanes on paper and tearing sections off. "That should do it" he said before leaving the room.

He didn't get far before being spotted. One screamed halt rushing to him. He grabbed her spear and rose his knee up jumping cracking her under the chin. The strike so hard she was lifted from her feet. She fell to the floor unconscious while Keith held her spear. The two guards coming behind her stopped and raised their hands. "Idiot male" one hissed. Keith could see how hasty their spell was which meant his defense would cost them dearly. "Spell error" he uttered. Their own spells backfired causing them to shrink before his eyes. Keith walked after them as they ran away. "Keith they're no threat anymore" Oberon said. Keith easily caught up to them and slammed the spear into the floor making them fall on their tiny asses. He grabbed them both up. "How do I get to the front entrance?" he asked. "Fuck you. I won't give a male the satisfaction of subservience" one said. Keith tore off her clothing and dropped her into his mouth. With no emotion he swallowed her alive. "You turn" he said to the other. "Two corridors down and right! Please don't eat me!" she shrieked. Keith stuffed her into his pocket and proceeded. He had not gotten far when an alarm sounded.

He picked up the pace. More guards blocked his path. "Lightning arcane" he muttered after using a paper. The bolt struck his target shocking anyone within a few feet of her. Their own lightning spells fired. "Spell intercept" he muttered gesturing the bolts to miss. It wasn't his technique that struck terror in their hearts. It was the look on his face. The look of a predator observing his prey. The tactician he was, he was taking their full measure. A bolt got through hitting him in the chest. They ran to subdue him and found the leader stabbed in the chest. Keith rose to his feet. "No more grunts? Officers?" he asked shaking the body off his weapon. He could see a few crying as he got close. "Leave" he growled. They looked at the officer. Keith pulled out another paper. She charged him. "Shrink" he muttered. She shrank quickly as her own momentum carried her to him. When she was able to stop, she was right at the feet of the giant. Keith didn't bother to look down at her. He raised his foot and brought it down with a crunch. "Won't ask again" he said. They took off running. Keith made it to the front only a few minutes later as the enemy only tasked a few to catch the "inferior male" hat escaped.

Susan saw him emerge from the back and ran to him. "I'll kill you to bitch" he said pointing the sparking spear at her. "Hold fire! Jesus Christ hold your fire!" Susan yelled cancelling the illusion on her face. Keith lowered the spear and sighed. "This close!" he yelled. He walked to her and grabbed her hand. He yanked her along gripping her hand tight as they went through the main lobby doors. "You're hurting me!" Susan yelled. He let go. She saw he was deeply disturbed. Breathing through clenched teeth. Muscles tight. Eyes narrowed and tense. "Fuck this place, we're leaving" he said. "Oh shit" Susan said as what looked like police spotted them on the street. They took off running through the nearest alleyway.

They could hear their pursuit. Susan pulled him right as she could hear footsteps coming towards them. They ended up at a dead end. "Protocol omega Susan" he said. "Keith. They're families in these shops and houses. Innocent people" she said. "Down here!" a voice yelled at their feet. They looked down to see a small young woman at a sewer pipe waving. "This way quickly!" she yelled. The guards were getting closer. "You rather take your chances with them?" she asked. "No" Susan said shrinking her and Keith down. The woman had them follow her inside. They rushed to a lower level and waited. "They're not here. Must've took a wrong turn" a giantess guard said. They held their breath until they were gone. "And who are you?" Keith asked wary. "Not one of them. Please follow me. There's no reason to fear me" she said. The young woman held a lantern in her hands illuminating the dank and smelly sewer. "Where's the rats?" Sudan asked worried. "All around you. Any rodents that get through the barrier are shrunk too so don't worry" she said. Keith watched her intently ignoring the struggling in his pocket. Her sandaled feet walked carefully with no hesitation on the slippery stone indicating she's walked this path many times. Minutes passed...

"Not too far now" she said taking a left. "Where are you taking us?" Susan asked. "To a safe place where the empress can't find you. You're not the first to catch her ire" the woman replied. Eventually they got to a stone walkway the led up a steep staircase. The woman pounded her fist on the wood above their heads. A giant trap door opened. Looming over them was a giantess the same age as the woman who found them. "Did you get the medicine Sion?" the woman asked. Sion stepped out and grew herself. "No, I got sidetracked. Come on out. You're safe" she said to Keith and Susan. Susan emerged first wasting no time growing herself. "It's okay little guy" Sion said as Keith took a moment to size up the giantesses. She stretched her hand out to him until Susan grabbed her wrist. "Don't. Don't touch him" she said. "Fair enough" Sion said backing up. Susan gently picked Keith up placing him on her shoulder.

"We really need that medicine Sion" the woman said. "Sasha, the market is swarming with her police looking for them. It was too risky" she said. The woman named Sasha squinted her eyes and Susan and then Keith. "I can see why. The man has no traces of blight as far as I can see" she said. "What's blight?" Keith asked. "It's easier if I show you" she said motioning for them to step deeper into the large underground cellar. There were small tents set up on the floor. Under each tent was a cot and a male laying on it. Keith motioned for Susan to put him on the floor. "This is the blight" she said. Keith looked at the males. Some as young as five years old. What appeared to be bruises on their bodies. Their eyes hurt by the light. Weak and still. He covered his mouth and nose immediately. "It's not a virus or bacteria nor is it passed by contact. We know that much for a long time" Sasha said. "You wanted medicine. Why not use a healing spell?" Keith asked. "Healing spell? There are healing spells?" Sasha asked. Keith and Susan looked at one another. "Yeah" he replied. One of the males began convulsing. "Shit! I just gave him a dose an hour ago!" Sion yelled bending down. She pulled his cot out. It was a boy no older than ten.

"Susan" Keith said. She nodded. "Stand back" she said to Sion. She went to object until she saw the magic in her eye. The giantess scooted back in awe as Susan put her giant finger on his fragile little chest. "Analyzing. Arsenic, cadmium, chromium detected in body. Poisoning. Transmuting into oxygen. Lemurian healing spell level two. Panacea" she muttered. The boy glowed brightly until he stopped convulsing. "He'll be fine now. Just needs rest and hydration" Susan said. "The blight. There's no traces of it at all?!" Sion said. "By the gods you're right. No blemishes on his skin. How did you perform this miracle?" Sasha asked. "Just advanced healing magic. You don't have that? I saw you use shrinking and lightning magic but no healing?" Susan asked. They shook their heads. "Magic is strictly controlled by the Empress. The only magic commoners are allowed is shrinking. Soldiers and police can use lightning" she replied. "And males?" Keith asked. "Absolutely none" Sasha said. "What can you tell me about the blight?" he asked.

"Only what we know. It affects men and woman but mostly men. It goes through stages. The first is bruises. Sensitivity to light. Then miscarriages and weak or delayed ejaculations. Then sterility followed by spasms and death" she said. "Infertility?" Keith asked. Both giantesses nodded. "That explains what they wanted with you and me...especially me" Keith said to Susan. "This has been a plague for ten years but in the last two days it's become a full-blown epidemic" Sion said. "Two days?" Susan asked. "And this Aquarius is here now. I don't see that as a coincidence" he said. "I wish we knew more. We think the state knows the cause but won't disclose the information to stave off panic" Sasha said. "I can out that to the test. Is there a place I can be alone?" he asked. "There's a room right over there" Sion said. Keith motioned for Susan to take him to it. "Stay out here" he said entering. He waved to close the door. Keith sat at the door letting the light enter under it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the shrunken guard from before. He placed her on the floor.

"My...my people will come for me" she said frightened. "Unlikely. I left a pile of bodies in my wake. I'm sure they're thinking things over right now. They probably haven't even noticed you're gone yet. That false bravery you're clinging to because I'm a male. I'm not your docile little man you see every day here. I'm something far more. A pissed off person with a penis.  A male with the power to shrink you into oblivion and that's if I choose a merciful death for you. So please keep putting on airs. See how far it gets you" Keith said coldly. The dim light reflected in his eyes giving him an unworldly look. "Why drag it out? Kill me" she said with a whisper. "I don't kill without purpose. Not usually. I'm inclined to spare your pathetic male enslaving life if you cooperate" he said. The girl sniffled as she took off her clothing. "Didn't mean that. I have questions. You got answers" he said. She looked at the small giant nervously.

"First question. Do you know healing magic?" he asked. "Only senior officers know that" she replied. "Second question. How is the blight transmitted?" he asked. "By drinking the water. The poison is in the water" she replied. "Why do the males get sick more?" Keith asked. "Drinking stations designated for males don't have the proper filtration" she replied sheepishly. "Wait. You have segregated drinking fountains?" he asked. She nodded. "And your people knew this was what was happening and still didn't desegregate?" he asked. She gave no answer. "Your society is going to fall, and it goddamn should" he hissed. "Who...who are you to judge? Our society has run this way for thousands of years without fail!" she yelled. "You shortsighted little shit. Look around you! The males are either dying or going sterile! How will your society keep going without fucking kids?!" he yelled. "The same way it always has. We take humans from the outside" she replied. "What did you just say?" he asked. "We sometimes take humans from the outside world to add to our population. It's for a healthy gene pool" she said.

"How often?" he asked. "Every century or so. Last time we took Russians from a camp in the mountains" she said. "Is that why you speak Russian?" he asked. The girl nodded. "We have spoken many languages in the past. Chinese, Mongolian, Arabic..." she said. "All from humans you kidnapped, shrunk, and forced to breed here" he said coldly. "The outsider promised to cure us. This will just be a cycle in our history" she said with meager confidence. "A cycle? I saw how fucked you are. Your society is set to fall in as little as a century. And let me clue you in on something. In the last few decades, humans have gotten only more vicious. Your bullshit raid won't work this time. You either hold up here and go extinct or venture out into the world and take your chances. And let me tell you this..." he said grabbing her leg. He slipped her sandal off her right foot. "Women our size are more prone to be crushed, raped, or eaten alive than men. And that's when the shoe will be on the other foot" he said coldly. He sucked her tiny foot into his mouth making her whimper before he let go. Keith stood up and knocked on the door. Susan opened it. "Who were you...hell did she come from?" she asked. Keith picked the girl up and walked out of the room.

Keith didn't answer Susan as he made his way back to the tents. The other two giantesses there were busy giving the others water. "Stop. You're killing them. She said as much" Keith said holding the girl out for them to see. She was barely a speck to them, but they saw enough to know she was a guard for the Empress. "You brought one of her's here?! She'll expose us!" Sasha yelled. "I want you to see what's coming for your people" Keith said showing the girl males in different states of illness. "They'll get better" she said. "No, they won't. The damage is very extensive. I can save most of them but even those may never have kids. I can see the damage in this one here" Susan said pointing to another young boy sleeping. "I can clear the toxins out of his body but the damage to his sexual organs are beyond me. He'll never have children" she said. The girl looked at the boy. "How many are affected Sion?" Keith asked.   

"Every male has some degree of the blight. Cases this advanced? About a third" she replied. "A lie!" the girl yelled. "The truth! Your degenerate of an Empress lied to you all about how sick they are! What kind of person lets this happen to children? What has he done to deserve a life of slavery other than being born with the wrong set of genitals? Hmm? These are our sons, brothers, fathers, nephews, grandchildren and we treat them as sex toys or slave labor in the mines. Maybe...maybe we should all die off. But before we do..." she muttered touching Keith’s hand. The girl fell to the floor and due to her size (terminal velocity being extremely low) survived. She scooted the girl away from the tent. "Your name" Sasha growled. "N... Nadia" the girl said barely being heard. Susan's eyes perked up.

"Well Nadia. Before I die, I'll spend what time I have left saving what your side treats like garbage" she said as she slipped her sandal off. On the sole of her foot was a black bruise indicating Sasha had an advanced case of the blight herself. She slammed her foot down. Sasha stared down at her foot. Between her toes was a cowering sobbing speck named Nadia. The smelly confines between her toes began to close in on her. "Sasha. It won't change anything" Susan said. "And it won’t bring your son back" Sion said. Sasha lifted her foot up and walked to the opposite side of the room. Susan snapped her fingers growing Nadia to Keith’s size. The girl ran hysterical to Susan. "Don't you dare thank me. You have NO IDEA how lucky you truly are right now. I grew you only to keep a better eye on you. You try to escape or harm my male I will eat you alive...slowly" Susan said. Nadia wisely sat near the wall.

"You disagree?" she asked Keith. "Couldn't care if she lived or died" he replied. She took him to the other side of the room for some quiet time. "My luck powers kicked in again it seems" she said. "What do you mean?" he asked. "That girl. It wasn't random you chose her" she said. "Yes, it was" he said. Susan shook her head. "Her name is Nadia. That's Russian for hope" she said. Keith looked at the girl missing her sandal crying by herself. "She told me a few things" he said. "That's why you took her?" she asked. He nodded. Keith went on to tell her what he had been told.

"So that's why they speak Russian? What kind of camp do you think it was?" Susan asked. "Not a clue but some of the pieces are starting to fit. Their water supply is contaminated with heavy metals and compounds which explains the almond smell. The entire damn lake is polluted" he replied. "Natural?" Susan asked. "Those do occur naturally but if that was the case, the blight would've finished them off ages ago. Come with me" he said. He walked over to Sion. "Sion. You said this has been around for decades?" he asked. "About 30 years" she said. "And around this time the Russians came here?" he asked. "5 years prior" she replied. "And this here got serious when?" he asked. "Two days ago," she replied. "Nadia! When did the outsider come?" Keith yelled. "Two days ago" she replied. Keith and Susan looked at one another. "You gotta be fucking kidding me! He's the reason they're like this! You stupid..." he trailed off.

"I agree Aquarius is behind this but how?" Susan asked. "Don't know. I'm sure he made the problem worse somehow. He's using it to cash in obviously" he said. "The outsider was promised the fragment of the Eye if he staved off the blight" Nadia said. "That's the plan. Markus knew the second fragment is here, so he sent Aquarius to fetch it. Since he's male, they told him to fuck off. He discovered the source of the blight and made it worse as a way to gain leverage. I'm sure of it" he said. "But how?" Susan asked. "Tempering with the water source for the city. Sion, I'm assuming you don't take water from the lake" Keith said. "No, too much of a hassle as the fish are big enough to swallow us whole. We couldn't do any maintenance on the pipes. We built aqueducts that funnel water from the mountains long ago" she replied. "Can you take us there?" Susan asked. "In the morning" Sion replied. "It is late. Forgot the time zone" he said. "You can use that spare room over there. I use it sometimes when I can't leave the infected alone" she said. Keith and Susan nodded. Keith watched quietly as Susan went to healing as many as she could.

"Good night" Sion said. "And her?" Sasha asked looking at Nadia. "With us. We'll keep the door closed" he said. "You try to escape..." she said licking her lips. The girl cringed in fear.

Late that night, all three were resting in the spare room. Nadia slept in a box. She was given the choice of either that or Susan's humid smelly boot. Nadia chose not to use her sweat soaked insole as a bed. Susan slept on a plain bed with Keith sleeping on her pillow not far from her face. Keith however was not sleeping peacefully. "Please sir. Don't....it hurts. You're too big...to big! IT HURTS!" he screamed. His shouting awoke Susan. "Keith?" she asked opening her eyes. He was tossing and turning, whimpering and crying. "Keith! Wake up!" she yelled poking his small body. He woke with a start. Susan went to touch him, and she jerked back so hard he slipped off the bed. Susan caught him before he fell to the floor. "...please...I'll do whatever you want. Just don't rape me again" he whimpered. The sound of his begging voice broke her heart. "It's me baby. It's Susan" she said softly. The terror left his mind reminding him where he actually was. "Oh. It's you. Sorry about waking you" he muttered. "Keith...your voice. What you said" she whispered. He looked away. She brought him to her face. "I recognize that tone in so many others. I didn't know" she said. "It's not something a talk much about" he said. "Tell me" she said. Keith didn't say anything. "Please. I share so much with you" she said. He could see the worry and sincerity in her eyes.

"Shortly after I escaped the human that killed my sister and nearly me in an experiment, I found myself living on the streets of Boston. I was a 14-year-old kid with no parents, no money, and because my DNA was borrower, I couldn't go to any child protection service. Begging helped me for a while. I was cute enough to get some sympathy. When I was 15, I wasn't so cute anymore. I was starting to look like a man. Sprouts of facial hair and all that. In that winter I was starving. Hadn't eaten in days. I wandered down a particular street known for hookers. A car pulled up. "How old are ya kid?" a man asked. I told him I was 14. He had me get in. He drove to an empty parking lot where he stopped. "It's yours if you suck me off" he said waving a $20 bill" Keith said softly. "Oh Keith..." Susan said. "I did what he asked and got my money. Ate off it for a week. Now and then I would go down that street and make money. Got me through the winter."

"Because I ate sparingly, I didn't develop much the following year. Borrowers need more protein than humans so even though I was almost 16 I looked 14. I celebrated my 16th birthday being assfucked by a guy under a bridge. And then one night a man came by and waved a cool grand of cash in my face for one night in a hotel with him. A thousand dollars and a warm dry place to sleep. I couldn't say yes fast enough. He was gentle with me at first. Kissing me. Sucking my toes. Hugging me and kissing my neck. And then it began. He pushed me down and I felt him...enter me. It hurt so much. I felt warm blood trickling down my thigh" Keith said getting quieter. "You don’t have to...

"I begged him to stop. Told him I'd do anything just not that. He just laughed" Keith said. Keith turned away for a moment. "Oberon don't blame yourself" Keith said. "You were my responsibility. I could've done something" the old fairy said softly. Keith had never heard him cry before. "He let me go around 3 a.m. or so. Told me since I didn't get through the night, I don't get shit. So, there I was back on the street still bleeding out of my ass. Distant thunder in the sky and I was just...done. If this was life, I didn't want to be part of it. I began walking to Bunker Hill bridge ready to just throw myself off it. And while was heading there a faint voice had me stop in front of an electronics store window. A computer was on playing random YouTube vids and one caught my attention. The Daily Life of a Borrower by Aspen McCormick. I felt a connection looking at this human girl and ended up walking to her home. And as they say the rest is history" he muttered.

"What happened today brought it all back didn’t it?" she asked. "I didn't just kill her Susan. I broke her neck after she was dead. Those guards were no match for me, and I slaughtered them. I came in my pants as I felt one wriggling down my throat. What does that say about me?" he asked softly.

"That the trauma you suppressed came out. That you made sure anyone that could violate you suffered. And it explains why you're so passionate to people. You want them to feel loved, safe, protected from those who could hurt them. It makes so much sense now. I wish so hard I could take your pain away" she said sniffling. She placed him on her pillow. "I'll die before I let them touch you again" she said with her eye glowing. Keith quietly sobbed where he sat. It hurt her so much to see him cry like a child for that is what she saw. Not her boss but that 16-year-old boy from years ago. Susan used her fingernails to take off his clothes. "What are you..."

"Shh..." she said. Once he was naked, the giantess snuggled him to her nose taking his scent in. He could see tears running down her cheeks. The ancient symbols dancing in her magic eye. "You are mine to protect, lick, and suck" she muttered. Her giant lips found his cock and gently sucked. Keith groaned as his sensitive head was tickled by the tip of her tongue. He held the tip of her nose as he fucked her lips. They took their time but eventually Keith came. Susan tasted his seed and the fragile heart within him. A part of her deep inside neither human nor borrower but Lemurian catalyzed with her deepest wish at that moment. Keith felt a warm radiance enter him as if he stepped into the sun. A peace and serenity entered his heart so brilliantly it humbled the borrower. "What...what just happened?" he asked. "Well you came silly" she giggled. "Not that dummy. What did you do at the very end?" he asked looking at an odd staticky shimmer in her magic eye. She blushed in embarrassment. "I uh... I think I gave you a part of my soul" she muttered. "When I'm human sized again I think I'll eat you. I want more" he said. "Doesn't work that way dummy" she giggled.

"You don't know how much that meant to me Susan. All of it" he muttered laying back down. The giantess kissed his bare back and closed her eyes.

The next morning...

"Now that we had breakfast, shall we get started?" Keith asked. Sion nodded but have a curious expression. "And this one?" Sasha asked. "We can take her with us. Being a guard, she's patrolled the aqueducts before" Sion said. "Wait. Are we gonna have trouble?" Susan asked. "Unlikely. The guards patrol down there sparingly. It can be dangerous down there, so they patrol like once a week" Sion replied. "Not to mention the source of the blight is there" Keith said. "Alright. I need you to shrink down before we go outside. Can't risk anyone seeing you" Sion told them. Susan reluctantly agreed. Susan, Keith, and Nadia rode in her pocket as the giantess made her way through the streets. "I expected this to be less comfortable" Keith remarked. "Speak for yourself. Someone's foot is pressing into my ass" Susan grumbled. "That would be me. Apologies" Nadia muttered. Susan shoved in the darkness and heard the girl squeak. "Someone's face is buried in my cleavage" Nadia said. "Keith..." Susan growled. "You're the one that pushed" he said. "That tickles when you talk" the girl muttered. "Shut up your three. We're near a checkpoint" Sion muttered.

"Papers" a guard growled. Sion showed her identification. "Purpose of entering the historical sector?" she asked. "I'm running an errand for my employer. I'm here to look for a copy of The First Ones" she replied. "All should have a copy of that" the guard said narrowing her eyes. "It's of a personal nature. She's expecting a granddaughter" Sion said. "...why didn't you say so? Go right ahead" the guard said. Sion was let through. She walked long enough she figured she wasn't being followed and ducked down into an alley that led to a wall with a rusted gate. After the coast was clear, she slipped through the broken gate and disappeared into the aqueduct entrance. "Sorry about the ride" she said placing them on the ground. She unshrunk Susan. Susan went ahead and grew Keith back. "Her too" Keith said about Nadia. "You sure?" Susan asked. "She can see better" he replied. Susan shrugged and undid his shrinking spell. "This doesn't let you off the hook" Keith warned her. He had her take point.

"What's the First Ones?" Susan asked. "It's the historic record of our people. It tells the story of how our distant ancestors came to this region. It began with them fleeing a sinking continent in the Far East. Most of the survivors chose to live in Asia while a handful made it here. They founded our city and became known as The First Ones" Sion replied.  "Sinking continent? Keith that would mean they're descended from Lemurians" Susan said. "Not just that. That would describe the yaksha too. Lawan said her people came from a single individual that granted them power" Keith said. "A Lemurian descendent no doubt. And they don't know?" Susan asked. "20,000 years is a long time. The fact the Xi remember is astounding" he said. "What is these Lemurians?" Nadia asked. "The people you all came from. One side vicious and the other kind to humans. They fought a war that destroyed their homeland. That Aquarius guy works for the last one" Keith replied. "To get the fragment?" Sion asked. "One of his goals. If he succeeds, they'll enslave the planet. Male or female it won't matter. He may very well destroy you all just because you know magic" he replied.

"The Xi have protected themselves for thousands of years" Nadia said. "And how do you stop someone who can't die? You have no idea how powerful their leader is. I beat you and your friends with ease. And their leader refused to kill me out of pity. He could crush you like bugs if he wished" Keith said. Nadia grew quiet. "Question? What's up with enslaving males?" Susan asked. "That began a few thousand years ago. We had a king that treated the females of the city as playthings. Then one day a woman with vast magic power overthrew him and by edict all males would be enslaved to prevent what happened earlier" Sion replied. "Forgive me but that's stupid" Susan said. Nadia stopped walking. "Our traditions aren't stupid" she muttered. "How would you like it if you were shrunk and enslaved for something a woman did thousands of years ago? Two wrongs don't make a right" Susan said. "Our society is a structured and sound..." Nadia said before slipping on the narrow walkway.      

Keith grabbed her before she could fall to her death into the rushing water below. He pulled her back up onto the walkway. "With women with two left feet. I'll take point. Borrowers have better eyesight anyway" he muttered. Nadia found him curious. Even with his threats, he still looked after her safety. "This place is a maze" Susan said. "It began in the historic district in the center of the city and spread out linking to the mountain. Some areas haven't had visitors in over a millennium" Sion said. "How far do we have to go?" Susan asked. "The source of the contamination has to be at the mountain. Anywhere else and it wouldn't spread as much" Keith said. "Then we have a ways to go" Nadia said softly.

Meanwhile...

"I know you're there little one. It's well past your bedtime" Joseph said sipping tea in the kitchen. Hope emerged from her hiding place underneath the coat rack. She flew up and stood on the table. "I was wondering when you'd come to me" he said. "I've been sensing you all day" she said. "And sizing me up no doubt" the giant chuckled. "You don't seem so strong" she huffed. "Because I've been holding my power back not to frighten you" he said sighing. The tiny girl flinched as massive magic power emanated from him. "I mean you no harm. So, ask your questions. That is why you came to me" he said. "If you knew ZODIAC was such a threat, why only help now? You could've helped long ago" Hope asked. "What makes you think I haven't tried? I helped Saladin end the crusades. I helped the success of D Day. I have done what I could to stem the tide. The girl seemed unsure of his answer. Joseph snapped his fingers and a deck of cards appeared in his hands. "Care for a game of Uno?" he asked.

He dealt the cards. "Do you or do you not have Etherion?" she asked. "Not like you. I have the remnants of it. The experience behind it. Like the knowledge of how to make a deck of cards the oxygen in the air into paper, ink, and plastic. No, you have the true form" he replied throwing down a card. "I heard you burned the world" she said. "That I did...with help. Having great power can be a horrible thing" he said. Hope paused as she looked at the giant cards floating in the air. "Did you use it for personal gain?" she asked. He cocked an eyebrow. "All the time in the beginning. If I wanted a female I took her. If her mate objected, I crushed him under my foot. That is until one girl I wanted jumped off a cliff to escape me. She was your age. It was then I saw the sorrow my power was making. Is this been on your mind? Using your power to get what you want?" he asked. "Draw four. Color is green" she muttered.

"It's just us here. What you say here stays here" he said. "I want to breed" she said flatly. "Then chose a male. You're healthy. Good hips, breasts, nice feet if you’re into that" he said drawing cards. "Father says I'm not ready" she said. "Because if your emotional immaturity. When I was your age, girls started having kids around 11 or 12. Of course that was a necessity" he said. "I know all that but that doesn't change how I feel. A cute boy passing by smells so delicious. A boy dripping with sweat looking at me smiling. I've seen girls my biological age pregnant and I feel so empty. He says I'm not ready, but I know it's more than that for him. Something he hides deep inside. A horrible pain he forces back inside whenever I bring up the subject of sex" she said. Joseph dropped a card into the pile. "We all have secret pains, and some do influence our decisions. I spent thousands of years trying to undo the things I did. Hell, I had thousands of children, but we can't be free of the past unless we stop letting it haunt us" he said.

Hope nodded understanding that. "How did it feel to kill people?" she asked softly. "All depended on why. There were times it was exhilarating. And others...empty as fuck. You kill someone recently?" he asked. "A man who was selling kids. I felt his life just escape his body as I crushed him flat. And it felt so fucking good" she said dropping a card. "And that worries you?" he asked. She nodded. "There are people in the world that are better off dead. I won't sugarcoat that. However, the trick is knowing which ones. Etherion can see into people's minds, connect their souls but it can't see their potential. Uno by the way" he said. Hope looked at her cards. She put down a yellow three. "Out" he said placing a yellow seven. "Rattled by what I said or you losing?" he asked. "Both" she replied. He looked off into the far distance and squinted. "And those that were with them died too right?" he asked. "Susan took care of it. She knew they were just as evil" she replied. "And those that work with evil should be condemned so?" he asked. Hope cracked a grin. "Perhaps a real-life lesson is needed" he said snapping his fingers.

Hope didn't recognize where she was. Her bare feet sank into the soft earth. "Where are we?" she asked. "A valley in Nicaragua. Things may look weird as we're about 500 ft. tall at the moment" he said. "That on the ground" she said. "That there is the drug compound of the notorious Negro Sangria cartel. They alone run half a billion dollars in cocaine into North America every year. Their efforts destroy thousands of lives each year. Oh...our voices attracted their attention" he said as ant size people on the ground started shouting. Spotlights illuminated the giant and giantess. "Dammit! Joseph you brought me here in my jammies! I don't want bad people seeing me in my pjs!" she yelled. "Don't you think you have bigger concerns?" he asked. The humans below began firing their rifles at them. Hope went to shield herself but found their bullets not even tickling her. Then they brought out the big guns. They used RPGs which stung her skin. "That hurt asshole!" Hope yelled raising her bare foot over a few of them. She slammed it down shaking the whole valley. A pulped exploded mass of people was flattened into the dirt.  Hope paused. "Oh my god. I killed em" she muttered. She looked at Joseph who shrugged.

The buzzing of a chopper filled their ears like an angry wasp. It unleashed its chain gun stinging her. The strafe nearly hit her right eye. An anger she swatted it so hard it exploded. "They ruin lives right?" she asked. He nodded. "And the ones that help em are here too right?" she asked. "Some but not all" he replied. Hope gritted her teeth and began crushing any she found. Her footfalls so heavy it cracked the foundation of the makeshift mansion 200 men were turned into jelly under her giant teenage feet. Some bodies glued to her soles. One soul stuck between her toes until she slammed her foot down breaking his neck with the g forces. Hope could sense there were more in hiding. She tore the roof of the main mansion and found only a few maids. "Get the fuck out!" she yelled. Joseph cocked and eyebrow to that. She felt him down there and plunged her fingers through the floor into the basement. She pulled out a lone man.

Enrique had seen a great many things in his life but never a colossal teenage girl. She had obliterated his guards and any help was not going to show up anytime soon...not that it would matter. He unloaded his Desert Eagle into her face. The .50 rounds not even causing her to itch. Hope knew he was the ringleader and with a grin pressed her fingers together. She watched as the man squealed like a pig until his body popped. Joseph watched taking her measure. Hope sensed more around her and tore off the main roof of the drug lab. Dozens of people below in white clothes with masks huddled under tables. "They make the drugs, don't they?" Hope asked. "That they do" he replied. Hope flicked the tables away and scooped the people up. She began shoving a bunch into her mouth and swallowing them alive. Joseph shook his head. Hope noticed him doing that. "What?! They're evil just like the others!" she yelled. "And you were doing well until now. Choose one and scan its mind" he said. Hope plucked a random one up and read the human's mind.

Anita, a 22-year-old young woman lived in a small village taking care of her sick mother and younger sister. That is until Negro Sangria came by and took her. They gave her a choice. Work in a brothel, their lab cutting coke, or watch as they gunned down her entire family. Anita agreed to work in the lab sparing their lives. She was a slave and on the coldest nights sexually served the guards. Hope saw that in her mind and came to a horrifying revelation. Some served evil because they had no choice. And those that do should be pitied as what potential that had to do good was stolen from them by force. Hope fell to her knees with a thud that could be heard for miles. "Oh god..." she muttered. She tried throwing up. "That won't work kiddo. At their size you digested them within a minute" he said. "YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! YOU KNEW!" she screamed. "Yeah I knew. You were doing so well. I was impressed you let the maids go. I really thought you learned the lesson" he said. "Your lesson cost people their lives! People that didn't have a choice!" she yelled.

"Gimme your hand" he said softly. His eyes glowed with magic. "Why?" she asked. "You want to fix this? Gimme your hand" he said. Hope held his hand and suddenly the world shimmered. When it stopped, she was utterly shocked to see a girl, herself standing with another Joseph. "What the fuck?" Hope asked. "She didn't learn the lesson offhand" Joseph said to his other self-standing there. "The hell is happening?!" Hope yelled. The other Hope went to touch her. "You want to try again?" Joseph asked. "HELL NO!" Hope yelled. "Merge" he muttered waving his hand. Their counterparts absorbed one another leaving the two dazed. Hope heard men running out to them. Joseph took them home in a second. When the spotlights came on, they saw nothing. A man kept running out looking only to fall in an indention. His friend laughed at him but stopped smelling the scent of soap and rose water. The indention was none other than the big toe of Hope's left footprint.

"What the fuck was that?" Hope asked freaked finding herself back on the kitchen table back home. "I rewound time by ten minutes. Of course, that created a paradox that I fixed by merging our past selves. Those touched by Etherion exist outside of the normal flow of time. It's the main reason we can't die of old age. Well, your case might be different. Not sure why" he muttered. "I killed innocent people" she muttered. "Technically they're not dead. You're off the hook" he said tired. "It still happened to me!" she yelled. "And you're smarter for it. It's not enough to tell you why interfering is a slippery slope. You have to see for yourself why. We are charged with a huge responsibility no moral can fathom" he said. "And this is?" she asked irritated. "Humans have a prayer. God grant me the courage to change the things I can, the serenity for the things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference. We are that prayer incarnate" he said.

"I feel so stupid right now" the tiny girl muttered. "Don't. There are people that go through their entire life not learning what you know now. Shit, I wiped out entire villages before I learned that lesson. If anything, you're pretty smart to be on the ball so quickly. You do have much to learn about how to use your magic and when accordingly, but you're doing a fine job so far. I'm proud" he said. The girl smiled a little. "Off to bed with ya" he said. "Good luck. Joseph, we can control time it seems. Why didn't you use it if you knew what happened?" she asked. "Time magic is the most dangerous magic in existence. It can not just erase people but entire nations, civilizations, it can reshape the world in ways not even we know. A few minutes won't do much but months, years, centuries? Not to mention the cost. I'm whipped kid. Anything else?" he asked.

The girl shook her head. Hope went back to her room. She sat on her bed for a moment looking at her tiny bare feet. She remembered killing dozens of people at a time under them but there was no blood, no dirt on them. Her stomach was empty of innocent Nicaraguans which gave her relief but the memory of it remained. She thought the lesson a cruel but necessary one. It mad her think twice about wanting to fight alongside her dad but the feeling, the righteous feeling of crushing an evil person under her bare feet still made her feel...good. "Just have to make sure they're really evil next time" she told herself. A childish thought but it served her for now.

"There. The channel to the aquifer running under the mountain starts here" Sion said. "We shouldn't be here. It's dangerous" Nadia said. "Why?" Keith asked. The girl was shaking where she stood. "Smell that?" Susan asked. "Yeah I do. The smell of almonds. What's the trickling sound? Susan, cast the light orb at the ceiling" he said. The source of light she was using, she moved upwards. "Well look at that" Keith said pointing to a large crack above them. Susan hovered to it. "Careful girl" he warned. "Arsenic, chromium, and cadmium mixed with water. We found how it's entering the water" she said covering her mouth. Susan went to touch it. "Susan!" Keith yelled. She held her hand out to quiet him. "This part here is decades old. Worn smooth and it's got algae. Keith, this part here isn't. It's as smooth as a baby's bare ass. This was cut" she said floating down. "Cut with water?" he asked. "A blade would leave scratches. A chisel jagged edges. This crack was widened with very intense water pressure" she replied.

"Closing it is a temporary fix. That stuff can eat through stone given enough time. Susan, I need you to shrink us down and fly us through that crack. Can you do it?" he asked. Susan smirked as she concentrated her power. Within moments they were the size of fleas as she took them into the air. "Hold your breath and close your eyes" she said as they neared the crack. Once through, Susan sat them down and unshrank them. She created a dozen orbs of light to illuminate the vast new area her ears told her was there. "I'll be damned" she muttered. "And that folks solves the mystery" Keith said looking at a massive rusted symbol of the last century hanging on a wall. A red star with a gold hammer and sickle in the center. "What is this place?" Nadia asked. "Well according to that sign, it is "Collective Mine no. 0411". In other words, a soviet mine left over from The Cold War days" Susan said landing. "And that camp you kidnapped and shrunk those men decades ago? A mining camp. The sound of a falling rock made Nadia jump and hug Keith. Susan sucked her teeth and yanked her off him.

"That explains the crap in the water. They're used as solvents in mining. Byproducts to" he said. "But how did they end up down there?" Sion asked. "Probably an earthquake. This region of the world is almost as bad as California with them" he replied. "What's California?" Sion asked. "One day I might show you" he chuckled. "If you're done flirting, we got company" Susan said. She looked forward of them as she could feel his footsteps. Walking slowly up an incline was none other than Aquarius. "Instead of borrowers I should call you cockroaches" the giant said. Susan immediately grew to his size to attack. He held out his hand and Susan gasped as the mucus in her lungs froze. "Fuck off" he muttered waving his hand sending the woman over a hundred feet back crashing into a pile of oil drums. "SUSAN!" Keith yelled. Keith quickly drew an arcane in the dirt but suddenly felt his finger frozen. He began drawing with his other hand and found it frozen in movement too.

"Nadia, Sion, you need to run!" Keith yelled. "Oh, don't send them away. We're just having a bit of fun" Aquarius said coldly clenching his fist breaking Keith's arms. The man whimpered in pain. Aquarius walked right up to him and smiled cruelly as he grabbed both women. "They aren't a part of this" Keith hissed. "They were as soon as they threw in with you lot" he said back. "Which one are you? Nadia or Sion? Tell me, how does it feel to have the urine in your bladder slowly freeze" he said with a sick grin as he looked at Nadia. Nadia felt a chill starting on her crotch and spreading out. Then a horrible stabbing pain. The girl was in so much pain her scrunching toes snapped the cords binding her sandals together. Keith stuck out his tongue and ignored the sick taste of metallic dirt as he used it to draw a healing arcane. "Aw she passed out. What about you? Should I give you a stroke?" he asked Sion. "Please...ple..." she muttered before she felt a pain shooting up her neck. Blood ran from her nose.

"No that's too quick. What do we have here? Amniotic fluid? You're pregnant? Not far along but I can work with that" he chuckled. Keith felt the bones Keith back into place, and he began drawing the second and third arcanes at the same time.  The tiny woman sobbed in his fist as he stared at her abdomen. "You might feel a slight pop" he chuckled. He didn't see two small flashes at his feet. Keith dashed to the giant and leaped as hard as he could. With two fortifying spells in place, the three-inch man leaped over two feet up. Keith aimed his attack at his right kneecap. *CRACK*

"Motherfucker!" Aquarius yelled as the borrower shattered the cartilage in his kneecap with a punch. He dropped the two women who Keith caught before they landed hard on the ground. "Run fast" Keith said looking at the giant on the ground. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a scrap of paper. Aquarius began to straighten up. Keith let loose a bolt of lightning which the giant deflected at the last second. "Fall back right now" Susan growled over a magical link. Keith heard the tumbling of metal drums. As he ran back, he saw Susan emerge from the overturned drums. Her eye glaring brightly. She rose to her feet...at a pissed off 55 ft. tall. Her head nearly hating the ceiling. The groan of metal as she picked up a rusted old forklift with one hand. "Old Soviet steel courtesy of me and Khrushchev!" Susan yelled tossing the forklift as hard as she could at the man. Bracing himself on his good leg, Aquarius raised his hand and the forklift froze in flight. It simply hovered in the air before a flick of his wrist sent it right back to her. The impact broke the giantess' arm she used to shield herself.

"Impossible. There was no water" Susan said fixing her bone. "You thought my artifact only controlled water? You moron. My artifact, Janus Bangle, can control anything in motion! If it moves, I can stop, reflect, freeze, heat, or simply redirect. Like in your case that nasty lightning bolt back in Thailand. I owe you for that and so much more" he said with the coldest tone. He closed his fist and Susan fell to her knees gripping her chest. "This is gonna take awhile giving your size but goddamn it will be worth it" she grinned. Aquarius used his artifact to rapidly increase the blood pressure flowing through her heart. If she was human, she'd be in cardiac arrest in a second, but borrowers have much stronger hearts than humans to compensate the need for increased blood flow to manage their denser musculature and metabolisms.  "Gáe Bulg!" Keith yelled throwing the ice spear spell. The spear, only the size of a toothpick zipped through the air correcting itself by the spell mechanic of finding its target.... which it did. The spear lodged right into his left eye causing the vitreous humor to freeze solid. The giant screeched in pain as the optic nerve simply snapped. His death grip on Susan's heart was released. 

"Explo..." he huffed at Keith looking at his heart until stray weak bolts of lightning struck his face. Keith turned to see Sion and Nadia charging for another attack. "Fuck yeah" Keith grinned as he made another ice attack. The giant reeled but saw the flash of arcane just as another ice spear was thrown at him. Aquarius caught this one with his power. A bolt hit him again and Keith saw Nadia advancing. She cast one after another screaming. Scared and hurt so bad urine ran down her leg. Aquarius could see who was casting it but kept glancing back at the spear as if trying to decide what to do. "That's it. That's your fucking weakness!" Keith yelled. With a howl, Aquarius evaporated the spear. "Susan! Binding spell! Nadia and Sion! Lightning!" he commanded. "He'll just deflect it!" Susan yelled. "...no, he won't. Or in his case can't" he smiled. Susan trusted Keith and began a spell. "Exciting gravitons. Limiting area of effect" she muttered. Aquarius locked onto her. Nadia and Sion let lose small but effective lightning aiming for his face. Keith meanwhile scribbled arcane spells one after another hoping he had the stamina to pull it off.

The attacks kept the giant distracted. "Lemurian binding spell level one Touch of Gaia" she muttered. Aquarius was painfully brought to his knees by the force of ten times normal gravity. The fact he wasn't face down in the dirt passed out a testament to his own dark training. He raised his hand at Susan. "Heal from an aneurysm bitch!" he yelled.  Susan held her breath. No training on earth can physically toughen a brain. Even being a borrower wouldn't save her as her brain matter was as fragile as anyone else's. Instant death. "Gáe Bulg! Gáe Bulg! GÁE BULG!" Keith screamed releasing three of them at once. Aquarius turned to see them coming at him. He stopped one but not the other two. One landed in his femoral artery in his left leg, the other the jugular in his neck. Their icy magic freezing the blood blocking the flow. A fatal strike times two. "Cancel the shrinking spell on me" he said. "Keith that spell helped protect you from his accuracy" Susan said. "He's screwed and he knows it" Keith said. Susan nodded and canceled her shrinking spell enlarging him to human size. Keith walked up to him.

"How..." the man muttered growing weak. "You gave it away when you caught my spear. When Nadia and Sion attacked you, you couldn't decide what to stop. Couldn't decide because...your artifact can only control the movement of one thing at a time. Speaking of which" Keith replied as he reached for it. Keith slipped it off his right wrist. Keith turned around and walked away. "Susan. Dispose of this trash while he can still feel it" he said. "My pleasure boss" she said raising her foot over the dying man. Susan slammed it down crushing him in a second. The mine shook slightly and they could hear the rumble echoing down mine shafts long abandoned. "I'm done sneaking around like a Jew in Nazi Germany. I want that ore" he said. "What about the Empress?" Susan asked. Keith slipped the bangle on. "Woe for her" he replied.

A few hours later, they stood at the entrance gate in the city. "How exactly we go about this?" Susan asked. "Protocol Omega. Surgical and precise. Make a good show of it. Anyone got sense they’ll run" he said tired. He looked at Sion and Nadia. "Just be...just be careful" he sighed. Susan nodded as they emerged. "Don't run. Stay right here" he told Sion and Nadia. Susan stepped out into the open walking into the street. Didn't take long for her unusual appearance to be noticed. Police immediately ran to her. "One second" she muttered as she took off her shoes and socks. "Don't want to pulverize your street any more than I have to. Oh, and sorry about the smell" she said as she snapped her fingers. The police were shocked as the woman they were about to arrest grew before her eyes. She grew and grew as people screamed and ran. In less time that she thought it would take she was human sized truly towering over even the pyramid that was not far. Susan wriggled her toes thinking on how to proceed.

"She'll destroy the entire district!" Sion yelled. "No, borrowers of her class are trained to navigate a city safely" he said. "What's....what's protocol omega?" Nadia asked. "When we decide that our safety and completion of the mission is more important than sparing innocent lives. We know there might be some good people in your army or that building but we have a bigger picture to think about. Susan is a kind person, so she won't kill for the sake of killing but we won't be taken advantage of anymore. Stay close to me" he replied. Susan took her first step and then the next. Her sweaty giant feet leaving moist footprints on the street which groaned under her weight. People widely fled into their shops and rich homes to avoid her. It took little time before the army arrived. "Disperse or die" Susan warned as she fortified herself. They fired off lightning magic which did nothing. "Increase fire!" their leader shouted. Sudan eyed the woman and lifted her foot. The soldiers scattered seeing the moist giant rosy sole above them.

Susan kept her eye on the commander of the group as she chased her down and pinned her under her big toe. The soldiers watched as the woman begged for help until blood and guts spewed from her mouth as Susan bore down. With little emotion, she ground the woman into a pulp under her toe. "Last fucking chance" she said. The soldiers threw their weapons down and ran away. The soldiers making another stand saw their companions fleeing for their lives. They were the elite, the best the Empress had, and they stood their ground. Susan knew she couldn't disperse them so easily. Keith and the others were not far behind. "Close your eyes if you want" he muttered to them. There were about 50 of them that looked at her feet. The smell was strong, and overpowering being cooped up in boots and socks for two days. Not enough to shake them. Most for the position being of high birth so honor demanded them to fight. And honor that did nothing as her foot came crashing down so fast it was nearly a blur. Windows were blown out for three blocks.

The Empress was told what was outside and she cowered in her throne room. The booms of Susan's feet shaking the building. Susan looked at what she had done with a heavy heart. The grey stone was dyed red with blood and guts. So much it ran into the sewers. And one lone girl stood among the dead. "Go. Just go" Susan pleaded softly. The girl screamed firing off attacks until she was snatched up. "Why? Why keep this up? I gave you a chance so why?" she asked. "My Empress will destroy you! Long live the Xi!" she screamed. Brainwashed was an understatement and letting her go wouldn't work as Keith needed inside. "You saw I tried right?" Susan asked looking at the sky. Susan tore off the girl's clothing letting it flutter to the street below. She slipped her into her mouth savoring her salty taste as she worked up some saliva, and then swallowed her alive. Susan shifted her glance to the top of the pyramid and waited doing her best to ignore the frantic girl in her belly wriggling about.

Keith took point as they entered the first floor. "Nobody is here" Nadia said. "Most likely she sent out all her guards to put down Susan. A stupid mistake to make" he muttered as he walked to the lift. They entered the tube. "If you will" he asked Nadia. Nadia used a small burst of magic to send the disc up the multiple flights of the building. He wondered how tough the Empress truly was. The lift arrived at the throne room and they stepped out. "Guards!" the woman yelled. The guards hastily fired lightning spells at him who easily defended himself with spell intercept. Still fortified, he rushed the guards. He grabbed her shoulder and using his momentum spun around and head locked her. With barely a cringe, he broke her neck. Keith looked at the other guard who was shocked beyond belief.  "Go" he muttered. The young woman threw her spear down and fled. "Coward!" the Empress yelled. "Says the woman who makes others fight her battles. A true leader doesn't shy away from leading from the front. A mark of a leader is one ready to die for their people, not use them as shields or playthings" Keith said walking towards her. "And this is a man who thinks Lily chose the wrong person to lead us" Susan muttered grinning. "...what was that?" the Empress asked. "What I said or the giantess outside ready to help me end this lunacy" Keith asked.

"YOU ARROGANT MALE! I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET SETTING FOOT HERE AGAIN!" she screamed as an orb of ball lightning formed in her hand. "A tier two spell? Bring it" Keith hissed as he quickly pulled out one of the last scraps of paper with arcane on it. He cut loose a powerful flame spell of his own as she threw the orb. The thread of flame seemed to cut the orb in two which wildly arched away. The flame scorched past the woman missing her and seemingly melt off a chunk of her throne. "How..."

"My take of a tier three fire spell. Compressing the flames and superheating the air until it becomes plasma. The ball lightning was cut in what we call a heat lance" he said. She didn't grasp any of what he said but she saw how it melted her granite throne. If it was her body...well it wouldn't be pretty. "Give me crystallized silver ore and that fragment" he commanded. "But Aquarius..." she muttered. "Won't be needing it in hell. Why do you think his ass ain't here now? My friend crushed him like a water beetle. NOW GIVE ME WHAT I WANT!" Keith screamed. The Empress scrambled to the wall and touched a secret panel. The panel slid open revealing a part of a silver and gold ring. "The ore can be found in warehouse just outside this building" she said. "Got that Susan?" he asked. He watched the giantess from the window bend down. There was a loud cracking sound and Susan stood back up. "Got it" she said showing off the ash white boulder in her hand.

"You'll spare me, right?" she asked. Keith turned and walked away. "You can't just let her go! After all the things she's done?! She needs to pay for the misery she inflicted!" Sion yelled. "I never knew she lied to us so badly. I served her faithfully and our people were dying. She could've prevented it" Nadia said. "You'll just make a martyr out of her. You saw how some will give their lives for her regardless the circumstances" he said. "We can't just let her go" Sion said. Keith glanced at the woman. "Susan...cripple her" Keith said coldly. A giant finger smashed right through the lookout window of the throne room heading for the Empress. "Please! I did what you asked of me!" she said gripping his shirt. "I know but they're right. A punishment is warranted" he said throwing her off him. She fell back and skidded face down. In a second, the giantess' fingernail was pushing on her spine. "NO NO PLEASE! PLE...AHHHHHGH!" she screeched as Susan pushed down just enough not to kill her but to sever her spinal cord. Keith watched her little toes scrunch for a brief second before going slack. A puddle of piss formed underneath her. The Empress looked at the giantess where she lay and saw a pity in her eyes. "Is that all?" Sion asked not impressed. "No, it isn't" Keith said.

Keith picked the Empress up. "I can't feel my legs. I can't...just kill me" she begged. Astonishingly, Keith placed her back on her throne. "No, I have a proposal for you both" he said. He walked over to a table on the far side of the room that had royal documents sitting on it. Keith drew an arcane on it. "Take this" he said handing it to Sion. "What is it?" she asked. "A high tier healing spell. Just copy it and it works. Empress. The injury you have is severe enough a no low tier healing spell will work. The woman there has one that will. Obviously, she won't hand it over to you" he said. "So you torture me?" she asked. "No" Keith replied.

"Sion. Keep it to yourself. Use it to heal the others. It won't fix the worst cases of infertility, but it can reverse the early cases of it. Use it to empower your underground movement" he said. "Keith. The supporters of the law and the Empress are everywhere" Nadia said. "I know and unless they want to be childless for the rest of their lives, they'll agree to change the law. If they don't, well you'll outnumber them in 20 years anyway. The Empress here will give her full support which should sway even more. And when she does, heal her" he said. "Just like that?" Sion asked. "Hell no just like that. It will take time, effort, and a bit of trust. Agreed?" Keith asked. Sion walked right to the Empress. The Empress could barely move as she raised her hand. She lost her balance and fell to the floor. She couldn't get back up. "Agreed" Sion said extending her hand which The Empress took. "On that note me and Susan are leaving" he said. "Please stay. A male as strong and powerful as you has to lead us. You're living proof that the stereotype of a weak greedy male is a lie" Sion said. "No. I have enough on my plate. Be strong, kind, patient, and caring. Just be you Sion and you'll do fine" he said.

The woman abruptly kissed him deeply and placed his hand on her tummy. "If it's a boy I'll name him after you" she said. Susan grunted loudly outside. "Uhh..thanks" he said smiling as he walked to the window. He hopped onto Susan's hand and waved bye as they walked away. The people gave them a wide berth as they made their way to the north gate. Once out of the city limits, Susan shrank down to a more manageable size. They took one last look behind them before stepping through the barrier. On the other side, they were human sized once more each one holding something important. "All that for this" Susan muttered holding a chunk of ore the size of a golf ball. "And this" Keith said holding a fragment of The Eye. "Alright you old fool! Bring us home!" Keith yelled at the sky. A translocation portal formed before them and they stepped through.

"The old fool part wasn't called for. Did it go well?" Joseph asked. Keith glared at him as Susan tossed the ore at him.  "Is that a yes?" he asked as they left the living room.

Later that evening...

"The fragment is safely in the vault" Keith said looking at the clock in his room. "And the ore?" Susan asked. "Being refined, purified, and smelted by Joseph and Oberon as we speak. Feels funny not to have that fairy crawling around in my head" he replied. "What's Hope doing?" Susan asked. "Watching them. She's curious" he chuckled. "So we're all alone?" she asked. Keith nodded. Susan touched her shirt and hesitated. Keith stood up and tore her shirt clean off. Susan blushed for a moment. She watched Keith strip naked before her. Embarrassed, Susan took off her clothes. "Susan. We can stop" he whispered. She looked at him and tackled him onto the bed. She smiled at him as she positioned his cock at her entrance. With a low moan, she slid down his shaft. Her hands trembled as she cupped his cheeks. With not a word she began bouncing up and down his cock.

Keith was concerned. She had the warmest smile about her, but tears flowed down her cheeks. Faster and faster she went. Her big toes touching his balls as she straddled him. "Susan?" he asked. She bent down and kissed him. Her tongue licking the inside of his mouth. Her mouth sucking on his in a kiss so passionate Keith was shocked. "Give me a piece of you to love" she whispered with pleading eyes. Keith grabbed her hips and held her down as he shot rope after rope of semen deep within her. She lay on his body as her quivering pussy milked his cock. He could hear her softly crying. "Don't let it be a dream God" she begged. Keith flipped her over onto her back. Looking into her eyes, he sucked her toes gently as he began fucking her again. His hands caressing her tits, his thumbs kneading her nipples. Susan was in extasy as he pounded her harder and harder. "It's not a dream" he whispered into her ear as he came again. Keith grit his teeth a she grew even tighter around his shaft. Her womb eagerly accepted his sperm. Keith pulled out of her as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. So dreamy, her growth spell broke and she shrank.

"We can't let that seep out, can we?" he said placing a giant finger over her pussy. She touched his finger. "No. No we can't" she said softly. Susan stayed by his side until Hope came back into the house. Susan slept soundly with her hand on her tummy hoping she would be pregnant by the morning. Keith slept soundly with the thought that he bore his soul to someone who didn't flinch. But Hope wasn't sleeping soundly. She wasn't sleeping at all. She tossed and turned so much she woke her giant father. "...Hope?" he asked. She grunted and tossed around punching her pillow. "What's the matter sweetie?" he asked. "Your pheromones. It's too much" she said softly. Keith turned the light on. "Don't look" she muttered. Keith already had and saw a slight damp spot on her panties.  Keith went to touch her hair and she flinched. "I wouldn't do that" he thought. For a brief second, he flashed back to when he was a boy on that terrible night. He dismissed it. "Wait. What was that? For a second you thought of something very painful" she asked.  

"A long time ago, a human hurt me very badly. He...he raped me" he replied. She looked at his finger. "Is that why you're so upset I have urges?" she asked. "Partly. There are people out there who would take advantage of a cute tiny girl like you. That's why I said you're not ready for a relationship. But talking to Susan, I see that it doesn't dismiss your instincts. I've been treating you more human than borrower and its wrong" he said. "I know you'd never hurt me" she said softly. Keith placed her on his pillow. "Take your panties off honey. We don't want them getting wetter than they already are" he said. Keith was still worried as hell about what he was doing but it was clear that her pent-up sex drive was affecting her moods and sleep. Hope took off her panties exposing her tiny pussy with a trimmed tuff of hair.

"You look so much like your mom" he muttered rubbing her tummy. Keith petted her long brown hair as his fingers went down her side and right leg. Her tiny foot rested on the pad of his finger. Her blue painted toes curling against his fingernail. Keith bent down to smell her little feet. No sweaty smell but he could smell her pheromones. She was in heat and his smell of recent sex added fuel to her fire. No wonder she couldn't sleep. His lips peppered her soles with kisses. Hope giggled as his mouth sucked on her feet. She moaned slightly as her sensitive feet were tickled by his taste buds. Keith let her legs fall from his mouth. Very gently, he began rubbing her cunt. Hope moaned loudly startling him. He went to pull away until she grabbed his finger. The tiny teen grinded herself against his finger over and over. Keith watched her thinking how perfect she looked and the desire to pull her into his mouth and suck on her like the sweetest candy. No, he wouldn’t allow himself to do that. This was for her not him.

Hope came so hard she squirted on his finger. Keith found himself licking it and her juices so sweet he almost came in his shorts. She was still panting as he slipped her panties back on. "I would never do something to hurt you. Ever" he promised looking into her eyes. Hope felt his deep love for her but also sadness. It confused the hell out of her, so she reached into his mind. Something she promised she wouldn't do without permission. And what she saw she'd never forget. Her father as a boy, restrained on a bed while a man raped him. It wasn't the act that enraged her. It was Keith's face. Tears flowing from his eyes, snot from his nose. His mouth froze open in silent screams. Hope had felt anger before not nothing like this. A rage inside her that burned so fiercely her hair stood on end. "Honey! Are you okay?" Keith asked worried. She looked at him. "I love you dad" she said softly.  "Aww...I love you too" he grinned. That grin cut her deep. "How can he still smile after all that?" she asked herself.

Soon, Keith was back to sleep as his daughter feigned sleep. Keyword feigned as Hope was wide awake. She got out of bed and flew to the window. She looked at the full moon. The young Etherion user felt something anew that moment. Vengeance.

She had the image of the man in her mind as clear as day. All she had to do is search with Etherion. Clairvoyance on an epic scale like Joseph used she commanded. Ten minutes passed, 20, then 30. And then she found him. She translocated to his position to enact her punishment. He didn't see the small flash of light under the bed of his son. It was 10:43 eastern time in The Boston suburbs and his 13-year-old son was asleep. Hope walked past the dirty sock stuffed under the bed and emerged at the feet of her giant prey. "You raped my father when he was a boy. And as I look at you, you have bad thoughts for your son" she said. The man jumped in fright until he saw her. "A borrower? How'd you get here?" he said reaching down. Hope snapped her fingers shrinking him to her size. The man was no longer amused by her. "Don't presume to touch me you filthy human bastard. You raped my father and I saw what you planned to do with the boy above us" she said. "I... I don't know what you're talking about. How did you...a dream. Just a dream" he laughed.

He went to touch her again and she grabbed his arm and savagely broke it. The man screamed as his bone poked through the skin. "Still think this is a dream?" she asked. "Stay...stay away!" he screamed walking backwards. She used her magic to stop him from moving. "Joseph said to consider the possibility of a person changing. That they might not be evil. You sir are evil. You take, abuse, and destroy. Even from your own offspring. Even when you reached for me, I sensed evil intent. Your path ends here and now" she said coldly. "Path? What the hell are you...you're… you're going to kill me?" he asked. "No. Not me. I know a fitting punishment for you. Goodbye and good riddance" she said snapping her fingers making his disappear.

The man found himself in utter darkness and swimming in fluid. Oddly, he could breathe. An ability granted by Hope as drowning would've been too easy.  Something touched his leg, then his arm. He cried out in pain as something whipped his leg. The salty, alkaline fluid in his mouth seemed familiar. Something, and lot of somethings clustered around him whipping and slamming into him. His ribs broke. Nose bleeding, teeth missing, and then a horrible pain as something jammed itself up his ass. It took hours for him to die and he never knew where he was. In reality, Hope had decided his punishment to be as ironic as possible. She shrank him to microscopic size and translocated him deep within his own son's testes. There, his own son's sperm ended his life. Hope laughed quietly in the dark as she looked at the young giant boy. With a satisfied nod, she went back home.

Hope snuggled onto her father's pillow. His light snores funny to her. "He won't hurt anyone ever again dad. Thanks to Etherion, I can stop the people that make this world a bad place, one evil human at a time" she whispered.

The next morning...

"That's different" Keith noted as he ate his cereal. "What's different?" Susan asked munching on bacon as she sat on the table near him. "You wearing flip flops. Thought you wore sneakers mostly because of your sensitive feet" he said. "Sometimes I like to show my feet" she shrugged. "Namely to me?" he grinned. Susan chuckled softly. Keith reached into the box of cereal and picked out a few Cheerios before placing them before her. With a sly grin, he slipped them onto her legs and arms. "What are you up to?" she asked. "Need some protein with my breakfast" he replied. "You're going to eat me?" she asked looking at the giant. "I'm going to eat them off your naked helpless body" he said bending down. Keith kissed her and before he pulled back, she grabbed his check so she could return it. "After breakfast...could we..."

"Absolutely...but before that" Keith said slipping her flip flop off her left foot. He sucked her leg right up to the thigh. Susan giggled as he slurped the Cheerio right off. "Ahem" Hope coughed sitting on the windowsill. "Didn't even know she was there" Susan whispered. "She's been there since I woke up. Just tapping away on my iPhone. Honey? What are you up to?" Keith asked. "Looking at the news dad" she replied. "Anything going on?" he asked smiling. "A few things. Just everyday stuff. Every...single...day" she muttered. "Okay sweetie" Keith chuckled. "That's so cute" Susan smiled. Joseph stumbled into the kitchen and grabbed some orange juice. "How's it coming?" Keith asked. "Halfway done. Folding, writing, folding, writing. The binding is coming along too but that Eva spirit is still shaken up" he replied. "Should I go see her?" Keith asked concerned. "Not yet. Forging magical weapons of that caliber is a delicate process. We can't risk you destabilizing the anchoring spirt any further. Give it time boy" he said.

While they all spoke, Hope was busy reading the news as she said but left out the fact the section of the news involved crimes. And one caught her eye. "Man in Dover found not guilty in case of murdering dozens of borrowers" it read. She got a really good look at the man in question. "Look like another evil human needs to go" she thought as she closed the tab and erased her browsing history...

"Are you saying Aquarius is dead and Keith and his grubby little borrowers have a piece of the Eye?!" Aries yelled. "You heard me correctly. I confirmed it from the people of Xi...or what was left of them" Markus replied. "How can you be so calm about this?" Taurus asked. "Are you lot always so high strung?" a voice asked. "Susan Durmont" someone muttered. "Not the one you're thinking of" she said wagging her finger. "Them getting a fragment can work in our favor. Emboldened by their recent victory, it will give them a greater incentive to find the last piece" he said. "Where is the last piece?" Pisces asked. "Guatemala but it will be no easy task taking it. It has the most dangerous defense imaginable...their own worst fears" he replied.

Back in Yorkshire...

"So, you had no idea that a member of ZODIAC and a fragment was there?" Keith asked. "Not a clue. My clairvoyance is second to none but not all knowing. If you want to blame someone blame the girl you're fucking. It's her luck power that pulled the odds to go that way" Joseph said watching the snow fall on the dome. Keith glared at him. "You're better for going Keith. The sword will be finished this evening and you found your edge again. Don't you feel better inside?" he asked. "You...you invaded my mind?" Keith asked. "I did nothing of the sort. You'd have to be blind not to see you're happier now than you were three days ago. I know how it feels to have a crushing burden in your heart and then one day letting it go" he said.

"A long time ago in a city called Ur, lived a young woman named Zaria. She was 17 years old, long black hair with skin the color of the setting sun. A beauty whose job was to make beer. I met her in the marketplace one day and I fell in love immediately. She found me charming and I found her kindness endearing. We were married by the high priest of Marduk a month later. Less than a year later, Zaria decided to visit her aunt who lived in the foothills to announce to her she was with child. I of course went with her. Not long after we left the city we were attacked by a gang of bandits. They had the high ground and pelted me in the back with arrows. I fell to the dirt as my wife screamed my name. Last thing I saw before I blacked out was her being dragged by her hair away from me. I awoke that night, my powers keeping me alive as they did and for the first time in a long time, I felt fury"

"I grew to 150 ft. and stomped out into the desert looking for them. Didn't take me long at all to find them with that campfire sticking out in the darkness. I saw them...saw them laughing and drinking as my dead wife lay by the fire. I saw into their minds that they raped her one by one till she went into labor and only stopped when she bled out. My eyes glowed with anger giving away my presence. They began fleeing and I crushed each one into paste their broken bones and pulped flesh to be swallowed by the sands in the coming week. And as I thought I had gotten them all, I heard whimpering from a tent. I tore it from the ground to reveal the man who dragged my wife away from me, but he was not alone. The cowering man was shielded by his son. A boy no older than 12 holding a sword too heavy for him. His legs shook, piss running down them but standing fast against the demonic giant before them."

"I contemplated eating the boy. Suck on his naked body making sure his father heard his screaming. Spitting his sandal in his face before swallowing him alive. Make him feel anguish, misery, and grief. And yet I did not. I walked away into the night not having the heart to kill them. And such a thing plagued me for years. Why did I not avenge my wife on him? He was their leader so why spare him and the boy. I felt as if I betrayed the memory of my wife. I didn't set foot in Ur for 50 years. And when I did, I was met with a remarkable sight. The young boy, now a striking man caring for the sick and poor. I spoke to him as I was curious."

"Many years ago, me and my father terrorized the people of this land until the gods sent a demon to eradicate us. We prayed that night for forgiveness and the demon spared us. Not long after, my father gave up the sword for a plow and became a farmer. He worked hard saving money to send me to school to be a healer. And here I am" he said. It was then I realized my actions led to the salvation of not just him and his father but others. That was how I honored the memory of my wife" Joseph said quietly. "But in my case, I could've killed my rapist. I was a kid, but I was three times stronger than him. I could've easily broken his arm and then his neck, but I didn't. What does that say about me?" Keith asked. Joseph cocked an eyebrow getting a small idea of what Keith was talking about. "That you were as you say a kid. A scared boy. A kind boy that became a kind man. It's not weakness to be scared. It's a sign of strength to accept pain and keep moving forward" he replied. Keith smiled a bit and wiped a tear away. "You sound like a dad" Keith said. "I've had thousands of sons, so I got practice. It's not out of the grounds of possibility you're a descendant of mine if you think about it so who knows...grandson" Joseph laughed.  "We should get started hunting down the last fragment. Have you seen Susan?" Keith asked. Joseph looked out into the colony. "She's playing with Ruby near the western edge" he replied. "It's not pressing. I'll give her some time. Ruby is still shaken up about Fiona.

"This is harder than it looks" Ruby said stumbling about. "It only gets harder now keep focus" Susan said staring at the young giantess walking about the 30 by 30 ft. training square used by borrowers grown to giant size. "First thing you have to consider is how strong you are. Your footsteps are more powerful than a human's. You could smash your foot right through a wooden walkway without trying. Second, your center of gravity is going to be way higher which means harder to keep balance" Susan said. "I know all that!" Ruby yelled placing her right bare foot down. "Use your big toes for balance of you must. Now, time for a few obstacles" Susan said as she used illusion magic to create borrowers at the teen giantess feet. "Really?" Ruby asked. "If you want to be a giantess in this colony you have to learn these things. There ain't no shortcuts" Susan said watching. A young man pulled his cart into the street making Ruby abruptly stop. When she did her left heel came down hard to prevent her from falling. "See? Look at that. Totally had it" she said confidently. "Totally blew it you mean. Raise your heel" Susan said. Ruby gasped as she saw the crushed remains of someone. Susan dismissed the gory sight.

Ruby fell on her butt with a heavy thud shaking. Susan hopped down from a rooftop and walked to her feet. She ended up straddling her left big toe. She looked at the sniffling giantess. "If that was real, I'd me a murderer" she said. "But it wasn't and you ain't. That's the whole point of this exercise. I didn't ace this thing my first time out either" Susan said stroking the flesh between the giantess' toes. "You didn't?" Ruby asked. "Hell no. Took like 13 tries before I didn't squish anyone. Keep in mind I was blind through" Susan said. "But they're illusions so you can't smell or feel them right?" Ruby asked. "So how did I ace it? Listening. Their tiny footsteps. Their little voices. The echoes they give off. Wasn't easy but the point I make is it took time and I didn't let failing stop me from trying again" Susan said.

Susan looked at her reflection in the red painted toenail of her adopted daughter. "Do you plan on retiring?" Ruby asked quietly. The question surprised Susan. "Not anytime soon. I'm needed more than ever" she replied. The giantess bit her lip and shed a tear. "I don't wanna go through that again" she muttered. Susan was quickly snatched up and brought to her face. "I don't wanna have to see someone I love buried in an empty box on a hill again!" Ruby sobbed. Her hands shook as she kissed Susan. Her giant tongue licked her before she cuddled her. "I lost one mom already. I don't wanna lose another" she whimpered. "Aww honey. I don't plan on dying anytime soon. In fact, I'm stronger than I ever been right now" Susan said floating away from her. With a gesture, she shrank Ruby back to normal size and floated to the ground. She gave her back her shoes and smiled as she slipped them on. Susan wiped her tears away before giving her a kiss. "Let's go home" Susan said. "But we haven't got to the part where I use the environment to hide" Ruby said. "Sweetie we can do that at home. I'll just shrink you real small. But you better be as good as you say you are at hiding" Susan warned. "And if I'm not?" Ruby asked. "I'll eat you" Susan smiled. Ruby laughed at her. "That wasn't a joke kiddo" Susan said walking forward. Ruby shuddered.

A short time later...

"Yeah Keith what's up?" Susan asked as she dangled a wriggling Ruby over her mouth. "I'm not taking you away from anything am I?" Keith asked over the magic link. "Just me about to swallow alive Ruby" Susan replied. "Please tell me you're joking" Keith said. "Nope. We were playing hide and seek, and she lost badly. Getting eaten is punishment isn't that right honey?" Susan asked the girl dangling by her ankle over her smiling mouth. "Dammit mom this isn't funny!" Ruby yelled. "Have a heart Susan" Keith asked. "But she looks so cute and vulnerable. That long red hair making her look like a cherry to be devoured" she chuckled. "Susan" Keith said. "Oh, I was just screwing around" Susan huffed as she placed the girl on top of her breast. "You know I live for her" Susan muttered as she petted the girl. "Not even close to funny" Ruby said glaring. "I can still do it starting with those adorable tiny feet and slurp you right in" Susan muttered. "Shutting up now" Ruby squeaked. "Anyway. About the next location for the fragment" Keith said.   

"It's in Guatemala that much I can tell you" Susan said. "You sure?" Keith asked. "Keith...ever since Japan, I have these flashes. These weird images popping in and out of my mind when I sleep. Things I shouldn't know. It frightens me" she said softly. Ruby laying on her breast felt the giantess' heart beat faster. "Anything dangerous?" Keith asked. "Not so far" she replied. "Have lunch with your daughter and come to the house for the next mission. Meanwhile I'll make a call to Elena. She's from that corner of the world" Keith said ending the connection. "You really are scared" Ruby said. "Out there is a woman that is the total opposite of me. A person of anger, malice, and unbridled magic power. That's what I'm afraid of. That the Lemurian side of me will poison my soul. I've gotten better and controlling it but in the back of my mind it yearns to be free."

"How do you control it?" Ruby asked. "Remembering those I love" Susan replied. "Well, you're overbearing and clingy, but I love you very much mom" Ruby said. "Is that an insult or compliment?" Susan asked plucking her from her breast. She lowered the girl to her mouth until her tiny bare soles touched her lower lip. "Compliment! It's a compliment!" Ruby yelled. Susan licked her feet and smiled. "I'm overbearing because I want you be strong in case the worst really does happen. The girl whimpered hearing that. "But enough about that. Let's go to the hamburger joint down the street. After that we can get stuff to make gingerbread houses" she said smiling. Susan placed her on the floor and undid her shrinking spell. Ruby hugged her tightly. Susan watched her out her shoes on. As she did, she thought about Markus and the other Susan. She and Keith agreed that eventually they would come for the fragment they had and wouldn't take no for an answer. That this moment could be one of the last remaining few happy ones left.

Later...

"Thanks Elena" Keith said hanging up the phone. Susan entered his room and sat on his bed before laying back. "What did she have to say?" she asked. "Elena doesn’t know any stories about lost cities in that area except the ruins the humans visit. She did mention one thing. There's a small area of forest the locals refuse to enter. Story goes anyone that enters never returns. Not even rescue parties" he said as he handed his phone to her after opening an app. "What's this?" Susan asked. Keith sat on the bed and took off her shoes and socks. "The area she talks about by way of google image" he replied rubbing her slightly sweaty feet. "Seems normal. Hmm? There’re a few grey pixels. Stone?" she asked. "Don't know. We can have Joseph take a peek" he shrugged pulling on her long toes one by one. "Am I wrong to tell Ruby she can't be an agent?" Susan asked. "Does she have the aptitude?" he asked slipping his fingers between her toes. Susan sighed contently.

"She's too impulsive. She gets discouraged easily" she replied. "Haha...you sure she's not related to you by blood?" he laughed. Susan snapped her fingers. "Just for that you get to do it the hard way. And more between the toes. I wanna have sex and I need to get wet" she grumbled. "Honestly, I think your concern for being her mother might be clouding your judgement" he said pulling a chunk of sock lint from her now giant toe cleavage. "Would you let Hope be an agent?" she asked. "Hope could put us out of business" he replied. "Keith. She's so delicate when I hold her. So small and yummy. Those dainty little feet and pretty freckles. I once didn't care about coming home to an empty house but now I expect to hear, see, smell her as soon as I hit the door.  And if I don't...I feel lonely" she replied. "Congrats. You're a mommy" he said. He inspected her other toes. Once he stopped, she pulled his clothing off. "So, what should I do?" she asked.

"Well, let me stretch before you push me inside or if you want to suck on me give me warning" he said. "I meant about Ruby" she said as she placed him on the bed. She took off her own clothes. "I know what you meant and…wow...you waxed down there" he muttered. "Didn't want you to get tangled in my pubic hair. Finish what you were saying" she said. "What I was saying was being a parent means when to know to give them space. Right now, Hope is exploring the colony by herself. She needs to learn how to interact with people without me hovering around her. Susan cocked her head to the side not because she disagreed, but she didn't sense Hope in the colony. "Maybe she doesn't want to be bothered by people recognizing her?" she thought. Keith touched her moist labia. He drank some of her juices before gently stroking her sensitive parts. She suddenly shrank to his size and pounced on him.

"Whoa!" Keith yelled as she straddled him. She gave him a toothy grin as she slipped his cock into her. She whimpered as she sat completely down on him. Susan bent down and kissed him. Her tongue licking his back teeth, she held him until she broke for air. "You always teasing you'd eat me, but I think it's the other way. I'll eat you up sperm and all" she whispered into his left ear. Susan rode him fast and hard, her breasts jiggling up and down. The squelching of her pussy as the shrunken couple bred on the bed. "Sir the guest...oh shit sorry!" the maid said entering the room and seeing them...occupied. "Either join in or speak your peace!" Susan yelled seeing the giantess maid not moving. "Well..." the maid said slipping her shoes off. "She was being sarcastic Belle! What...what is it?" Keith asked. "Our guest Joseph asked if you learned anything" Belle the maid said. "Tell him to look at central Guatemala" he said. The maid nodded and closed the door. "Really Susan?" Keith asked. "I want a baby and I'm done being a prude. Now cum inside me" she growled.

"She kinda killed the mood" he said. "I'm ovulating. You squirt in me and I'll be a tiny little helpless girl swollen with child. I'll need my pussy licked, my breasts milked, my toes sucked, or I'll go crazy with lust. I'll be your sex slave for weeks. And I don't mind that at all" she whispered into his ear. Keith actually got harder. "I want to be at your mercy! I want you to snatch me up at a moment’s notice, strip me naked, and suck on me till I scream! I WANT YOUR FUCKIN' BABY!" she yelled. Keith gritted his teeth and jammed himself as deep as possible inside her. Susan whimpered as she felt his hot cum gushing into her. They laid side by side resting for a moment. Susan canceled the shrinking spell on him but not her. By her insistence, she had him carry her to the bathroom to wash up. "You can join me in the tub you know" he said. "But it's more fun to wash in the sink" she chuckled. "Susan?" he asked. "Yes sweetie?" she replied. "That other me. Was he stronger?" he asked. Susan looked at him. "Depends on what you define as strong. The capacity to kill? Yeah, he did that and then some. Why do you ask now?" she asked.

"I feel...inadequate without the sword. As if I'm only a badass with it" he said. Susan burst out laughing. "Keith, you mowed down a shitload of Xi soldiers without it. You got your badass rank without it no doubt" she said. Keith shrugged. "What's this really about?" Susan asked leaning on the edge of the sink and kicking her feet in the water. "What if we lose? I held my own for a while from some powerful players in the battle, but this Markus guy crushed me in seconds. Dude is like a super Saiyan" he said. "A super what?" Susan asked. "A story for another time. My point is I don't see us winning without turning my daughter into a weapon. As a father I can't but as a leader how can I not?" he asked. Susan stepped onto the edge of the sink and pulled off some tissue paper to dry herself. "Keith. Ruby wants to learn how to fight and not just pretend to be a human. I don't want that for her, but I can't pretend this world will be gracious to her. One day she will have to fight, and she needs the support of her mommy. The same goes for Hope and then some. Bad people want her and as big a badass you are, you can't protect her from all of it. Mark my words, she's going to fight. As her dad, she needs your emotional support" she said. Keith stood up in the tub.

"You're right. Sucks as it is, you're right" he said stepping out to dry off. "And you had doubts about being a mom" he snickered. Susan scoffed as she floated to the floor. Keith followed her and got dressed. They found Joseph looking southwest out of the window. "About time lovebirds" he said. "Find anything?" Keith asked. "Yeah. And it troubles me. There's a stone shrine surrounded by a 100 ft. radius stone circle littered with skeletons" he replied. "Skeletons? Are there anyone alive?" Susan asked. "No. Just skeletons. Some very old. But that's not what worries me. Something is surrounding the circle. Something hidden from my sight" he said. "A barrier" Keith said. "No, not a barrier. A barrier could block my sight entirely. I see well enough that the fragment is there along with something else. It's a trap" he said. "No shit" Keith said. "We can take Hope and smash whatever is there" Susan said. "...no. I rather have us do it. Worse comes to worst, we can have her as backup" Keith said. "So, what do we do?" Susan asked. "We need that fragment. We go, trigger the trap and use your magic to fend off whatever. We can call for help if we need it" he replied. "Then let's get our work clothes on" Susan sighed.   

"You heading back out?" Ruby asked. "Yep" Susan replied as she slipped on comfortable socks. Ruby studied the black right fitting uniform. "Isn't that hot?" she asked. "It's breathable to an extent but it can get warm. The gel layer helps absorb impacts and the iron mesh dulls certain magic attacks. The rubber insulates" she explained as she put her shoes on. Ruby saw her sword and went to get it. "Don't touch that!" she yelled. "I was just getting it for you" Ruby said. "It's a very dangerous weapon. It's sharper than normal blades one is not even allowed to hold one until a year of training. "How long will you be gone?" Ruby asked. "Hopefully no more than a day at most" Susan said. "So, who will babysit me?" Ruby asked. "Fi...you're capable enough to be alone" Susan said catching herself. "Where ya going?" Ruby asked. "Ruby I'm trying to concentrate here!" Susan yelled fumbling with her zipper.  "I just wanted to know. You don't tell me shit" Ruby muttered leaving the room. "...dammit" Susan hissed.

"First time me seeing you in that" Sudan said looking at Keith. "When in Rome. We ready?" he asked. Susan and Joseph nodded. "You said anything to Hope?" Susan asked. "She's ignoring my calls. I think she wants her space. I can tell her when we get back" he replied as Joseph opened a rift is space time. He shifted his weight a few times. "Something The matter?" she asked. Oberon is back in my head. Being a bound spirit means he can't be too far away from me. Guess Guatemala is too far" he chuckled.  "Be careful you two" he said. They gave him the thumbs up before stepping through.

"About goddamned time" mirror Susan hissed. "Quiet. My cloaking spell conceals us buts it's not foolproof" Markus said. Both he and his Susan hid in a bird’s nest above watching the site. "I'm just saying we've been in this itchy nest for nearly a whole day" she said pushing twigs from her back. "Suck it up. Like the other two sites, this one has its own defenses. I can't see what though" he said. "So, you're going to let them go first like canaries in a mine shaft?" she asked. "Now you're getting it. Whatever trap or defense system is in place, it surrounds that circle. They trigger it and die, and we grab the fragment or they survive, we kill them and take the fragment" he said. "Sounds good to me" Susan chuckled.

"Jesus it's humid" Keith muttered as they approached the circle. Susan looked around sensing something. "Feel anything?" he asked looking at her. "Maybe? Just nerves I guess. However, I really hope it's not an iron giant again. I didn't sense that either" she said. "Well we won't get anywhere just standing here" he said taking her hand. They cleared the brush and vines from their path exposing the southern path into the site. "Oh my god" Susan muttered as they both saw skeletons with tangling vines growing through them at the entrance. "Yeah that's not pretty" he said. Susan carefully bent down to get a look. She glanced at another and then another. "Did The plants kill them?" Keith asked. "No. Nothing magical about them. Regular old vines. They grew through after decomposition was done" she replied.

They cautiously stepped forward towards a 10 ft. tall shrine.  "There it is!" Keith yelled seeing the shining fragment sitting on a pedestal. "Stop. Am I the only one here that's seen Indiana Jones and The Raiders of The Lost Ark?" she asked. "Ooh. Yeah..." he muttered. "This is giving me the fucking creeps. There's even more skeletons and not one died by knife or sword. Not even so much as a bludgeon. Their bones are completely intact" she said. "How did they die?" he asked. "The skulls with the open mouths died screaming. The ones closed so tightly their teeth cracked" she said. Keith covered his mouth. "Poison" he said. "No. Body spread pattern is too spaced" she said. "Maybe we should go back" he said. Keith took a step and slipped on a femur on the ground falling towards the shrine. As soon as he did, the stone floor glowed brightly. Both yelled as a blinding flash took their vision.

"They took the bait! Now we can...motherfucker!" Markus yelled. "What now!" Susan yelled. "A barrier went up! It's a fucking flytrap spell! The damn thing won't go down until the targets are dead" he sighed.

"Wha!" she yelled sitting up in bed. Susan looked around. "How the hell did I end up back home?" she asked herself looking around her bedroom. She got out of bed, went pee, and then changed out of her pajamas. She walked downstairs. "Ruby?" she asked not seeing the girl. The clock said 7:49 a.m. She sighed and went back upstairs. "Come on sleepyhead. You'll be late for school. Time to get up" she said opening the door to the second bedroom. "Ruby?" she asked not seeing her. Her bed was untouched. No dirty clothes on the floor. Nothing indicating a tiny teen girl called it her room. "Did she go on ahead?" she asked herself going back downstairs. Susan made breakfast, ate, and changed into her casuals. She grabbed her phone heading out the door.

She grew to human size before walking to the mansion. Her phone in one hand, her sneakers in the other. It baffled her how she ended up back home with no memory. She checked her text messages and found none. No emails either. "Maybe he's not wake yet" she thought as she tip toed through the city. People would wave hi to the giantess in socked feet, but Susan barely paid them any mind. Once in the sunroom, she slipped her shoes on and made her way to Control. She popped right in just as there was a briefing. "So all quiet on the western front?" Keith chucked. "As far as we know sir. The Mogwai have made no advancements" Fiona said. "FIONA!" Susan yelled running to the woman. She snatched her up so quickly, Fiona was lifted right out of her boots. Agents watched curiously as the giantess kissed the girl over and over. "Susan were in a meeting!" she yelled. Susan looked around as everyone was staring at them. Susan put her down.

The giantess stood there confused as hell as Keith quietly ended the meeting. "We all thought you were dead! How did you survive?!" Susan asked her. "Dead from what? Have you been drinking again? Susan, I know you're still grieving Lily but this...this here ain't gonna work" Fiona said leaving her. Susan went to Keith. "You're alright? That flash and then I woke up in bed" she said. Keith looked at her funny. He sniffed her. "I haven't been drinking!" she yelled. "Flash?" he asked. "Yes the flash. We triggered some trap spell and it sent us home. Hello? The mission we left on to grab the Eye fragment?" she asked. Keith narrowed his eyes. "The fragment! Markus! ZODAIC!" she yelled. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about Susan."

"There is no ZODIAC. No Markus. I haven't been in the field since taking command and you've been on furlough since this summer" he said. "You're under a spell" she said gripping his cheeks. She grimaced. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Trying to use my magic to break whatever spell is on you" she said. Keith pulled her hands down. "You're not a fae Susan. You don't have magic. You're a borrower like me" he said. Susan felt a fear creeping into her heart. "Don't look at me like I'm crazy. I'm not" she muttered crying. Keith sighed and as he did Susan kissed him deeply. Keith broke it off. "Susan!  What the fuck has gotten into you?! I love you but we don't have that kind of relationship!" he yelled. Susan recoiled in horror before leaving.

"Ruby! RUBY!" Susan yelled at home. Nothing. She rushed to the school and waited. Her giant socked feet thumping the ground unnerving the kids and teachers as she waited for school to let out. She watched the tiny kids one by one leave and didn't see her. A boy Ruby's age got close to the giantess and Susan grabbed him. He was startled for sure but he knew Susan so he wasn't frightened...yet. "I'm looking for my daughter. Ruby Durmont, 13 like you" she said. He shook his head. "Don't lie to me!" she snarled. She brought the boy close to her face and pulled off his shirt, shoes, and socks. She smelled his little body. "You're...you're not lying" she muttered. The boy was crying softly. "Please don't hurt me" he whined. Her heart sank looking at him. She kissed his bare chest softly. "I won't. I'm so sorry" she said choking back tears as she put him back on the ground. Susan went back home.

Susan sat in the dark for hours alone. She went through her phone and found not one picture of Ruby. Not even the emails from the attorney that handled her adoption. And then she noticed something that gave her a glimmer of hope. "It's November 26th? That's what happened! That fucking spell sent me back in time! No wonder everything is fucked! It hasn't happened yet! All I have to do is redo everything. Hell, this time it’ll be even better!" she laughed. Susan waited two days and repeated what she had done before. "Alright. Today is when we get the mission to investigate Sagittarius. I'll kill her on the fucking spot, take the bow and Keith will know I'm not crazy" she thought as she entered the briefing room. She waited...and waited. "Then if that's it we're done for the day" Keith said ending the meeting. "Wait! Didn't you get a mission to investigate an artifact in The South of France?" Susan asked. Keith looked at his tablet. "No" he replied. People shuffled out whispering.

"I let you back in because you said you were better but whatever this is...this belief some organization named ZODIAC is after us and controlling the world. You're sick Suzie. You need help" he said. Susan dashed out of the room and ran down the hallway. "Hope. I should've gone to her from the beginning" she muttered. She threw the door open to his room and found the small girl watching tv. What she was watching was none other than "It's a Wonderful Life". "Hi aunt Suzie. Did you know every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings?" she asked. Susan grabbed Hope from the bed. "Suzie?" Hope asked as her sweaty hand enclosed most of her body except her head and adorable socked feet. "Hope. Something has happened to me. I went back in time by some spell and everything is super wrong. I need you to fix it" she said. Hope looked puzzled. "I'll try but I've never done this kinda stuff before" she said. Hope flared up brightly and then died down.

"Uhhh...I'm not sensing anything weird off you...magic wise. "Hope stop playing around! This is serious!" Susan yelled. "Owww....Susan you're hurting me! I would feel the residual magic of a spell on you and I don't!" Hope yelled as Susan squeezed her. "Try fucking harder! I'm not going through this bullshit life with no daughter, no lover, and no purpose!" she screamed. And as soon as she finished that sentence, there was an ominous crack. Hope went limp in her fist. "Hope?" she whispered raising her to eye level. Hope had her eyes open, her mouth open with blood dripping from it. No heartbeat. "No... oh god no" she muttered in cold terror.  "...what have you done?" Keith asked from the doorway.  He walked in and took Hope from her. "Honey? Sweetheart?" Keith asked in a whisper. He poked her chest and he heard small cracks. He felt what was left of her ribs loosely move. Susan heard a sound from him that cut her deeper than anything she ever heard. It sounded like a wounded animal. A half groan and cry. The whimpering of a man who lost his child. "It...it was an accident...we can heal..."

The emptiness in his eyes seemed to swallow her. Before she could utter another word, Keith punched her so hard her head lodged in the wall. Susan blacked out seconds later.  

She awoke cold. Her bare feet chilled as they touched the concrete floor. She was stark naked except for shackles on her wrists and ankles. She recognized the place to be a holding cell. "She's awake. Call the commander" a guard said. The other guard went off to make the call. "Please. I need to see Keith. Hope was an accident. I know advanced healing spells that can help her" she said at the cell bars. The guard turned and looked at her. The guard was a young man no older than 17. He looked at for just a moment before spitting in her face. "I admired you. You were fucking female James Bond. Hell, I jerked off to you in the academy. I thought you were perfect. And as I look at you now, sexy toes, nice tits...and a fuckload of crazy. The great Susan Durmont is a fucking looney tune. And the worst part is...you took away something irreplaceable to all of us. Our guaranteed survival in a world of giants. Proof that we can be more than what society thinks of us. That we don't have to accept fucking handouts. You miserable cunt..."

"Guard. Your keys and our privacy" Keith said entering the room. "Y... yes sir" he said handing the keys to Keith. Keith watched him leave the room.

At the same time...

"By the gods" Oberon muttered. Seeing the devastation of the landscape. The mansion was engulfed in flames. The city reduced to rubble under a shattered dome. And in the center was Keith screaming and wailing. Oberon staggered to him as the influence of the spell weighed on his literal soul. As he got close, he could see the source of Keith's mental breakdown. On the ground was Hope human sized with Rune Breaker sticking right through her chest. "Keith! KEITH!" Oberon screamed until he slapped the young man. Keith looked at him. "She turned evil. She wanted to take the world for herself and make it...make it better. She used Etherion to control the minds of every borrower here. Hope demanded we give worship to her for what she called benevolence. Susan tried to stop her, and she’s gone. I was the last one left.  She didn't even suspect me. I killed her. I killed my little girl..." Keith said shaking. He began to gasp for air as he clutched his heart.

"Look at me boy! It's not real! NONE OF THIS IS REAL! Remember how you got here!" Oberon said forcing his thoughts onto Keith's mind. Keith stopped gasping. "...Guatemala. There was a stone circle, skeletons, and then a light" he muttered. "Yes, there was. We triggered a very vicious spell that makes us live out or worst fears until we die of fright" Oberon said. "I can feel it pulling on me" Keith said straining as a part of him wanted to look at Hope again. "I know. I'm not immune to it. Give me your hand. If we link our spirits together, we can temporarily break the spell. And then we can do the same to Susan" Oberon said. "Oh god Susan" Keith muttered as he took Oberon's hand. There was a flash of light and when Keith opened his eyes again, he found himself on his side in the stone circle still pulsing with magic energy. Not far away was Susan on her back with eyes wide open frozen in shock. At first, he thought he was too late the way she was lying down, but he saw her breathing...very shallow.

"Keith it was an accident!" Susan yelled tugging on her chains. He didn't move. "I'm sorry!" she yelled. Keith finally did turn, and she saw him holding a box in his left hand and a sword on his hip. "Sorry? Sorry doesn't undo this" he said opening the box. The box of course was none other than a casket. Inside was Hope dressed in a beautiful white dress and opened toed heels. Her arms were crossed over her upper chest. "I had Fiona pick it out. She looks like she's sleeping doesn't it? DOESN'T IT?!" he screamed. Susan held her head down whimpering. "Don't you fucking dare look away. Can you imagine the sound Aspen made when I told her Hope was dead? It was like her soul was condemned to hell. I'm going to hear that sound in my nightmares for a very long time. Part of this is on me.  I should've put you in for psych evaluation months ago. Or at the very fucking least when you began talking nonsense about secret organizations and ancient lost civilizations. My baby...my precious baby" he muttered touching her tiny face. He cringed in grief feeling the coldness of his small daughter's skin. With an ominous clack, he closed the box. Keith unlocked the cell and touched the sword. "You're going to kill me now..." Susan muttered. "No" he said softly tossing the sword at her feet.

"You got two choices. End it yourself or wait till Claire gets here and we both saw during the battle what she can do" he said closing the cell and locking it. "I have a funeral to plan. Goodbye Ms. Durmont" he said walking away. "Keith! Please don't do this! I didn't mean to! I... I didn't..." she said as his footsteps faded away. Susan looked at the sword at her feet and picked it up.

Keith crawled to Susan as the spell kept trying to pull him under once again. Closer...and closer...and closer he got to her.

Susan pulled the sword from its sheath and held the blade. She held it to her throat. "God...why?" she asked crying.

Keith touched her hand and both him and Oberon forced a spiritual connection. Keith appeared in her nightmare and saw immediately her about to slit her own throat. Keith tore the cell door from the wall and grabbed her wrist. He forced the sword from her hand. "Why..." she muttered. "None of this is real" he said sternly. "I killed her. I killed your little girl" she sobbed reaching for the sword again. Keith held her firm. "This is all an illusion. Not a damn thing you see here is real...except me...and this" he said before kissing her.

It was the deepest kiss he had ever gave her. His heart, his very soul he gave to her at that moment and in her deepest sorrow...she saw and felt they very thing that told her this Keith was real. "My soul. I felt the part of my soul I gave you in that. KEITH!" she screamed holding him tightly. "I know baby. Now we have to break free or this'll start all over again. Join your soul with ours" he said. Susan stood up with him and held him close as she focused. There was a flash of light and she awoke on her back holding his hand. "Fortification...spell type two" he groaned as she wrote the arcane in the dust. He cast it on Susan giving her added resistance but more importantly strength. "Condensing gravitons...focusing fortification...Lemurian striking spell level...two. Touch of Infinity" she muttered. She jumped into the air and slammed her fist into the stone circle. There was a heavy thud and then a series of cracks. The kinetic force cracked the circle apart destroying the spell array instantly. Keith and Susan were free...but not safe.

Both heard the sound of small footsteps and saw Markus and mirror Susan grow before them. "I'll be taking that and your..." before Markus could finish, Susan dashed at her counterpart and slugged her hard enough to smash her through a tree. Mirror Susan jumped high into the air and grew. She came crashing down with her 18 ft. long left foot right on top of Susan. "Pfft. Been meaning to plant a dumbass tree" Mirror Susan chuckled as she ground the sole of her shoe on Susan. "Forgot about me already?" Markus asked as his hand emitted lightning. Keith sidestepped and closed the distance. He grabbed his arm and broke it easily. "Not for a second. Harrowing!" Keith yelled releasing dark magic. Markus exploded instantly spraying blood, guts, bone, and bit of flesh into the forest.  Mirror Susan paused and then a beam of light burned clean through her foot making the giantess scream in pain. "Skycutter" Susan hissed hitting her evil twin with a blast of lightning. In seconds, Markus reappeared cracking his neck. "Better but not good enough" he said.

Susan had not said one word during the fight which worried Keith. She had a crazed look about her. A bezerker. Susan used magic to tear the bedrock from its foundation to hurl at him. He snapped his fingers and in the blink of an eye shrank them both to no bigger than the size of a grain of sand. Markus floated to the ground and looked at Mirror Susan who has shrunk to human size to heal her injuries. "Where are they?" she hissed getting to her feet. "Down there by that pebble" he said pointing to them. Keith and Susan were trying to break the spell to no effect. "Oh, don't bother. That's a hefty shrinking spell I used. At your level it would take at least an hour to break it on your own. You do know you don't have an hour, right?" Markus said grinning. Markus hurled a glob of spit at the miniscule couple which landed with a wet slimy thud not far from them. "Ah. Forgot to correct for wind" the giant laughed. "Let me kill one" Mirror Susan said as she quickly took her shoe and sock off.

Markus nodded. "I think I want Keith" she said lowering her foot just inches from them both. The smell from her foot was overpowering at their size. Her big toe alone was taller than a five-story building to them. Hell, the thickness of her toenail was more than their height. "You might even enjoy it if you're like my Keith. The sweaty sole, the pad of my toe, or do you want to suffocate lodged in my toejam? So many ways" she mused. Her foot began slowly creeping to him. Her toe cleavage big enough to wrap around him. And just before he was about to meet a stinky, sweaty, end, there was a crackle of energy, a gust of wind, a heavy series of thuds, and Markus and mirror Susan seemed frozen in place. Keith and Susan turned around to see the gigantic Joseph behind them. He waved his hands and the couple were human sized once more.   

"I froze their own personal time. It will only last another second or two" he said. "Fuck! Then let's grab back the fragment and..." Keith was saying before Markus and Susan began moving. And once they did were startled by seeing their victims their size. "You...I should've known" Markus hissed looking at Joseph. "Been awhile...son" Joseph said. "You're no father of mine. You broke our agreement. You don't attack me, and I don't cull humanity" he said. "You still have the fragment do you not?" Joseph asked. "What the hell are you doing?! Freeze them again!" Keith yelled. "I can't. Time spells are very taxing" he said. "So, where do we go from here?" Markus asked. "You think I have not noticed what you have done to the atmosphere above us?" Joseph asked pointing upwards. Keith and Susan looked up. Since it was very bright outside, they had not noticed a small brightly shining orb of light sitting 2000 ft. above them.

"Insurance policy. I burst that plasma orb and everything in a kilometer gets vaporized. We'll survive but they won't" Markus said. Joseph raised his hand. "Ah ah ah! Anything happens to me and it goes boom" he warned. "Begone boy" Joseph hissed. "Let's go Susan. I have this thing about being around weaklings and cowards" he said as he opened a rift. Joseph did the same and yanked Keith and Susan through. As soon as they all left, the superheated and pressurized gasses exploded swallowing up a dozen square miles of forest and the site. A site that stood the test of time for nearly 20,000 years until today.

"I can't believe we were this fucking close and you just let him go!" Keith yelled as they emerged in the living room. "He would've burned you both to ashes" he said. "If it meant stopping him then by all means!" Keith yelled. "Keith you got a more pressing issue at hand" he said looking at Susan. She was on her knees gasping. "Shit! Susan calm down. It's okay" he said. She was having a full-blown anxiety attack. Joseph touched her head and she fell asleep. "Mortals think in such narrow terms. There is a delicate balance in all of this, and your deaths would simply tilt victory in his favor" Joseph said. Keith picked Susan up. "You're going to tell us why he called you father. You're going to explain yourself. No more convenient omissions" Keith snarled before walking to his room.

Later that night...

"You've been gone all day" Keith said seeing Hope enter their room. "Been exploring and walking around" she replied. "For the entire 14 hours?" he asked. "I wanted some alone time. That okay?" Hope snapped back. Keith went back to petting Susan's hair. She was still asleep human sized in his bed. "I sense something wrong with her" Hope said as she floated onto the nightstand. "We had a bad day. Me and Susan saw our worst fears. Susan was already kinda fragile in that way" he said softly. Susan stirred and awoke. She shot up gasping and looking around. "You're safe and at home" Keith said. She looked at Hope and trembled. Hope floated into her lap.  "How ya feeling?" she asked the giantess. Susan was still haunted by her nightmare. Hope looked at Keith wondering why Susan was so afraid. "Peanut butter jelly time! Peanut butter jelly time!" Hope sang shaking her hips and flashing her belly. She fell backwards onto the bed sheet laughing. Susan simply shed tears. Keith went and placed her in Susan's hand. "She's okay and I trust you" he said. "That's how it started. You trusted me there too" Susan said. "It was a very bad dream" he said. "Kissing makes it better you know" Hope said. Susan cracked a smile.

She kissed the girl with shaking hands. "Better. Hope, why don't you take your bath now" Keith said. Hope nodded. "I want to see Ruby. She wasn't there" Susan muttered. "Your wish is my command" Hope giggled and snapping her fingers.  In an instant was a tiny teen girl in an oversized shirt and panties munching a cookie sitting on Susan's lap. "AHHH! The hell?!" Ruby yelled. "Hope. While you meant well that's scary to people" Keith said. "Sorry guys" she said floating out of the room. "Mom. You're back. Why didn’t you come home and tell me you made it back?" Ruby asked. 

"She wasn't there in my nightmare. Like she never existed" Susan muttered to Keith. "Well you can see that's not the case here" he said. "How...how can you be so calm after all this?" she asked him. Keith, who had his right hand down at his hip raised it. It was trembling. "Who ever said I was calm. You gonna be okay if I leave?" he asked. Susan quietly nodded. Keith left and closed the door behind him. "What's he talking about mom?" Ruby asked. Susan grabbed her up and smooshed her to her check. The giantess sobbed deeply like a child.

"Mom what happened to you?" Ruby asked. "I was shown my worst fear! You, Keith, my reason for being. It's was made out like it was just a dream. I was back where I was weeks ago...all alone. It hurt so much! My house was so empty without you in it!" she sobbed. "It hurt you that much? But I've been with you barely two weeks. I'm not even your real kid" Ruby asked. Susan was aghast she would even say that. With no warning, Susan linked her mind with her and shared her heart. Ruby felt a warmth in her heart that made her toes curl. A love so profound blood ties meant nothing. It was no exaggeration to say that the teen girl was a cornerstone in her heart. "I knew you loved me but...you really love me that much?" Ruby asked shocked. Susan slipped her nightshirt off with her fingernails and then her panties. She adored the beautiful naked girl in her hand. "You're mine to tease, discipline, raise, lick, suck on, and die for. You're my daughter" she replied with soulful eyes.

"But what I cost you..." she said. Susan brought her back to her face and sniffled between her legs. "I paid gladly" she said cutting her off. Her breath tickled the girl. "You enjoy toying with me like this don't you?" Ruby asked. Susan pulled back a bit. "You told me you were alone after your parents died. Being all alone is one thing but being alone when your surrounded by people is far worse. Worse enough I was this close to ending my own life. People I forgot I had saved me from myself. People I've toyed with too. If I'm toying with someone it means that person is irreplaceable to me" Susan replied. Ruby blushed. "I know I just showered but I smell that good?" Ruby asked. Susan blushed thinking something. "What? What's so funny?" Ruby asked. "I was about do something naughty, but it should be someone you really love that should show you those things first" Susan replied.

"You mean sex? I know all about sex" Ruby huffed. "Not if it’s a size difference. It can be...very intense" she said. "But you licked me before" Ruby said. "Out of fondness and intimacy. There's other stuff involved. Stuff that can wait till you come of age" Susan said. "I'll be of age this March. Not that faraway" Ruby said annoyed. "It can wait" Susan said. "And I want you to teach me. Someone I can trust. How's that happening if you die on a mission between now and then?" Ruby asked. She clapped her hands to her mouth realizing what she said. Susan was surprised to say the least, but it was a possibility.

"That's your greatest fear. You screamed that the other night at home" Susan muttered. There was a pause. "Later" Susan said. "But mom" Ruby whined. "Honey. I'm very excitable right now and I want you very close to me. I do this now and I will end up swallowing you alive just to keep you as close as possible with me. Honey. It...it was that bad" Susan said. Susan placed her over her heart and Ruby could feel the giant organ thumping quick and fast. Susan seemed somewhat calm but in truth was fighting another anxiety attack for her daughter's sake. Susan went ahead and placed the tiny girl on her pillow. She turned off the light and laid there watching Ruby. Susan was terrified to go back to sleep. She quietly prayed to God that is wasn't a dream. She watched the small girl snoring in her sleep. Scrunching her toes. Wriggling her nose, rapid eye movement. Even though naked, Susan's breath kept her warm. She found herself nervous about what Ruby had asked of her.

It was not uncommon for a borrower parent to do sexual things with their children. Borrowers by nature were sexual creatures that went into puberty like a hurricane and as a parent, it was their duty to instruct and open them to intimacy. There had been cases of borrowers being pets at a young age and not going through this delicate process to become psychologically imbalanced. Dirty, nasty borrowers that humped everything as humans would say. What became of some of them...was not pretty. Susan had the help of Lily in that matter and Fiona said her father when she was coming of age. Ruby, Ruby naturally asked Susan as she was the only parent she had. Susan sighed and her breath ruffled the pretty red hair of the girl and it landed over her bare breasts. She was exceptionally beautiful in the eyes of her giantess mother. So much Susan envied her. Her smooth belly, her shaved crotch and pussy all the way down to her sexy teeny little toes. Susan sucked her teeth thinking of the boys that would line up to have a crack at her one day. "Sorry boys. She's mine for now" Susan muttered licking her lips. Susan eventually fell asleep but not before kissing the girl on her exposed tummy.

Keith was deeply concerned about Hope. He knew she lied about where she had been after using iPhone locator and saw she had quickly popped over to Lancaster for about 15 minutes and then returned. She had told the truth about walking around the city for hours, but she said for the entire 14 hours that day. A glaring omission on her part. Was she curious about the outside world and wanted to see for herself? Keith thought as much but as far as he knew, that was the first time she ever lied to him. She had learned to die and to disobey him. He knew it would be foolish to think that would never happen. She was a kid after all, and all children test their boundaries eventually, but Hope was the most powerful magic user on Earth and a horny one at that. He had taught her self-control, but it was clear she was capable of doing what she wanted when she wanted. He wondered how a parent could discipline a child who could twist reality on a whim. He decided to wait and see her movements for the next day or so. If she obeyed, he would take the gentle approach. If not a sterner one. Keith would've changed that train of thought of he had seen the local news that night.

"Prison bus heading to Lancaster goes missing..."

Keith checked his phone briefly before looking outside. It was the beginning of a blizzard on that cold December 19, 2018 early afternoon. He sipped a cup of hot chocolate listening to the crackle of the fireplace in the mansion library. Susan sat on top of the round main table munching on a sugar cookie as Joseph entered the room. "Have a seat Joe" Keith said as he approached the table. The old man sat down crossing his legs. He lit a cigarette as Keith took his seat. "You told us about the fall, how they scattered, about Markus and his master plan, but you left out a few details" Keith said. "Namely that he's your son and you have some sort of arrangement" Susan said putting the giant cookie down. "It was not important to the main mission" he replied. "Don't give me that Obi Wan Kenobi crap. You hid it for not so noble reasons. You will explain yourself" Keith warned. Joseph tapped his cigarette loosening some ashes into a tray that suddenly appeared. "I see that nothing I say will change your wish to want to know. Very well then"

Joseph looked from his balcony window at the city below. Being a merchant and trader, he could afford such a place that towered over the capital. His wife Adona rolled over in their bed waking. "It's early. Come back to bed" she said. "Love, it's four hours since the dawn. It's not that early" he chuckled. He sat down and caressed her cheek. Her long black hair he pushed out of her eyes. Her skin was the color of fresh clay and her eyes like emerald. Suddenly, she got up and ran to the bathroom. Joseph waited patiently for her to emerge once more. "You alright?" he asked. "I'm making water for two" she shrugged. Adona was 8 1/2 months pregnant with his child, her first child at the young age of 19 which was slightly unusual but not more so than how she ended up with him. "Hard to imagine it's been a year since..."

"Since I found you in the market?" he finished. She nodded. "Do you believe in gods?" she asked. An interesting question for the man as by all accounts he was a god in their way of thinking. "I believe in that our lives are ruled by our decisions, not by lofty beings of power" he replied. "Sounds very reformist. Careful with that line of talk in this city" she said. "My views have already raised eyebrows. The fact I didn't eat or enslave you caused a few murmurs" he said. "Some from your son" she said. "Markus is young and swayed by those around him. One day he will see the folly of the Loyalists" he said.

The reformists were Lemurians that believed that humans had the right to freedom and equality, while the loyalists (called that as they sided with the beliefs of the council) that since humans had no magic talent, they were inferior and had no rights at all. This had caused a civil war that split the nation of Lemuria in two. In the west was the loyalists and in the east the reformists. There was no corner of the continent of Mu one had not heard of the conflict. Tensions were high as the reformists were eager to advance into Loyalist territory. All that stood in their way was a border town fortified with thousands of class B and higher magic users. From their location, they could rain down spells like cruise missiles for hundreds of miles.

"Can I accompany you today?" Adona asked. "That means wearing the collar" he said softly. "I know. I still wish to go" he said. Joseph nodded as he knew that she wanted to see the sky and handed her the collar. He watched her slip her toga on tying it as per the law. Human women were allowed clothing as long as it showed their breasts and vagina. The collar designated she had an owner and to whom like a dog's. "Put your sandals on" he said as she buckled the collar. "But it's forbidden for a slave to wear shoes" she said. "I will not have those pretty feet marred by loose stones" he said sternly. "I'm ready for you to shrink me" she said. "No. I will keep you normal sized" he said checking his satchel. Adona agreed but was worried as he was pushing it already as humans were not allowed to be their size outside of the home. Once ready, she stood at the door fidgeting. He kissed her and smiled before taking her hand and leaving.

They left the lobby of their apartment building and immediately got stares. "Carriage!" he yelled flagging one down. One did stop and saw his wife. "Shrink your bitch before getting in" the driver said. "She is my assistant so no" Joseph said. The man rolled his eyes and pulled off. "Told you this was a bad idea" she muttered. A small burst of power from Joseph made the back-axle snap on the carriage causing it to slump and skid to a halt. "Bad karma" he said to her. They forgoed the carriage and simply walked. It was nearly two miles of walking for them and even though with child, Adona was not tired. Quietly, Joseph replenished her stamina now and then. "Papers!" an officer yelled as they neared the marketplace. Joseph knew what she was asking for and handed them to her. "Special dispensation as she is a worker. And the child in her belly?" she asked. "Not mine of course. Part of a breeding. I plan to sell the offspring at a good price" he said. "No offense but many have broken the law regarding breeding with humans. I have to run a check" she said before using clairvoyance to peer into her womb. Adona held her breath with fright with good reason.

Reformists believed in breeding with humans and of course loyalists saw it as an assault on their culture as the offspring had half a chance of inheriting magic ability. Either the breed meant a half human had magic akin to their own or a half Lemurian didn't.  Either way it was not good for them. Those that were found to have impregnated humans were jailed after being made to eat the human female alive. Lemurians that were knocked up by human males were forced to eat the male just before the unborn child was terminated. Needless to say, more than a few ran to the east when they discovered a child on the way.

"Nothing unusual right?" Joseph asked using magic to cloud her mind while at the same time slipping her a gold coin. "No, nothing...unusual" she replied. She handed him back the papers and sent them on their way. Joseph began making his stops at shops and dealers. While they didn't share his openness about humans, they did respect him as a businessman. Even with the rise in prices due to the war, he never gouged anyone. He was flexible with payments and more than once acted as a middleman for products he didn't carry at no charge. Truthfully, he had no need for money. A snap of his fingers provided food, water, clothing, and housing if he so wished. But living among mortals meant mortal lifestyle. "Thanks Joseph. If it weren't for you, I couldn't afford this week's wheat shipment" a woman said. "Don't worry about it. Just keep hooking me up with sugar and salt and were more than good" he said back. The woman glanced at Adona. "Is that yours in her belly?" she whispered. "You know the law" Joseph said. "Yeah and I'm still asking. I don't care if it is" she said. Joseph silently nodded. "Just be careful. Not many around these parts are as openminded as you and me" she said.

Joseph glanced at the table behind the woman. A teenage boy shrunk down quietly sat counting coins. "You're not keeping him human sized anymore?" he asked. "There's been talk of thieves scouting human slaves for breeding in the market. Since he produces fine seed, I'm worried someone will rob me of him" she replied softly. "Isn't there enough humans in the slave market for that?" Adona asked. They quickly looked at her to be silent. Humans were not allowed to speak in public. "She asks a good question" he said. "It's more profitable to steal the ones grown here than out there. Malnutrition and poor hygiene makes the outsiders...less quality" she replied. Joseph could only nod to that. It was a sick irony that humans allowed to live (as in surviving) there had a longer lifespan due to better food, clean water, and baths. 

Joseph nodded goodbye and went about his business. He made four other stops making deals and exchanging money before something ominous caught his attention. He suddenly turned his attention east as he felt a massive burst of magic. A burst more powerful than he had felt in thousands of years. "Something wrong?" Adona whispered. "Nothing. Nothing at all. Let's get lunch" he said. He sat at an outdoor table making his order while his mate sat dutifully on the ground. Adona occupied her time pushing pebbles around with her finger while Joseph tapped his foot in deep thought. Whatever was east he couldn't see which made him even more worried. The waiter came with his food and Joseph pulled some meat off the bone to hand to her. He didn't like treating her like some pet, but the law was the law. It was probably better anyway as the restaurant catered to serving shrunken humans alive. He did not wish for Adona to see the young woman sitting to his left dunking a man in her meat sauce before slurping him into her mouth and swallowing.

She moaned as she felt him travel down her throat. This had gone on for several minutes with others on her plate until she speared a young human boy with her utensil. Joseph grit his teeth as the preteen screeched. "Enough" he muttered waving his hand. Controlling the water in her bladder, he made her piss herself. Embarrassed as hell she left and he watched as the waiter chased after her with the check. Joseph pondered if it was a good thing to even try out his experiment creating these people. Not The first time at all but like last time he needed to see if they could solve their own problems. This train of thought was broken by the ground shaking. People stopped eating and watched as tables, glass, and the very people shook. Then, it stopped. People murmured and went back to eating.

Not long after...

"You didn't have a good time" Joseph said taking his sandals off. "That easy to see?" she asked doing the same thing. "You purse your lips when you're upset" he said. "I just get tired of not living. Walking around half naked. So much bullshit because I'm not a few inches tall. Strangers scoping out my fucking womb! I just want to feel in control and not so helpless" she sighed. Joseph took off his clothing. "Take off yours" he said sitting on the bed. She wanted to object but saw a serious look about him. As soon as she finished, he shrank himself down. "What are you doing?! It's forbidden by law to be smaller than a slave" she said. "You know you are no slave in this place" he said. She looked nervous. "You have full control. You can do anything to me. Any...thing" he said to the pregnant giantess. She bit her lip anxious. She swung her legs onto the bed lifted her feet above him. "Oh, so you want to start off...

"Shh. Just bear with me. That's it baby. Smell, them, rub them. Fucking worship them" she muttered gently pressing her sweaty soles onto his body. This went on for several minutes as he kicked the underside of her toes. She took them off him and picked him up. "Do you want to meet our baby?" she asked. He glanced backwards at her crotch. "Uhh...I know I said you got control but that might be a little much" he replied. "I'm kidding. But you are going to drink of me" she said placing him on her left breast. A few squeezes and she coaxed some breastmilk out of her nipple. He began to drink her sweet milk as he happily laid on her breast. His small cock poking her soft, fatty, tit flesh. "Did my master like it? Did I taste good?" she giggled. She pulled him to her face. "It's that for me?" she asked before sucking his tiny dick between her lips. She held him steady as the tip of her tongue played with it while she nursed him to a nice cum. She smiled as she tasted his little seed landing on her tongue. "You're being pretty tame seeing..."

He was cut off as she jammed him into her mouth. Adona lowered her hand to her pussy and began violently fingering herself as she sucked on her lover's body. With an orgasm so sheering, her breasts squirted milk into the air...and swallowed Joseph alive. "By the fucking gods...that was...oh no. No!" she yelled getting up. Adona was on her hands and knees jamming her fingers down her throat. Seconds turned into five long minutes before she puked him up. "JOSEPH!" she screamed at the still form on the floor. Joseph coughed up the bile in his lungs and unshrank himself. He gave her no mind as he went to the bathroom. Her blood ran cold. Surely such a thing as a slave eating a Lemurian was punishable with death and since she was wracked with guilt, she felt no heed to beg forgiveness. Joseph emerged from the bathroom minutes later still wiping his face clean, his body was no worse for wear solely for the fact he could easily heal himself. He looked at his mate with her head to the floor. Her milk still dripping from her nipples. "Raise your head" he said.

She shook no. "I don't deserve to look at you. For what I've done merits death. You gave me your trust and I betrayed it" she said softly shaking. He touched her head and she whimpered like a frightened animal. "It was an accident. We've been together for a year now. Surely you know by now you are not a slave to me. So why do you prostrate yourself as one before me?" he asked. She did not answer. With a simple gesture, he floated her onto their bed. "We can go east. Where we can live as family. We can be bonded before the gods" he said. She looked at him with wide eyes. "You can't. People depend on you and Markus..."

"What about me slave?" Markus asked entering their room. He looked at them in disgust. "Defecting...even the thought of it is treason. You will be brought in chains father, and as for your fuck slave and the abomination in her belly, well I'll do my duty and eat them" he said coldly. "You said you would no return to this place. Have you come just to frighten a woman who can do you no harm or per chance something meaningful?" Joseph asked. "I came to tell you I will be officially assigned to Lady Ophiuchus to spearhead the counterattack in the east" he said. "Counterattack?" Joseph asked. "Have you not heard you old fool?! Reformists have destroyed the main base guarding the border with high tier magics!  They have already taken the region of Ballic!" he yelled. Markus huffed and activated the magic powered InfoVision. A floating screen appeared on the dresser.

"Again, we will play the memory playback of a survivor of the cowardly attack by the Reformists at Senda Pass" the newscaster said. "Don't you just love this scenery?" a young man asked. "It is impressive how it slopes right into the town. What's that?" a woman asked. The scene shows something running to the gate of the town. "Is that a woman?!" the man asked. "That's impossible! She'd have to be 200 feet tall easy! The gods! She crashed through the gate even under that fire!" the woman yelled. "She's holding something. AHHGH! Don't look at it!" the man screamed as a brilliant flash of light filled the screen. The vision was blurry as it cleared. "Aden...what was that...what is this?!" she yelled as a mushroom cloud grew into the air. "It's burning everything and it's coming this way!" he yelled. She watched as he made a translocation gate. "I love you" he said as he pushed her through. "ADEN!" she yelled as she tumbled out in an unknown location not too far away. She stood on a mountain as the ground began shaking. She could see where she had been by the tall tree she and her husband where eating under. It was nothing but flames now.

"The council has already launched an inquiry into the types of unknown magic used. Two hours ago, the Secretary General has called for the forces stationed around the capital to mobilize. Gods speed sir and make the bastards pay" the newscaster said. Joseph stared at the floor in disbelief. He had sensed the detonation this morning. That was what made him look eastwards. It was also what caused the earthquake that afternoon.  It just took time for the shockwaves to travel through the crust. Joseph needed no inquiry about what magics was used. The blast was a nuclear detonation. A pure one that had no fallout. He had not seen such a thing for 40,000 years. Not since that horrible day they burned the world. And that was by no means they only worry for him. The council had seen it. A council that shared Etherion among them.

Etherion was the highest Mage tier possible. It connected the user to the source of all magic and through it had virtually no limits on what it could actually do...other than one's own imagination and physical laws. One couldn't just create a nuclear bomb out of thin air, but one could use magic to fuse the hydrogen around them to make one. As long as you had something to work with and a good imagination, an Etherion user could remake the world. Now they had seen a nuclear detonation and that a true giantess was possible, it was only a matter of time before they made use of it.

"Well old man?" Markus asked. "This will only lead to ruin" he replied. "You make me ashamed to have your blood. By your treacherous sympathies for them....and the fact you betray my mother's memory with this lowly thing" he spat. "Do not sully her name tonight" Joseph warned. Markus' mother, Joseph's earlier wife had died in an accident two years earlier. A devastating thing for the teen boy who had still not come to terms with the loss. It wasn't long after he interned with Lady Ophiuchus. In a few short months, he made a name for himself a magic prodigy. Of course, that had to do with him being the son of an ex Etherion user. Joseph didn't approve of any of it and the boy moved out. They had not gotten along since.

"I came only to tell you where I'm going. Dirty your own name. Mine will shine" he said roughly as he left the room. "She only wants you for your bloodline! She cares not of your feelings!" Joseph yelled. The main door slammed shut. "She still loves you or he wouldn't bother to tell you he was being deployed" Adona said. He didn’t say anything as he went into the bathroom. He ran the shower. "Join me. You did make me unpresentable" he said softly.

Joseph laid in bed not able to sleep. He had seen firsthand the horrors of magic run amok and now his son was heading to the front. Something he as a parent dreaded. Even by this time he had sired hundreds...no thousands of children and by mixed grace, all had died of old age. None by violence. Whatever crossed words he had with Markus, he still loved him. Held him as an infant. Smiled as he took his first steps. Proud as he used his first spell. But he saw this conflict taking him away. His hand rubbed the bare belly of his mate that slept beside him wondering what world that one would enter in.

6 months later...

Joseph walked through the market with his sacks of food. Virtually no shopkeeper remained now. Food shortages and drafts had cleaned most of them out. The war had gotten considerably worse now as skirmishes had led to full on battles leaving charred giant corpses with normal ones strewn about. The news was heavily censored but talk of those that came back said enough. The loyalists were losing. Both sides had used growth magic when possible and the most exceptional nuclear magics. Joseph had quietly studied the problem and came to understand some things. First, only one in 5,000 was good enough to pull off a growth spell. And then only 10% could sustain it for more than a few minutes. And as for nuclear magics, one in 50,000. Still though that was enough to leave over 100,000 dead by this point. And once peaceful towns and villages dotting the continent was a sizzling graveyard. One would think the loyalists with the council backing them would simply obliterate them in a week's time.

No, the council had not moved from the capital nor had it deployed its most fearsome mages to the front. Joseph knew why. The villages were sacrifices for the purpose to wear down the enemy. And as soon as they got close enough...annihilation. A tactic old as time even back then. The ground shook again. Earthquakes had become more frequent and mostly natural. He heard a whimper in an abo add food stall. "Hello little one. You're all by yourself, aren't you?" he asked the young boy. The boy looked at him frightened. Joseph gave him an apple from his pack. The boy devoured it in seconds. With a gesture, he shrank the boy to less than two inches tall and plucked him up. "Don't struggle. No harm will befall you. I will bring you to a place where you will have food to eat, a bed to sleep on, and those who will love you" he said dropping him into his pocket.

 He sighed as he steadied his pack as he had more pressing concerns this evening. He made his way home and arrived just before sunset. "Welcome back" Adona said as she sat in a chair breastfeeding their child. He nodded silently as he looked down at his feet as he made his way to the kitchen. "Don't worry. They're all playing in the play area" she said. In The last few months, the war had created thousands of orphans, many of whom fled to the capital in hopes of food and water. With the infrastructure in such disarray and well as the economy, nobody was trying to feed a child not theirs.

Joseph had taken it upon himself to shelter the children he had found. He bought the penthouse on the top floor and changed it to suit his needs. Upon doing so, he shrank the kids down so all had room to live there. In The first week there were 20, the second 50, the end of the month, 100, and by now nearly a thousand. They had their own areas to be in where he and Adona didn't have to worry about crushing one under their feet.  Joseph took his sandals off before going over to them. "Hi papa Joseph!" a bunch yelled. He chuckled looking at the tiny kids waving at the giant. He reached into his pocket and placed the boy from earlier before them. The boy was terrified until he saw children just like him. Joseph looked into his mind for a second. "This here is Aden. Say hi to him" he said. They collectively said hi. "Briaeros. Be a good boy and help Aden get showered and clean clothed" he said to one of the older ones. The teen boy nodded and led the confused and nervous boy to the showers.

Joseph had taken his time making sure they had what they needed. Real showers, toilets, beds, clothes, toys, but most important love. He knew each and every one of their names and made time each day to play with them. Even using his own body as a jungle gym. Yes, life was harder, but he found joys in them nonetheless. His makeshift orphanage was a macrocosm of what his dream was as there was one peculiar fact about it. Some kids were human. Human, Lemurian, and hybrids all got along happily in this penthouse. Most human kids there ended up coming in one day. Joseph had stumbled upon a most despicable thing in the market two months prior. Humans had been sold as slaves for a long time by then but with food shortages abound, it was only time that they turned to humans to help with that. Forced breeding, aging magic, and rich customers had created a horrible cycle of atrocity. Joseph permitted himself the satisfaction of killing them all in a fire and liberating the kids in the cages. He couldn't abide anything else.

Joseph looked down on one particular boy that always played alone. He was one Joseph couldn't figure out how to help. He had found him that horrible night like the others and as the others began to learn of a life other than food, this one had not. He was older than the others. 14 or so and didn't talk. As the weeks went on and saw no improvement, he was curious enough to look into his mind. What he saw broke his heart. Fabian, as he was called once, was a stud. His job was to impregnate girls so the offspring could be aged and sold off as food. He had seen his own kids eaten before him and worse yet, some of the kids around him where actually his. No wonder the boy was broken inside. Joseph sorely wanted to extinguish what he had created right then and there, but the irony was he didn't have the power to anymore. "What are you drawing today?" he asked the tiny boy. The boy didn't answer as usual. He squinted to see a picture. Joseph placed him and his drawing in his hand. "It's uhh...pretty" he said. The picture was odd. Brown at the bottom, blue in the center, and deep red at the top. Whenever he held him close like this, he could sense the boy was unique. A uniqueness that only added the need to love him more. He kissed the boy and placed him back on the floor. "Just be ready for dinner" he said. Joseph returned to the kitchen.

He hummed to himself as he began boiling the water and peeling the potatoes. "How many does that make?" she asked. "977" he replied. "And not one word from the council about the state of affairs?" she asked. "You see the same stuff I do" he replied. Joseph cut up some dried meat and added it to the stew. "I can take over watch tonight. I can see you're tired" he said looking at her. "I don't mind. I enjoy watching them sleep" Adona said smiling. "Make sure none of the older ones have sex. We're pushing it as it is" he said as he stirred the pot. "How are you finding food? I can see from up here the lines are insane" she asked. "I know a few guys that take pity on an old man. The soldiers let me cut" he replied. "They give you fresh food while the others get stale, rotting, and lanky rations?" she asked. He put the ladle down. "Yes dear. Any other questions?" he asked sternly. She shook her head quietly. She knew he was lying.

The best food went to the commissioned officers and trickled down from there. By the time it got to the citizens, you were lucky to have bread you could actually chew. Joseph poured the stew into ten shallow bowls and placed them one by one in the kids' area. The older ones helped the smaller younger kids eat first. "Is it yummy?" he asked chuckling.   The inch tall or so children smiled at the giant. Adona and Joseph ate at their table while their daughter slept in her bassinet. A small tremor shook the penthouse for a moment. "More frequent" she muttered. He nodded. She asked for salt and he went to give it to her. She took it from his hand but he held it so she could not pull it back. "What is..."

"Your skin is paler than last month" he said looking at her palm. He caressed it. "Too dangerous for me to go out" she said. "I'm sorry" he said. "It's not your fault I can't leave" she said. "No. Not that. All of it. We should've left six months ago" he said standing up. He walked over and knelt at her bare feet. "I wanted more for you. This is too much a burden for a person, especially a mother" he said. He touched his forehead to the top of her right foot and quietly cried. "Master...my beautiful Joseph. These children would have starved to death long ago if it wasn't for you. And the humans? Far worse a fate. I take joy in caring for them. It is no burden to me. Get up off the floor. You can prostrate yourself at my feet later" she said. He got up and she pulled him close. "I wish to mate tonight, and I promise I won't eat you this time" she chuckled. He kissed her and went back to eating.

Adona hummed to herself as she painted her toes. "I hope you like red" she said. "Are you going to use gloss?" he asked as he washed dishes. "Silly master. You're going to polish them with your tongue" she snickered. "And if I do that, I might be too tired to lick your pussy" he warned. "On second thought, I'll apply some gloss" she said. "Hehe...thought you might change your mind" he said. His smile washed away as he sensed a presence approaching. He rushed over to the bassinet and shrank it down quickly. "What's wrong?!" she asked worried. "We got company and not the friendly kind. I'll hide the baby while you warn the kids" he said. The kids nursing full bellies were lying about laughing and talking. Then the giant feet of their giantess foster mother stomped over. "We have visitors coming. You all know what to do. No talking, no running, no screaming. You do exactly as papa Joseph say's and remember we love you all" she said. She glanced at him as he hit the four-inch bassinet in a sugar jar. He rushed her over to him so he could shrink her down to the legal three-inch human allowed size. Since the food shortages, humans were no longer allowed to be their size even at home. There was a knock at the door. Joseph opened it.

"Good evening fellow loyalists. To what do I owe the honor?" he asked the two MP's at his door. "Cursory inspections" one said as she pushed past him. A younger man walked behind her. Joseph sensed three magic users around him but saw only two. The woman, 20 or 21 was a high level one. The young man, 16, was mid-level but the one he could not see was way above even the woman. Joseph began to sweat. The woman searched his cabinets and refrigerator. "Are you complying with the food regulations?" she asked. "Absolutely" he replied. "Funny. Witnesses say they have seen you carrying grade b and above food while you have been assigned class c. Explain" she said grimly. He couldn't tell the truth to her for the same reason he hadn't told Adona. "That's easy. I'm such a high-level Mage I can transmute that rotten ass moldy food into premium shit" he inwardly thought. "That's easy. I thoroughly wash what I get while at the market. You'd be surprised what a good scrub can do" he said. She saw the pot of stew and sampled it. It was good but not spectacular. She shrugged. Joseph was grateful he didn't use good meat this time.

She looked at Adona. "A human slave? They've become rare" she said as she walked towards the table where the tiny woman stood. She grabbed her up. Joseph felt his heart beat faster. "She's in excellent shape but clothed?" she asked. He forgot to tell her to strip. "Half the fun in enjoying candy is to unwrap it" he chuckled. "I fully understand" she said as she tore Adona's clothing off. She flipped her upside down and parted her legs and ass with her fingers. Adona bit her lip as the giantess stuck her tongue into her cunt. She wanted to cry out in pain as the tip painfully wormed its way in. "She's tastes excellent. Would you be willing to part with her for 500 gold?" she asked. "Sorry but no. She's..."

"Ma'am. Look here" the young man said pointing right down at the shrunken kids. "What the hell is this?" the woman asked still holding Adona.  "I run an orphanage. No crime in that right? Didn't the state cut off all funding to them as well as any legal responsibility?" he asked. She narrowed her eyes at them. "There are human children among them! You would dare keep Lemurians shrunk alongside humans?!" she yelled as she snatched up a random child. The girl was no older than 10 and obviously oriental. He couldn't lie about her lineage. "Please. Allow me to explain" he said gently taking the girl from him. Joseph began a quick yet complicated spell on the girl. He held her between his fingers and used his free hand to lift her left leg. Exposing her tiny little bare sole, he pointed to a marking. "The human children are actually stock. The female you have in your hand there is my first breeder and some of these kids are her's. The rest were bought before the supply crashed. Ask anyone and they can tell you I'm a merchant" he said. "Hand her back to me" she said.

Joseph cupped his hands together just for a moment before dropping the 2-and-a-half-inch tall girl into her hand. "You have not been using your own seed, have you?" she asked coldly. "Of course not" he replied. She looked back at the whimpering girl before dropping her into her mouth. The giantess closed her mouth and sent the terrified young human morsel down her throat with a very loud gulp. Adona stifled a cry. "On the house right?" she asked patting her belly. "I'm sure we can come to that understanding" he replied. The woman nodded and left the penthouse with the young man. Adona broke into sobs until he hushed her sensing the powerful presence getting close now. "My officers say you're good. Hard to believe" Markus said as he entered. He glanced at Adona. "Where's the mongrel that grew in her belly?" he asked looking. Joseph concentrated trying to block his clairvoyance. He found it exceptionally difficult. "We sold it off to a breeder months ago. Are you why they came?" he asked angrily. "I came because I got word of suspicious activity about a man matching my father's description" he replied.

"Worried about your old man or your reputation?" Joseph asked. Markus bent down very close to the shrunken children who were doing a really good job of not bawling seeing their friend eaten alive. "They're cleared and legal by your own people. Do no harm to them" he said. Markus singled one out. An older teenage girl around 16. He bent close to her. Close enough his breath moved her long brown hair. "Is it true you're just breeding stock? Hmm? What are you to them?" he asked probing her mind. Joseph had no choice but to control the girl. "I'm a worthless shrunken human slave only good for raping and eating. You wanna eat my tiny defenseless pussy master or gulp me right down?" she said. Joseph was sweating bullets as he feared he would take her up on her mind-controlled offer.  "Lucky for you, I'm on duty" he said standing back up. Joseph released her and she silently pissed herself.

"Don't you have bigger worries than your disgraceful father?" Joseph asked. "You mean the reformists? That rabble will soon meet its end" he replied. "Not from what I heard. They're barely two weeks march from here" Joseph said. "LET THEM COME! You think the council isn't ready? This month they have been working on new weapons to field. 12 devices of incredible power. Devices that even a class d Mage can use to kill an elite" he chuckled. "Sounds risky to give such power to rabble. Thought The council was smarter than that" Joseph said. "The devices are bloodline keyed to their offspring. And the last one, the most powerful one, the 13th will be given to me by my mistress" he replied. "You are a collection of fools. Nothing good comes from using greater power to defeat power. Your war has all but ruined this nation. Towns lie in ashes, more frequent quakes, a third of the population lies dead. And for what? To enslave a people who has done NOTHING to you" Joseph hissed. "Your war? You speak now as if you're not a Lemurian" Markus said.

"Leave son. Go back to your mistress and continue our destruction. History will decide who was right" he said. "History is written by the victors father" Markus said as he saluted and then left. Joseph could hear hundreds of them crying and sobbing as he took his daughter out of her hiding place and placed her on the table not far from her mother. "It's okay honey" he said extending his closed right fist. He opened it to reveal the little girl they were sure had been eaten alive. "By the gods Trina!" Adona said running to her as he put her on the table. "I did some sleight of hand at the last moment" he said. "But I saw..."

"An illusion. A very well crafted one I might add" he said. She held the girl tightly. "There there. Let the others see too" he said taking her away and placing her with the other kids. Joseph watched as they dog piled her delighted she wasn't a giantess' dinner. Adona was very quiet for the rest of the evening. He laid in bed petting the back of their baby as she came out of the bathroom wearing a simple toga and nothing else. "Beloved. I have been quiet about it for some time...but what are you?" she asked. "A simple trader and orphanage manager" he chuckled. She sat on the bed. "You are far more and we both know that. I have seen many of your magics but never the magic array in your eye like the others. That and how whimsical you cast spells says you have great power" she said. Joseph loved her deeply and saw it would be wrong to hide it further. "You know of the story of how the Lemurians came about yes?" he asked.

"Their god lifted them from the mainland and gifted them with magic" she replied. "I am the god from their stories" he replied. For a second she thought he was joking until she saw the look of ages past in his eyes. A look she had never seen before. She prostrated herself on the bed, her bare ass and cunt sticking up in the air. "You know not to bow before me" he said. "You are a god!" she said. "Gods don't make mistakes and I have made many. Under the excuse of free will, I let this war continue too long. Now I can't stop it" he said. She looked confused. "I gave away most of my power when I created them. The council is stronger than me and maybe one day...my own son. Now raise your head" he said. She slowly did. "I am unworthy" she muttered.

"You are perfection in my eyes. Eyes that look deep within me. Breasts that nourish. A vagina that gives pleasure and life. And feet that smell and taste of you. But most important, a heart that has an unfathomable depth for compassion. If anyone is unworthy, it's me" he said. He caressed her cheek. A sudden tremor broke the mood. The children cried out and she rushed to protect them. With surprising speed and accuracy, she caught pieces of plaster that fell before they could crush the shrunken children. Joseph comforted their baby. "That one was the strongest yet" she muttered. "I know. When I made this land, I made sure it was stable. I fear these quakes and this war is not a coincidence" he said. "Head to bed. I will be busy here" she told him.

Adona cleaned up the plaster dust as she looked out of the windows. Emergency crews ran up and down the streets. The cheaper, less sturdy homes had fared worse. "Shh. Sleep now. I will protect you" she told them as they tossed and turned. Caring for 977 kids took an hour just to tuck them in. Monitoring them was a full-time thing. Over a hundred would wake up each night just to pee. Dozens for water. And of course, some would wake up from nightmares. Tonight, that would be Fabian. She saw him tossing and turning violently and he awoke gasping. He looked down at his sheets and whimpered. The giantess could see a wet spot on his sheets where he pissed the bed. "Oh honey it's okay" she said plucking him up. She stripped him of his clothes and placed him between her legs before getting to work on changing his sheets. As stated before, all she had on was a loose toga, so the teen boy saw plenty of her giant pussy in the low night light.

Fabian watched her change them and walked right up and began fucking her giant cunt. "Gods! Fabian no" she said pulling him back. She sighed as she couldn't deny it felt good. He ran up and began fucking her again and licking and chewing on her folds. "I said no" she said pulling him back. He pointed to his sheets. "Oh. Oh honey you don't need to pleasure me because I cleaned it up for you. That's what mommies do" she said. He began hitting his head with his fists out of frustration. "Stop" she said picking him from the floor. He glared at her as he wagged his erect tiny cock. "I didn't know it was this bad. "The feeling you have for them is how I feel about you. Just be a kid. Play, laugh, grow up" she said. He was quiet as he stared at her. She kissed his chest. "You are one of my sons little one. Don't make mommy cry okay?" she asked wiping tears away. He held out his tiny hand and she brought him close. He wiped a large tear as it left her left eye. "...mom" he said softly. She put his clothes back on and placed him in bed. She petted him as she hummed a lullaby.

"And you say you're not worthy" Joseph said quietly. "You saw?" she asked. "Yes" he said softly. "Can we leave this place with them? Is that in your power?" she asked. "Translocating 980 at once? Not enough to be free of this city. And go where? I have seen what lies beyond and it a desolate thing. To even get to the mainland we'd need use of the gate system which is controlled by the military and the port is just as well guarded. Adona sighed as she looked at the kids. "Come to the bedroom. I will make you feel better" he said touching her shoulder. "Sucking my toes and filling me with your cock will not change what is coming my love" she said softly. "Then you shall not sit here alone with dark thoughts" he said sitting beside her. With a gesture he shrank her down before laying on the floor. "Was it necessary to shrink me?" she asked.

"Call it the whim of a god...and your husband" he chuckled as he placed her on his bare chest. He called himself a god and yet his heart beat just like hers. Loved just like she did. Worry as she did. What is a god except one that is more powerful than the other? If that is truth, then the line between God and mortal was thin indeed to her. She crawled up to his face and placed herself on his lips. She moaned slightly as she felt his mouth gently envelop her tiny pussy. Joseph played with her hair as he drank her juices. His fingers tracing her little body until he touched the soles of her tiny feet. She grunted as she came and then flopped on his nose. He smelled her sweet scent of womanhood and breastmilk. "Joseph. That story is over a thousand years old. How old are you?" she asked. "40,000 give or take a decade" he replied softly. She looks at the giant's eyes and could see a sadness in them. "You will outlive me in any regard won't you?" she asked.

He silently nodded. "Immortality is the cruelest thing about having power. You'll outlive anyone you even love" he said. "You have loved others?" she asked. As soon as she did, she regretted asking other than it being a stupid question to her. "Many others. And the children that came with that" he said. "So, you remember them?" she asked. "Every single one" he said. "...will you remember me?" she asked shaking. He put her back on his chest and peeled her toga off. "Yes" he replied. "Even after I am gone, and my bones are dust?" she asked. His finger played with her foot as he saw her toes curl around his fingernail. His finger went up the side of her body till they played with her right breast. A trickle of milk coated his fingertip which he licked off. A tear fell from his eyes. "...yes. Now and forever" he replied. She cried softly. "That is good enough for me" she said. They laid there until the sunrise. And what they saw did not bode well. Three 200 ft. giantesses in uniform walked right past their window down the Main Street carrying cases full of mages and soldiers. "They say if you see a giantess, the burning light is not far behind" Adona said. "Yeah, yeah they do" he muttered.

2 weeks later...

"Faster sweetheart! Faster!" Joseph yelled to his mate as they carried boxes in their arms. Their infant strapped to her back crying.  What Joseph predicted, what they all predicted was coming to pass. Very early that morning, reformist forces launched an all or nothing attack on the capital. A focused bombardment destroyed the eastern wall defenses before they streamed right through. The loyalists counter attacked almost pushing them back until high level mages struck from the air. Slowly, the loyalists were pushed back even as tremors shook the city. Joseph and Adona saw the assault from their home and decided enough was enough. Joseph shrank the children even smaller to the size of ants and kept them in a magical stasis to survive transport as he and his woman fled their home to the translocation terminal. They were not alone deciding this plan.

Adona stumbled as the strap on her left sandal broke. She quickly threw them both off and ran barefoot down the street carrying her two boxes of precious shrunken cargo. When they arrived, they saw the military preventing civilians escaping the warzone...except a choice few. It was clear the rich and powerful were being let in. Flash some papers and some gold coin, they were allowed exit. "Watch them" Joseph said as he pushed through the crowd after putting his boxes down. "You need to let these people through. This is a combat area and you have a duty to protect the civilians" Joseph told a guard. "You need to step back old man, or you will be shot" she said sternly as she pointed a glowing finger at his head. "Let me rephrase myself. You WILL let these people through" he said using mind control magics. "I... will let these people through" she droned as she stepped aside. "Captain! We are under orders..."

"Go away" Joseph commanded. The young man nodded and walked off. Joseph tore the chains blocking the way down and the people rushed to the platforms. He stood uneasy with Adona as they watched dozens at a time teleport to lands unknown. Very long minutes passed as the sounds of battle got closer. A series of thuds, tremors, and booms coming closer spoke of something else. There was a loud whine above them outside the building and a scream. Suddenly, the roof was smashed as a colossal body fell through it. People screamed as rubble and giantess came down. Joseph coughed and saw Adona and their boxes had survived (along with their shrieking terrified baby girl) but many had not. The giantess was quite dead with a burn hole through her skull. Another giantess standing above them all smiling and wearing a reformist battle robe was the killer. She reached down grabbing survivors and dropping them into her cavernous mouth. She noisily chewed them alive she saw Adona and Joseph and reached for them. Joseph coldly fired a beam of light from his entire palm right through her heart killing her instantly. She fell backwards demolishing buildings and anyone on the street. "Insanity" he muttered as he pondered killing a 300 ft. giantess who was barely a teenager.

Adona cried where she stood as piss ran down her leg. "The port. We have to try for the port" he said pulling her along. "They're supposed to be the good guys! How can they just eat regular people?! Just kill them like that?!" she screamed as her feet were cut by rubble on the street. "I don't think they even are aware of what they're doing. Growth magic is tricky business. It's not as easy as shrinking magics. You have to contend with stronger bones, heart, and brain functions. They rushed the spell. If I had to guess they're suicide berserkers" he said. She looked at him as they stopped after rounding a corner. She bounced on her knees to soothe their baby. "I've seen many a war. There's no tactic under the sun I haven't seen before. Come. At the very least I can create a boat and we can leave this wretched place" he said urging her along. 10 minutes into their run, (which was joined by several others) Joseph suddenly stopped. "This cannot be" he muttered looking at the flooded section of the city before him.

"Where's the port?" she asked. "Six blocks ahead so why is this flooded with seawater? There has been no storm surge" he said. Then a massive tremor shook the city and Joseph had almost no time to shield him and his family from falling glass. "Oh no..." he muttered as he saw the water slowly creeping up the street. "What is...JOSEPH!" Adona screamed as a brilliant flash of light far behind them made them wince. A huge tremor knocked him off his feet and then the over pressure of a small nuclear detonation raced through the street. From where they had been standing, the building had taken almost the entire force. Those not lucky were blown across the street like insects and were killed instantly. The building creaked and suddenly collapsed right on top of them. The last thing he heard her utter was a horrible scream before the four-story structure came down.

Minutes passed as his broken body healed. He called her name as soon as his throat and vocal cords reformed. A seeping pool of blood oozed out from under a pile of stone and rubble. "Adona...Adona?" he asked as he tore away the rubble. Joseph fell to his knees when he found her. The boxes they carried had been flattened underneath her broken body. Their baby...lost...simply lost. Her last attempt had been to save the kids and their daughter as she rolled to her side.  He closed her dead eyes and made a scream that could be heard for a mile. Long dormant power surged through him as he walked away from the scene. There had been a few survivors, not many at all that looked upon the old man crackling with power. With a forceful gesture, he parted the waters down the street. "Go" he muttered as he walked forward.

Joseph regretted sorely giving up Etherion. With it he could've revived her but with the power he had now, at best he could restore her body and that of his daughter but not their souls. Only Etherion could recall a soul from beyond. And even he was not as foolish to revive a person with no soul. It would dishonor their memory. Joseph's display of power had not gone unnoticed. He sensed a group of high-level mages closing fast on his location as he neared the actual port. Six of them, including a familiar commander, landed before him. "Markus..." Joseph mumbled. "I sensed a strong magic coming from here and I thought the enemy had chosen to invade from this direction. Fancy it being you" he said. "Begone. My only wish left is to see these people to safety" he said. "Not until they are fully vetted. Can't have spies or turncoats" Markus said. "Have you gone mad with the rest?! Have you not noticed what had occurred to the land?! It's sinking you little shit! Your insipid war has destabilized the entire continent! This street was under 40 ft. of water just minutes ago!" Joseph yelled. Markus' subordinates noticed the wall of water being held back around them. "A justified war. And what has been broken, the council can fix. Now stand aside old man. I won't ask again" he said.

"You have gone mad. Because one can fix something does not give the right to destroy it!" Joseph yelled. Suddenly, two giantesses with reformist robes trampled to them. Both around 160 ft. tall. "Surrender by order of the high commander!" one yelled. "I'm having a conversation here!" Markus yelled. "Last warning or no quarter will be given!" the other yelled. "Adet" he muttered, and a strange gold and silver ring appeared in his hand. It glowed as a portal formed inside it. Markus stuck his hand through and above them a giant hand as big as three city blocks appeared. His hand came down grabbing the two giantesses from where they stood and were lifted through the portal. Markus chuckled as he pulled his hand out looking at the astonishingly shrunken women in his grip. With a cold look, he squeezed. Their screams turned to wet gurgles as he crushed the life out of them. Markus dropped the mangled shrunken corpses on the ground and whistled to one of his soldiers. A woman tossed him a small hand towel to clean his hand of the blood and guts. Joseph couldn't believe that he had gone so far as to weaponize translocation magic. A portal system that changed the object's size as it moved through. The only limit was the users magic supply. Joseph saw the horror it could unleash on the world. Entire villages, no cities could be crushed flat with a single hand or scooped up like a plaything. He resolved himself to make the hardest choice he ever made.

"The commander said to step aside. NOW!" one of the women accompanying him said. She touched Joseph’s shoulder. The woman felt a force as soon as she did. She felt a pain in her chest as his body glowed. She tried to pull away and her hand didn't budge. She looked at it and tried to scream as her skin grew taunt and withered. "Release her!" Markus yelled pushing him. The woman fell to the ground stone dead. She no longer resembled a fit and trim 19-year-old woman but a withered husk. "Markus. I'm so sorry" he mumbled as he turned his body and shot his son through the heart. Markus fell backwards onto the ground. The survivors stood aghast seeing it all. He eyed the other two soldiers standing there terrified. "I can't believe you'd kill your own son" Markus said standing back up. Joseph looked at him unnerved as both his eyes pulsed with magic arrays. "Surprised? My mistress shared part of her soul with me and with it the key to the ultimate form of immortality. I don't die unless I will it" he said coldly as he raised his artifact. "Then Ophiuchus has made an abomination. Your evil cannot prevail!" Joseph yelled as he snapped his fingers. Markus froze in motion as he was engaging the Eye. He had frozen a pocket of time around him. One that would not last very long.

Joseph took the Eye from him, formed a translocation gate and literally kicked him through. The old man wheezed as such a display of magic was not easy. "What...where'd..." a soldier stammered. "Very far away at the bottom of the ocean. The crushing pressures will keep him at bay. As for you two..." he said until another even more powerful earthquake hit them. It lasted for several minutes and now barely any buildings stood. The ground itself had cracked open. But this time the waters did not creep up. No, they receded at lightning speed. So fast and so far, the port was fully exposed and the boats moored there sat on sandbars. He looked well beyond normal sight. Dozens then two hundred miles out and what he saw was the destiny of the land. "Fabian. My god boy...you saw the future" he muttered as he saw brown land, a massive wave of ocean water, and a red sky. The same picture the shrunken traumatized boy had drawn two weeks prior. He turned to the two soldiers.

"How many translocation terminals are left intact?" he asked. They didn't answer. "Did you see the water recede? A deadly tsunami is coming. One that will spell doom to anyone here including yourselves" he said. "Three. There are three left being guarded by our forces" one replied. "You two got a new job. Take these people and escape through the terminal. Spread the word for those to follow" he said. "We're just soldiers! Nobody will..."

"I will see to that. All will see what I saw soon enough. Now go!" he yelled. They took the survivors he had been guarding and ran back to the center of the ruined city. Joseph knew the council would survive this and had to stop them. They couldn't restart their plans for humanity on the mainland. He sensed their power to the north of the city. It was clear they were finally engaged in battle by the output. Joseph translocated to their position. When he got there, all he saw was horror after horror of Etherion use. People turned to dust, shrunk beyond sight, broken and twisted like toys for the amusement of the 13. Reformists fell back with each strike. None of the council had grown as if to make their killing personal, to easier look at their victims. Joseph looked at a teen boy running for his life until a beam of light turned him into water. A man tending to the wounded shrunk to the size of a flea falling into the open wound of a young woman. Joseph couldn't spare the time or energy to save him from drowning in her blood. He was too busy concentrating to make a shield. The most powerful shield he could think up. "Old man get back! Can somebody get this old fool!" someone yelled. Joseph made his way to the forefront and threw his shield up. The council was no impressed until they saw their own spells bounce back at them.

"How are you doing that?" one asked. He turned to the woman who asked. Her eye was swollen shut. Her face bloody and she held her side as she bled from it. "I need your strongest mages left right here and now. They cannot be stopped so we must seal them away in a place they cannot escape" he said as power irradiated from him. She almost rebuked him until she felt in her bones his true might. Joseph concentrated keeping the shield up which was slowly weakening. "S class mages. Only...only five" she said returning. "As I told her, we must seal these beings away" he said. "How? Any array we make could be broken by loyalists or simply time itself" one said. Joseph nearly smiled as he said time. "Then you need something timeless" he said looking at the first stars in the sky. "Is it possible?" one asked. "Asking is irrelevant isn't it?" Joseph asked motioning at the council who was furiously beating on his shield. They nodded. "Such a spell can kill you. Be forewarned" he said. "...we know old man" one said.

One by one, they began tracing the connecting lines to stars of different constellations. Just one was exceptionally draining but all 13? Joseph watched with a warm heart as one by one, a Mage came and donated his or her magic to them.  "I can feel it working! Keep at it!" he yelled as his shield began to crack. He looked at the sky and saw the constellations glow intensely as the fabric of reality began to distort and crack. A black void of nothing appeared and one by one the council was sucked off their feet into the gaping abyss. "The deed is done but your duty is not. I need three volunteers" he said as he produced the Eye of the World. "What is this thing?" one asked. "The most powerful magical weapon in existence. Too powerful for any one person to have including me" he said breaking it up into three pieces. Three stepped forward. "You do not know me and yet no hesitation" he said.

"You saved us all. Does that not merit trust?" the leader woman asked. "All? Stick a pin in that. Here" he said handing the fragments to three powerful mages. "Hide these in the corners of the world. Build defenses. Make it so it cannot be used for evil" he said. "Corners of the world? The terminals are under enemy control!" the woman said. "Not for long as I must make an announcement. Please stand far back" he said as he collected his energy. Joseph began to grow...and grow...and grow. 100 ft....200...500...and then stopped at 1000 ft. His very weight cracked stone which set off more tremors. A necessary thing though as far as he could see none had grown that big. It gave more weight to what he was about to say. He nearly wept at the sight of the once beautiful city in burning ruins and bodies littering the streets. Those fighting paused at the sight of the enormous giant and wondered whose side was he on. "Lemurians. The time of conflict has ended. As I speak, a tidal wave over two miles tall is rapidly approaching this continent it will not only destroy the city but ring the death knell for the continent of Mu. The council is no more for abandon hope of their help" he said showing their sealing by illusions in the air. He then showed them the vision he had seen earlier at the port. 

The wave was indeed gigantic, and it was speeding towards them at just under the speed of sound. Many wanted to refute his claim, but they had seen the cracks in the ground with boiling water seeping out of them. "The wave will arrive in 20 minutes. And the continent will sink in a day. There is no longer reformist or loyalist. It is simply Lemurian. Save who you can by using the remaining terminals. I am Joseph. The one you once called God. My final commandment...my only commandment...is to live" he said softly as his magical radiance filled the sky. With such a display, none could doubt him, and even if one did, saw no point in staying to fight. Joseph heard squeaking at his feet and bent down to pluck up whomever with his fingernails.

He brought it to his eye which its pupil was bigger than small swimming pool. "Why didn't you stop this if you are our God!" she yelled. Joseph recognized her as the commander of the small group he saved. "What is the point of free will if someone more powerful takes it away? Isn't that what you fought to protect? The freedom of humans and Lemurians alike?" he asked. "So many dead!" she yelled. "Including my human wife, baby daughter, and 977 of my adopted children. Your sorrow is not unique" he said. Her eyes went wide hearing what he had lost and due to her closeness to his eyes, she could not just see but hear the tears welling up in them. "I had such high hopes for you all and this is what your war had brought. I don’t hate you. You fought for freedom. What I hate is the gift I bestowed was perverted" he said. "What could we do in the face of Etherion?!" she yelled. "Win over the people. Hate will never conquer hate. Only love can extinguish the fires of hatred. Even if you fight for love, it still is love. A lesson that comes far too late but came it did" he said showing her the city. "Listen. No explosions or screams of murder. One people united under one goal. To live" he said softly.

"If what you say is true then the refugees living in the rural areas will die. There are no terminals there" she said hopelessly. He brought her to his mouth, and she feared he would eat her alive. "My beautiful little mortal. It hurts to see you so sad and yes, they will die for I have not the power to save them all...but I will do what a god should do. Give them peace" he said with but a whisper. He placed her on the ground and looked at her and all of them one last time before vanishing.

He was tired. Very tired. Still retaining his size, he shrank down to a more manageable 175ft. to conserve magic. And then he simply waited in the center of the continent. And so, 20 minutes had passed and he hung his head as he felt the wave hit the city. As they were his creations, he could sense the mass dying of them like he did many times before. It was as if one collective scream and then silence. A few minutes passed and he knew the city was no more. Joseph rested as he needed strength for one last gift to give. Hours passed and refugees began to head further inland to escape the rising waters. Waters that rose a foot a minute. Needless to say, not many at all could outrun such a thing. Some did though using magic powered vehicles and those came to Joseph. And once his clairvoyance had told him all that was still alive was within range...he cast his spell with a simple one word command "SLEEP".

The spell radiated out lightning fast making those fall asleep where they were. At home, a camp, outside in a cave or up top a mountain. They fell asleep and dreamed of the happiest moment of their lives. Joseph wept where he sat as he felt so powerless. At best he could give them a peaceful death. The once mighty Etherion user wept at his loss and powerlessness. And as he wept, he heard something. The voice of a child in the distance. Joseph stood up to look. Not far from where he was lying a refugee camp with tents. A small little girl was sitting on the ground crying. "Hello little one" he said. The girl shrieked and ran. Joseph was too curious as to why she was not asleep to let her run off. Very gently, he pl used her up by her ankle and placed her on his open palm.

"Don't be afraid. No harm will come to you" he said. The girl stared sobbing at his mouth. "I don't eat little girls. Especially ones as pretty as you" he said softly. She didn't cry as much after seeing him gently smile. "Everyone is asleep" she muttered. "Yes, I know. I gave them pleasant dreams. I see you're not asleep though" he said. "No..." she said. He brought her closer to his eyes as he suspected something. She cringed as he extended his finger. Very gently, he caressed her cheek. Joseph could sense it in her. The mark of power. Magic, high level magic. Undoubtedly, it somehow shielded her from the spell. "What's your name?" he asked. "Mio" she replied. "A fitting name for one so cute. I'm Joseph" he said. "Why are you big?" she asked.

"So, I can see further" he said widening his eyes. The girl giggled. "So, you gave my mommy and brothers good dreams?" she asked. The giant nodded. Joseph in his grief, saw what could've been in her. Her hair was a dirty blonde indicating not just human ancestry but northern at that. In the past, the northern and northern Asiatic humans were prized for their unique looks. The girl was probably the result of forced breeding. But having said that, for her to have magic meant she was also Lemurian. A human and Lemurian mixed breed with the best of both. That had been his dream. Her hazel eyes studied him. Her skin the color of fresh cut wood was dirty from being in the camps. She didn't even have shoes as her bare feet tapped his palm anxiously. "Why were your crying?" she asked. He was taken aback by the question. "A lot of people I loved died today" he replied. As he spoke, he could feel more and more die by the second.

"Tell me about yourself" he said. "Like what?" she asked. "...anything" he said. The hours ticked by as he listened to random stories. The night had come, and she fell asleep in his warm hands. He petted her in her sleep. Her delicate 9-year-old body deep asleep oblivious of the end of her homeland happening around her. And when dawn came, even she could see them surrounded by water. "Where is everything! My family!" she screamed. Only a patch of land a mile wide was left and the rough waters was eating that up quickly. "Gone. Only you and me remain Mio. I'm sorry" he replied. She cried and beat her fists on his curled fingers as it came time to leave. Joseph gave the land at his feet one final look. "Thanks for lasting so long" he muttered before leaving.

Joseph and Mio ended up in India as the devastation of Mu had kicked off tidal waves all over the pacific. Sri Lanka was battered, and Indonesia was almost lost as well. He had found a suitable place to raise the girl. Yes, he had chosen to be her father for seemed to be his duty as her God. The first month was hard for her. She had lost everything. Her family, her home. The old godlike man was distraught as she would barely even eat. But time can ease pain and it did for Mio. He taught her what he was and what she was capable of. Years passed and she grew into a beautiful woman. A woman he denied himself which was hard for Mio as at the time no humans lived close to them. Even she had the desire to mate. Joseph watched her frustration as the instinct to have children burned in her. One day he translocated a young man to her, and she was horrified at how primitive he was. The young man thought fancied her. Mio ended up shrinking him.  Disgusted at him, she raised her dirty foot over him.

"Don't you dare" Joseph said. "Look at him! He's a nasty fucking mess! Stop staring at my pussy like that!" she yelled as he gazed at the giant cleft of the giantess. "Your ancestors thought the same way and did what you almost did. They fought over who was right and you saw how that ended. Would you repeat your mistake?" he asked. Mio was shamed by his words. Joseph restored his height and sent him away. "Power is not to rule but to enlighten. Never forget that" he said. And she did not. Mio spent decades restoring what the tidal waves had destroyed in Sri Lanka and slowly, she saw humans return to the land.  "They will live and prosper because of you" he said. Mio, who was pushing 60 by then silently nodded.

The constant use of magic had shortened her lifespan as her human blood could not cope with such usage. And on her 63rd year of life, it came time for Joseph to say goodbye to someone else he loved. "Don't cry father. All things end" she said. "...except me" he replied. "One day, you will find me again. It will be a distant land and very far from now but once you sense it, you will know" she said softly. Her eyes were stark white as her FarSight ability gave her prediction. Joseph didn't understand and was about to ask when she spoke one last time. "Bury me with my mother and brothers as I know I can't be buried alongside you when you time comes. And father...don't...forget..." she said before slipping into eternity. "...I never do" Joseph muttered holding his face in his hands crying.

His power brought him back to where he was decades ago. It protected him from the crushing water pressure. The coldness had preserved many things. Broken homes, fallen tents, beds. But the bodies were picked clean. Skeletons, broken skeletons littered the sunken continent. His clairvoyance brought him exactly where he needed to be. In his hand was a sealed sarcophagus with her body inside. The skeletons of her mother and brothers laid where they had died. Joseph placed the stone sarcophagus beside them and took his time interring them. He was surprised that it gave him peace to do so and with that in mind went about doing the same for others. The man roamed the sunken dead land for three years burying the dead who had not been already swallowed up by the sea floor. And when his job was done, he left for good.

Joseph stopped talking leaving the stunned Keith and Susan speechless. "It's a wonder you didn't go insane" Susan asked. "I had already lost so much by then I had learned to cope with grief in ways no mortal could understand" Joseph said looking at the snow outside the window. "We can continue after lunch?" he asked. "Of course Joseph if you want" Keith said. The man got up and left. "I want to hug my daughter" Susan muttered. "So do I" Keith said looking at the app on his phone. Susan returned home finding Ruby sitting watching tv. "Mom?" she asked. "Yes honey?" Susan asked. "What do you want for Christmas?" she asked. "My Christmas came early" Susan replied. She snuck behind the girl tickling her. "You" she said. Susan breathed her scent in and held her close. "Baby I love you so much" she muttered. "Mom are you crying?" Ruby asked. She turned to see Susan looking down. "I'm being silly I know" Susan said. "No, you're not. Let me make lunch this time" Ruby said entering the kitchen.

Susan watched her make peanut butter sandwiches. "It's not much..."

"It's enough. You made it so it's enough" she said eating. "Have you given anymore though to what I asked?" Ruby asked. "Well, it is tradition for family members to give sexual education. What you're asking is kinda...intense" Susan warned. Ruby finished her sandwich. "And I'm ready" she said. Susan frowned a bit. "Alright. This evening" she relented. Ruby grinned and hugged her. She thought about how she would feel losing a child. Their scent, taste, their voice, gone from her world and she shuttered. "And he watched one grow old and die. He even buried her...wait. Wait a minute. My real dad said the DNA in me was found in an ancient sarcophagus on the ocean floor. And what Mio said..." Susan muttered before rushing out of the house.

Susan found Joseph quietly eating with a saddened stare. "Is Mio's DNA in me?" Susan abruptly asked him. "...yes. Her mixed genes were perfect to make you since she was half Lemurian and half human, Mother Nature had already done the hard part. It also explains why your magic is above average" he said. "Is that why you helped my dad’s and mom?" Susan asked. Joseph looked at her. "I would've helped them even if they weren't who they were. But I could sense a similar spark of magic in your teeny little body that rainy night. Her prophecy didn't even occur to me until months later. Have to remember she gave it to me nearly 20,000 years ago" he chuckled. "All this must be hard on you" she said. He didn't answer.

"Going somewhere?" Keith asked seeing his daughter bundled up.  "Christmas shopping in town" she replied as she put her toboggan on. Keith waited a moment to say anything. "Take your phone" he said. "I always do" she said annoyed. "Don't be such a grump. You'll understand when you have kids" he said. He kissed her and straightened her hair. "Be safe. I'm trusting you" he said smiling. Hope's lip quivered very slightly. "...thanks dad" she said before disappearing. Keith checked the locate iPhone app he had been using to track her. It did indeed show her in Yorkshire like she said. Keith sighed and walked back to the study. He waited until Susan and Joseph had returned. "Did you know the Lemurian DNA in me came from the girl he saved?" she asked him. Keith was surprised. "But that would mean you're one quarter not a third" he said. "If it's good stock that can be enough. Look at Claire. She's a quarter but the quarter of Fae is royalty" Joseph said. "And not a coincidence obviously" Keith said.

"True. When I heard Capricorn was going about looking for Lemurian DNA, I kinda...directed them to where Mio's sarcophagus lied. Behind the scenes without them knowing of course. That way I didn't break the agreement" he explained. Keith glared at him. "I wanted to see her again Keith. Even if it was a fleeting wish" he said softly. "I guess I can understand. Good did come from it" Keith said rubbing Susan's hair. "You mentioned an agreement?" Susan asked shrinking down and sitting on Keith's shoulder. "Yes. An agreement to preserve the chance for humanity to grow as best as it could without being caught in his schemes. After burying those I had found, I began wandering the Earth making sure the surviving Lemurians didn't try to prey upon humanity. Time passed and they integrated themselves into the human population except the few pockets that spread out to be on their own. Even the loyalists behaved...mostly. I knew the artifacts and the offspring of the council has survived but I never could sense them. I kept an eye out for them regardless as I observed humanity grow in number, culture, and society. A growth that I took great pleasure in witnessing. Thousands of years passed until one day I heard of a demigod in the land of the Middle East. A being of power who subjugated his neighbors in a ruthless quest to find what he called...the chosen. A being who had glowing eyes. A being named Gilgamesh"

2773 BC Mesopotamia...

Joseph looked upon the people in this city. He had come here before wanting to be present for its founding. He was pleased with the progress of Ur, but he was not here this time for a social reason. He had heard of their ruler. A man who healed injury with a blink of an eye. An eye that glowed. He called himself Gilgamesh and word of him traveled like wildfire. 16,000 years had passed since the collapse of The Lemurian people, but their bloodlines had scattered into the humans. That meant any who carried it had the possibility of using magic. Joseph needed to meet this man and measure him. As he washed his feet free of sand and dirt he listened. The people spoke of Lagash, a town not far from Ur and how Gilgamesh conquered it with ease. He inspected the survivors and pulled aside some to be sent away. Men, women and children there was no particular thing that set them apart. The rest sent off to be sold as slaves. He needed more information before acting.

He went to the marketplace as no better place could one find for gossip. People sold their wares. Clay pots, rope, and food was the biggest staple normally. Beer the second but at that moment the slave trade was booming. He made his way to one of the slave pens and stood there looking at the helpless people sitting in dirty straw waiting to be sold. "Good afternoon friend. Care to browse?" a sun weathered man asked him. Joseph nodded. "I have all kinds in stock. Men to harvest, barley and wheat. Children for rope making or house chores. And women for all the above...and then some" he said smiling. He snapped his fingers at one girl sitting for her to approach. "She is a virgin, but she gives good head" he said. He gestured for her to slip Joseph’s pants down. Joseph did not wish for her to do such a thing but held his tongue for now. He felt pity for the 16-year-old slave girl as he sucked his prick. Joseph grunted after a minute or so before cumming down her throat. "Is she one of the king's won slaves?" he asked. The slave trader nodded.

"What can you tell me of him?" Joseph asked. "Only what the others say. So, what say you of this nice fine specimen?" he asked. "How much?" Joseph asked. "Hmm...a virgin, no scars, good teeth, ample breasts and rear. 50 shekels" he said. Joseph took five silver coins out of his purse and handed them to the man. The. Joseph took out two more. "The real info on your king. The ones spoke in whispers" he said holding the coins. "They say he can perform miracles. Make fire, lightning, even can make men as small as rodents. His wife Ishtar serves also as his bodyguard and they collect young men and women for their harem. A harem that changes all the time and the old ones...are not seen again" he said. Joseph didn't like the sound of that. Worse yet whomever they were had shrinking magic. This was no tall tale told by a human out to make money. "And of Enkidu?" Joseph asked. "Ah that one. A giant of a man standing a full head and shoulders above even you. Quick to fight, drink, and fuck. I have heard stories of women losing their minds in his chambers. Nobody dares say a thing for he is the friend of the King" he said. Joseph cocked his head. "That is all I know" the man said. Joseph handed him the coins and took possession of the girl.

She followed behind him with not a word as he stopped at a few stalls buying this and that. He led her to an inn which he purchased a moderate room. "Stay here" he said pointing to the bed as he went into the bathroom. Joseph pinned for the days past of plumbing and hot and cold water on tap. With a fit of magic, he cleaned it, deodorized it, and filled the copper tub with hot water. "In here" he told her. She was frightened as he took off her meager clothing. She winced as she slipped into the hot water. The old man hummed a tune as he cleaned her. "Your name?" he asked. "Uran" she replied with a whisper. "I am Joseph. Is it true they took away some of your people into the ziggurat?" he asked. She nodded. He lifted her feet to sit on the basin as he cleaned them. "Your feet are not marred. What did you do before being here?" he asked as he cleaned between her toes. "I was the daughter of a merchant. I kept accounting" she replied. "Explains a few things. Please stand" he said. She did and whimpered as he cleaned her ass and crotch. She was shaking.

"I have no intention of using you for sex or labor" he said looking at her. She was confused and even more fearful as there was talk of men who bought slaves just to have them fight to the death. Even woman of a sort. "I needed information from him. Buying you was a means" he explained. When he was done, Uran looked no more than a slave than any other teenage girl.  Her long black hair was no longer tangled and ratty. She smelled of rose and cinnabar not of urine and shit. Her bronze skin no longer dirt encrusted. And her eyes, full of fear but not dimly shut for fear of being struck for a bad glance.  He dried her off and she looked at her old clothes. "You have no need of them any longer. Come" he said. He pulled out new fresh linen for her to wear and gently slipped it on her. "Much better" he said. He put new sandals on the floor. "I hope I got your size right" he chuckled. She watched him as she slipped her feet into them. "Great" he said tapping her shoulder. She winced in pain. "What troubles you?" he asked. She slipped her linens down to show a mark on her skin. "That is not a birthmark?" he asked. "A branding for a slave" she replied. He found this city disliking more by the minute. Her stomach growled. "Someone is hungry. Let's grab a bite of food" he said.

Uran was very nervous. It was forbidden for slaves to eat at the table. The patrons of the inn bar eyed her as she wore no jewelry as the other girls did. "We don't serve slaves" the hostess spat as she saw her branding. "Then serve me" he said. Uran hung her head. The woman returned with the breeding stuffed with goat meat and sauce, beer, and figs and dates. As soon as she put the plate down, he grabbed her wrist. "Seconds please" he growled as he slid the plate to Uran. She saw a dark contempt in his eyes and obeyed. Uran hesitated to eat. "Please" he asked. The girl began devouring it as all she had before was doughy flour and stale water. Joseph left the tiniest of tips before taking her back upstairs. He looked out of his window at the ziggurat that kept the king. He chose to go there that night to see for himself who was there. Uran sat quietly on their bed as he watched the sun set. Joseph finally sat down and laid-back thinking on how to proceed when he arrived. This was a king after all.

"What is it you're doing?" he asked Uran as she disrobed. "Pleasing my master" she said. "Told you before you're not for that" he said. "Then what will you have of me?" she asked frightened. "Window dressing" he replied. "I have angered you" she muttered. "No. You remind me of a wife I had the once. She was a slave as well" he said. "And you say she was your wife?" she asked. "Yes. We had a life together until our home was lost. She died as many others did that day" he said softly. Joseph got up. "Stay here. I will return" he said as he left. Joseph made his way to the ziggurat. His magic charms had the guards dismiss him entirely. As he climbed the steps, the sense of powerful magic increased. He went up each level as the bright full moon hung overhead. And as he got to the top, his senses told him who Gilgamesh was.

Joseph could see him on his throne chuckling. His eyes detected shrunken female slaves performing at his sandaled feet for his amusement. "Enkidu my friend. Come join me. I have some fresh ones for us to enjoy" he said. "I am not your drunken, sex hungry friend" Joseph said emerging into the light given off by the braziers. "Well well. Father, it's been some time" Markus said. "That it has. Changing your name is innocent. Pretending to be a god is passable to an extent. But using your power to enslave, murder, and conquer? Have you learned nothing?" Joseph asked. Markus picked up a random girl.

"Oh, I indeed have. Humans have a need to be ruled. One must always have one their better. Take this girl for example. The daughter of the high priest in Lagash. Pampered, well kept, more like a prized pet than a daughter" he said as he tore her clothing off. He chuckled as he flicked her tiny sandals off. "But such a thing brings stagnation, laziness, and ultimately cruelty" he said. He abruptly shoved the girl into his mouth and swallowed with a loud gulp. "Don't be sorry for her. I had been told she once had the hands cut off a servant girl for spilling water on her dress. Under my rule, these humans have flourished. An economy, system of law, they even begun to chart the skies" he said. "And all it cost was their freedom" Joseph said snapping his fingers undoing his shrinking spell on the other girls. He motioned for them to leave.

"You come into my house, disrespect me, and now shoo away my whores like I'm an errant child?" he said standing up. He held out his hand and a strange sword appeared. The blade had a hilt of gold, a handle of alabaster, and the edge of jet black. Along it glowed red ancient Lemurian script. "An artifact?" Joseph asked. "The symbol of my authority. The mighty Ea" he replied. Markus approached him. "You think you can take me?" the old man asked. Markus held his hand up as it glowed, and two women appeared from translocation gates. "You think me a fool? You think I haven't been preparing to meet you again? Behold Aries and Taurus. The first two of my Zodiac" he replied. Joseph eyed them. Each one had an artifact. "Offspring of the council and the same names no less" he muttered. "Lagash was the first. Eventually I will find all 12 out there along with those who share magical blood. From there we will guide these lowly humans to their correct place in the world" he said grinning.

Aries held out her artifact, a stylus, and began writing in the air. Joseph was astonished as a Lemurian armament clamped onto her wrist. "Boost. Boost..." she muttered. A strange glow surrounded her, Taurus, and Markus. Taurus held hers, a necklace with a glowing star in it and looked at the old man. She pointed at him and a bull appeared. A bull of ethereal substance. With unnatural speed, it charged him and slammed him into a pillar. Joseph coughed blood unnerved by the hit. "You take them so lightly. Aries can increase the natural abilities of whomever she wants, and Taurus can call upon the signs to make magical constructs. And as for my sword?" he asked. Markus moved so fast he was a blur. He stabbed his father with the blade and pulled it out. "It can kill a soul" he muttered. Joseph couldn't believe how overwhelmed he was in just a few seconds. He barely had the strength to translocate away.

Joseph reappeared in his inn room bleeding. "Master!" Uran yelled. Joseph shooed her away as he lied on the bed healing. Even with the wound gone, he felt the damage to his soul. She rushed to him with a basin of water and cloth to clean his wound. She was astounded not to see one. "I said I'm fine!" he asked knocking it out of her hand. She bowed to him. "Apologizes. I didn't have a good time tonight" he said. "You were bleeding and then you were not" she muttered. "I'm a god. A very embarrassed one" he said. She thought him to be joking until she saw magic ebbing out of him. "Damn thing did a number on...don't touch!" he yelled as she touched him where the wound was leaking magic. Uran vanished. Joseph got up immediately to look and breathed a sigh of relief to find her alive, and the size of a flea. He began growing her until the pain became too great. "At least you're not small enough not to be seen anymore" he said looking at her 6-inch size. "Lucky, you could've been burnt to ash, frozen like ice or worse" he muttered as he placed her on the bed. "You are a god" she said. "From your perspective yes. Damn sword cut my soul. I'm hemorrhaging my very being" he said. "Can I assist?" she asked. He looked at her roughly and she cringed. "A person's soul and their magic are intertwined. There's no salve or balm to fix this. You...actually maybe you can. Give me a moment to think" he said. Uran was more an awe to really freak out about her shrunken situation and was worried for him truly.

"Alright. I think I know of a way. Bear with me" he said before shrinking himself. In moments he was the size of a gnat or about an inch to her. "I need to borrow your womb for a while" he said. "Of course, master. Feel free to...what?!" she squeaked. "It will cause you no harm, but I need a young woman's womb to heal my soul. The womb is the cradle of life and when life grows in it, eventually a soul will find its host. During that time, the soul is very malleable and fluid until the infant takes its first breath outside. I'm hoping it will hold true for the opposite" he said. "And if it doesn't?" she asked. "Then you will watch a god lose his soul" he replied as he staggered to her. Uran spread her legs for him. It took a moment to get near but as he did, he could smell the musk of the little giantess. Feel the heat from her loins. Joseph got in front of her giant cunt and saw an issue.  "Umm...about that part where I said no harm? I was wrong. I forgot you're a virgin. I need to take your maidenhead" he said. Uran knew what that meant but how could a man so small do that? She got her answer.

Joseph threw a mighty (his scale) punch rupturing her cherry. The tiny giantess made a yelp that made the man sigh. "Are you alright?" he asked looking up at her. She nodded shedding tears. Joseph was entirely sold on her answer as half his body was covered in her blood. "We can wait" he said. "No! No, this is important" she said. The man nodded and began creeping into her cunt. Uran groaned slightly being tender down there but the deeper he went, the wetter she got. Her little toes curled as he was halfway in. She moaned as she fought the urge to shove him in deeper herself. Uran had touched herself down there before but never did she feel aroused like this. Joseph cast a spell on himself, so he need not breathe before he got too deep. Already her pussy juices surrounded him. And then he made it to her cervix. Now as horny as she was, he would crawl as her pussy spasmed and then pause. Over and over as Uran came and came. The girl had nearly passed out after four orgasms but felt him enter her womb.

Pitch black and only the sound of a thumping heart he could experience inside it. It was peaceful. Joseph calmed himself as best as he could and after an hour, (as best as he could reckon), saw a light emanating from his chest. "Hello old friend" he said recognizing his damaged soul. It was as if a crack of darkness in a sphere of light. Joseph began using his fingers to push closed the wound. It wasn't working. "Steady. Focus. Your mind is wandering" he said. Being as ancient as he was, Joseph couldn't go a day without being reminded of something from his past. Not even the inside of a girl's womb. Not long after he assumed the power of Etherion, he used it to his own evil ends. His favorite pastime was taking women for himself. And those that didn't give themselves up, those that didn't give in to his power...he killed. Crushing them or eating them usually but even a nigh powerful evil man can get bored after a time.

He learned one of his conquests was with his child and curiosity got ahold of him. He shrank down to the size of a grain of sand and entered her womb. There he saw her fetus growing. Every day for months he did this fascinated at the growth of human life in her until one day as he studied the almost complete fetus, it opened its eyes. He was taken aback by the sight and panicked as it moved. Joseph quickly left the giantess' womb and watched silently as she gave birth only days later. That was the beginning of him rethinking how to handle humans. Even with Etherion, the complexity of life eluded him and if any human girl can make it within her, they had value, worth, promise. Joseph felt ashamed looking back at what he was and asked forgiveness to whatever deity existed. And as he did, the wound began to close. Eventually the job was done, and he crawled out.

He unshrank himself and cleaned himself quietly. He returned to a very exhausted Uran who was awake now by his leaving. "Thank you. I'm whole again" he said smiling as he sat on the bed. "Forgive me" she said bowing on the pillow. "For what? You were great" he said. "I have feelings for you and it's impudent for a lowly mortal..."

"Never say you're a lowly mortal. Mortals have worth and never be ashamed to feel love" he said. She looked at him with eyes so deep. Joseph picked her up and held her with a gentle closed fist. "This is something you really want isn't it?" he asked. She nodded. Joseph obliged as he had been on his own for centuries by this time and even he wanted the feel of a woman now and then. He turned her upside down letting her black hair fall forward. She squealed as he stuck his tongue between her legs licking at her pussy. He chuckled at her as he righted her. "How does it feel to be in the hands of a god? A god that tastes your sweet nectars, feels your young breasts, fancies your smooth soles and supple ass?" he asked. The girl panted and flushed. She kissed his finger. He placed her on the pillow and shrank himself down to her size. She was shocked to see the god licking her feet. Such a thing was not done but he sucked her toes and she groaned. Joseph pulled her to him and slid his cock inside. She pulled him down as he fucked the girl.

Uran never thought she found find any happiness in her life being a slave, but she was wrong. She had found a god that was kind, that valued her feelings, her wants and desires. And as his warm seed filled her, she found a place in his heart. Joseph unshrank her so she could use the bathroom and watched the giantess return to bed. "Tell me about yourself my god" she said using giant her finger to pet his chest. He told her how old he was which didn't shock her. He told her he was born of mortal human parents which very much did. And as he told her stories, she played with his small cock and balls. "Are you paying attention or just milking me for...seed" he groaned as he came on her fingertip. She sucked it clean. "I can do both" she said. "As I was saying...the one called Gilgamesh is my son" he said. She stopped. "I knew you weren't paying attention" he sighed. "And he did this?" she asked. "He has to be stopped. He is a danger to all of you" he said. He yawned and saw the sun has risen. "Watch out I'm going to unshrink..."

"Please no. Stay as this. I'll protect you" she said pleading. Joseph relented as she put him below her giant breasts. She liked having a three-inch God on her body but one she could fully love was better. Both slept for some time until their door was kicked in. Uran screamed and Joseph bolted awake and undid the spell. The soldiers were frightened to see an unassuming old man grow in an instant but not the young woman with them. She looked at both of them and smiled. With a gesture, she shrank Uran. A magic array dancing in her right eye. "Lemurian blood. It won't protect you" Joseph said. The woman raised her foot over the whimpering Uran. "Surrender or she's a stain" she said coldly. "Or not" Joseph said snapping his fingers. She and the soldiers froze in time. He knew the spell wouldn't hold her for long, so he had to act quick. Joseph took the ant sized Uran and hid her in the crack in the wall. "Do not move from here no matter what" he said. Soon after he did, the spell wore off and the woman found her hostage missing from underneath her sandal. "Plan B" she said to them. "Yes, milady Ishtar" they said leaving. "You're my son's wife" he said.

"That I am and if you don't surrender, they'll burn this into the ground patrons and all" she said. He looked out the window to see a dozen soldiers with flaming arrows at the ready. The doors barred. Joseph could attack them but how many would die before subduing them all? No, he thought of something else. "Very well" the old man said. Ishtar led him out. He was carried back to the ziggurat by chariot. His eyes on the woman the whole time to take her measure. She was of native stock as he could see. Dressed very finely down to her pedicured feet and up to the shiny black hair with a sun shaped crown on it. She was by the accounts of the people "the heavenly queen". But he saw her as a Lemurian descendant. Purer blood than his Aries and his Taurus. She might be a challenge. He was led right back to the throne room where Markus, Aries and Taurus awaited him. Ishtar greeted her husband with a kiss. "You may return to your...fun dear. This won't take long at all" Markus said. "As you wish. I am famished and a new shipment of slaves did arrive this morning" she chuckled leaving him. "Idiot" Joseph thought. Markus had his sword appear. "Shall we finish where we left off?" he asked. "By all means" Joseph said. 

Markus charged him as Aries increased all their abilities. This time Joseph had no intention of underestimating them. With a slight movement of his right foot. Joseph froze the floor making his son slip. Not missing a beat, he translocated him away. Taurus used her artifact to create a magical ethereal bull that charged him full speed. "Fool. At least try something else" he muttered before punching the thing as hard as he could. It literally popped making the young woman scream in pain. "You destroy a magic construct; you get hit with feedback" he said before rushing her. He grabbed her from behind and wrapped his right arm around her neck. With a coldness he snapped it. "Now what tricks you got other than making others strong?" he asked stepping towards her. "My lord!" she yelled. "My son is occupied falling from the heavens as we speak. Even if he..." he was saying before a gate opened and Markus came flying out headfirst into a pillar. His skull and brains smashed finely.

"As I was saying. If he translocated, he'd have to fuss out the speed going in and coming out" he said looking at his son's body. "Divide! Divide!" she yelled. Joseph felt himself getting weaker by the moment. "Won't save you. Not from me" he said as he got close. He grabbed her by the throat. Looking into her fearful eyes, he began shrinking her until she was trapped between his fingers no bigger than an inch. "Put her down" Markus growled as he stumbled to his feet. Joseph dropped the girl on the floor. She survived with some broken bones until he lowered his sandaled foot on her. There was a small pop and then crunch as he ground her into pulp. "Didn't think you had it in you old man" Markus said aiming Ea at him. "I was not always the kind old man you've seen. I've done cruel things you've never imagined. Now defend yourself. You've got a reckoning coming" Joseph said creating a sword of magic in his hand.

They fought for hours. As much experience Markus had, Joseph had 40,000 years more. Hell, he was there for the creation of the first sword. Markus had been struck down 31 times and still rose. His sword Ea had not landed a decent hit the entire time. However, Joseph relied more on spells more than swordplay and Markus the opposite. The advantage would eventually be his son's as casting a spell used way more stamina than swinging a blade. And his sword Ea could kill a soul. A weapon perfect to fight an immortal. Both paused to catch a breath. "You've lost your head 22 times, your heart 6, and your upper torso 3. That spell is impressive" Joseph said. "You’re running out of steam old man and you know it" Markus said. "Then I should change my stratagem. I take it your sword would harm your soul as well? One more kill and I can take it from your reconstituting corpse" Joseph said.  Joseph took the broken clay from the floor and transmuted it into shards of iron. "It's iron boy. In your weakened state you can't block it" he said as they hovered and aimed at him. Suddenly a small voice yelled out.

"Daddy play with me!" a young boy yelled running into the throne room. His bare feet slapping on the floor as he ran oblivious to what was to his left. "NUNGAL! STAY BACK!" Markus yelled. As he did, Ishtar ran into the room. "Son you mustn't bother...by the gods!" she yelled. He motioned for her not to move. Joseph wary of her power, turned some of the shards her way. "Leave them be! This is between us!" Markus yelled shielding his son. "This is your son?" Joseph asked. Markus quietly nodded. Joseph moved the shards closer to Ishtar. "Don't!" Markus yelled. "Interesting. You're more concerned about them than you. That's a first" he said. Joseph released control on the shards letting them fall to the floor. "And yet they carry much human blood. More curious. I have a proposal" he said.

"A WHAT?!" Markus yelled. "A proposal boy. As much as we wish to flaunt our power, we are too closely matched. Any given day one could be the victor. I offer a compromise...unless you wish to watch your back every day from now until time ends?" he asked. "...what is it?" Markus asked. "If you agree to let humans grow and evolve on their own...I will not fight you" he said. "This must extend to my zodiac. If it does, I agree. I won't conquer these puny things. I may rule some to further my search but that's all" Markus said. "...agreed" Joseph said. Joseph began to walk away. "You will just let him go?!" Ishtar yelled. Joseph watched her power up and he snapped his fingers. A glow came over her. She began to shrink. Slowly at first almost unnoticeable but it steadily grew. "A curse. Since she likes to abuse males, to ward of the shrinking curse, she must constantly bathe in semen. I suggest you get to jerking off before she dwindles into nothing. All this time and still poor taste in women. Cute son though. That reminds me..." he said.

He looked at the sword Ea. Joseph muttered a phrase and the sword disappeared. "We had an agreement!" Markus yelled. "First of all, she barred her magic at me. Second, the agreement included you and your zodiac. No mention of her. And third, as for your sword, it's sealed away, but you can get it back. All you have to do it cut open the vessel it lies in. A kind of insurance" Joseph said pointing to the boy. He paused before leaving one last time. "I like this city. I think I will stay for a while and keep an eye on it...and you" he said.

A messenger brought Joseph back to the inn who dismissed the soldiers. A terrified group of people fled it as he pushed in. The old man collapsed on the bed. "Oh damn" he muttered getting back up. And leaned down at the crack where Uran was. "It's alright. It's taken care of. Come on out" he said. The speck of the girl appeared, and he plucked her up. He began growing her until he nearly fainted. By then she was a more manageable 4 inches. "My lord!" she said scrambling onto his chest. "I'm just tired. It worked out...in a way" he said. He told her what happened. "And you believe he will keep his word?" she asked. "Time will tell" he replied. Joseph slept for hours as the shrunken girl held vigil over him. He woke up as the sun was setting. "You watched over me the entire time?" he asked. She nodded as she climbed to his face. She whimpered hugging his chin. He moved her and bundled cloth tightly. With his magic he transmuted it into fine food and drink. Uran was amazed at how delicious it was.

"A very old recipe. Sautéed mammoth and garlic herbs with berry wine" he chuckled. Once done she cuddled on his belly listening to the gurgling. "I have to send you away" he said. "No! Please no! What have I done to anger you?" she asked. "Not a damn thing. It is too dangerous to be around me right now" he said. He placed her next to him and grew her to human size. "I'm willing to bear the danger" she said sternly. "I am not. I don't wish this, but it must be done" he said grabbing her arm. With a touch he erased her slave brand. "You are a free woman. Live a free safe life" he said. She sobbed and clung to his leg. His hand moved as she was finely dressed with a pouch of gold on her sash. "I can make you go Uran" he said. "I rather die!" she yelled. She stuck out her tongue and began to bite. "YOU DARE BLACKMAIL A GOD!" he yelled. She didn't flinch. "Any other day young one. Just not this day" he said softly wiping her tears away. His hand clamped onto her forehead as his spell began. She was in a daze as he wiped her mind of him. With a translocation gate, he sent her to Uruk, a city not too far away where none knew of her. As far as she knew, the gods rescued her from bondage, and she bowed on the dusty ground in thanks.

"Didn't you say you met your wife in Ur?" Keith asked. "Zaria came two years later. By that time, I figured the danger was minimal...that and I was very lonely" Joseph replied. He stood up. "If you'd forgive me, I wish to be alone" he said. "I have a friend coming tonight for a special concert. I hope you attend" Keith said. "Sounds good" Joseph muttered. "I feel like an asshole for being so rough on him" Keith said. "He's 60,000 years old. Only natural he would have painful memories like the rest of us...obviously more in his case" Susan replied. "I need to get the city ready for Elena's visit" he said. "That's the visitor? You didn't tell me she was coming" Susan said. "She's in London right now for a Christmas concert tour. She agreed to stop by and give the people a show" he replied. "See you at the concert at 8" he said kissing her before putting her down and leaving.

Susan looked at the clock as she cooked dinner for her and Ruby. 6:43 pm. "So, after dinner?" Ruby asked. "It's not something to be giddy about. It's a serious tradition that makes us ready for adult mating" she said. "And I get that" Ruby said sitting at the table. "Lily was the one that taught me, and she was like a mom to me in those days. Before then I knew little about sex. I was six when I learned it existed. Saw two mice fucking in the church and asked daddy what they were doing" Susan chuckled. "Similar to me. It was squirrels" Ruby said. Susan placed the roast beef and potatoes on the table. "It's not all that different from on sucking my toes though" Ruby muttered. "Oh yes it is. It's highly personal. It makes our instincts burn like crazy which is why I'm worried. You're young and I'm deeply connected to you" she said. "Whatever" Ruby muttered. "We'll see how that attitude serves you when you're surrounded in darkness and deep inside my pussy. My juices cutting off your..." Susan stopped. She was quiet and nervous as they ate.

Susan sat on her bed looking at the freshly shrunken girl. "So what first?" Ruby asked. "Either I strip you or you strip yourself" Susan replied. Ruby took her own clothes off and stood naked before her giantess mother. "And?" she asked. "Well, the act isn't just shoving you right in. It's about sensuality. You can start with my feet" she replied scooting her left foot to her. The girl sighed as if annoyed as she began rubbing her big toe. "The inside. It'll make me wet" Susan said. Ruby was lucky as Susan had taken a quick shower after coming home. Her feet were clean and fresh as she rubbed the space between her toes. "That's enough" she said as she plucked her up. Susan breathed her scent in. "You can still change your mind" she said. "Stop stalling and do whatever!" Ruby yelled.

Susan smelled her tiny feet before planting kisses on them. Ruby moaned as her finger rubbed her crotch. Slowly, she slipped her into her mouth feet first and clamped her lips around her neck. The girl squeaked as she felt the giantess' tongue parting her legs to taste her snatch. Susan moaned tasting her sweetness. Ruby steadied herself as she was gently sucked on but very soon, she felt herself being pulled in. She let out a surprised yelp entering her mouth and found the light disappear. This was the first time to be in someone's mouth. To be so close to being swallowed alive. Her heart beat faster. Her moans louder as her mother's taste buds ran up and down her cunt. Susan pinned her to the roof of her mouth to swallow saliva. A good deal as she found her daughter delicious. Sweet, slightly salty, and meaty. Her young life in her hands...or mouth. Ruby felt her ears pop over and over as the vacuum of suction took over. Her tiny toes slipping on the tongue as her orgasm took over.  Susan moaned deeply as her palate was flooded with her juices. She had to get her out of her mouth before the urge to eat her took over.

"That...that wasn't so tough" Ruby panted. "Honey...we haven't got to fucking yet" she said as she lowered her down. Ruby found her giant pussy dripping with her secretions. She touched it and Susan shivered. "Get up in there. Not nice to tease" Susan said pushing her onto it. Ruby found it funny as her hands rubbed and kneaded her folds. It was hot and wet, and the girl felt it all over her body as she laid on it. The girl climbed up and used her clit button to fuck herself. "Careful now" Susan said steading her. She smiled warmly as her daughter gyrated herself groaning and slipping her little feet into her pussy and with a squeak she came again. Susan held her to make sure she was alright. "That was awesome" Ruby panted. "Not over yet" Susan said as she lowered her right into her cunt.

Susan made sure to be gentle as possible as she pushed and pulled her in and out. Ruby was tired but watched intently as the giantess sighed and grinned as she used her body for pleasure. That is until she was shoved all the way in. Ruby understood what she was talking about now. Little air, tight, hot, and pulsing wet. Dark. And her fluids rushed past her toes, her knees, her waist, her tummy. She couldn't help but feel some fear. Her mom wouldn't let her drown would she? Even by accident? And then the walls squeezed her hard. Hard enough to almost press what little air in her teeny little lugs out. And then a release. Ruby felt cold air on her skin. "Honey? Honey you okay?!" Susan asked. Ruby smiled and gave a thumbs up. She looked at Susan and saw the giantess so worried she was nearly hyperventilating. As thrilling as it all was, she felt guilty for making her mom worry so badly.

Susan and her washed in the bath not long after. "Mom I'm really okay" Ruby said suddenly making the woman jump. Susan quietly nodded. "It was cool as shit though. At one moment I thought you'd eat me up" Ruby chuckled. "I nearly did" Susan replied. "And if you did?" Ruby asked playing. "Puke you up and if that didn’t work, go to the kitchen and use the knife to cut my stomach open" Susan replied flatly. Ruby saw she was not joking. Ruby broke down crying. Susan plucked her out of the bathwater and placed her on her right breast. "Oh, sweetie what's the matter?" Susan asked. "I made you do something you didn't want to do. I kept push and pushing, and it wasn't fair to you at all!" she yelled. Susan dropped some water on her to keep her tiny body warm. "I'm a bundle of PTSD and losing people terrifies me. Having said that, I have a duty as your parent to educate you on things regardless of my own issues. One way or another you had to learn which is why I agreed" she said. "But how you said it so casually about cutting yourself open! I didn't want you to say that! Not after what you gave up for me!" Ruby shouted.

"You'll understand when you're a parent the lengths we'll go. Now spread that little butt of yours. I'm sure some of my pussy juice is still up in there" she said grinning. Ruby squeaked and led legs went straight as the giantess slipped her fingernail between her asscheeks. "Mom?" she asked. "Yes darling?" Susan replied. "I'm glad you’re my mom" she replied. Susan wiped a tear away. "So am I" she said.

Later that evening...

"You look nice" Keith said. "Not so bad yourself boss" Susan chuckled as she shifted her bare feet to keep footing on the roof of her house. Keith glanced at Ruby sitting close by. "So did you?" he asked. "She came twice, and she tastes as good as you'd imagine" she whispered. Keith chuckled. Susan eyed him. "Relax. Got all the girl I need right here" he said petting her leg. "I was late" she muttered. "No. You came up here at 7:45 right on time" he said. "No. I mean I'm late" she said pointing down below. "...oh. Okay" he said holding her hand. She scooted into him and held him close. "Don't slip" he said. "You'll save me" she said flatly. Their embrace was interrupted by the thump thump of giant stocking feet. Elena, human sized walked through the city pausing in front of the two. "Buenos noches guys" she said smiling. "Nice getup" Susan said admiring her Santa Claus skirt and dress. She even had the hat. "You know Susan. This is her daughter Ruby" Keith said. "She is so adorable I want to eat her right up!" Elena said licking her lips. Ruby nearly fell off the roof. "Enjoy the show everyone!" she said walking away.

"What's with everyone wanting to eat me! You know that joke gets old after a while!?" Ruby yelled. "In Elena's case it's not entirely a joke. Elena comes from a race called the Alux. They get high end magical energy from eating people. In reality, she's about your height" Keith said. "But...but she was a giantess" Ruby stammered. "Elena swore off eating people. Right now, she's using arcane to grow" Keith explained. Ruby wasn't entirely sold on that. "Hope isn't joining us?" Susan asked. "As soon as she came back, I told her about the concert. She got busy planning the special effects" Keith said smiling. "Sounds nice" she said. "Yeah, she's was so moody these last few days but getting out and just walking around seems to have done some good" he said. Susan nodded. "This roof taken?" Rose asked sitting next to Keith. "Technically you own it" Keith chuckled. Rose yawned. "Been busy?" he asked. "Mom left a lot stuff for me to do. There's like three Christmas parties I have to attend next week and then there's school. My damn feet hurt from criss crossing campus. Could you?" she asked Keith. "Ahem. I'll do it" Susan coughed. She motioned for her to set next to her.

"You don't have to. I know you got a sensitive nose" Rose said. "I've smelled worse from you than your sweaty nylons. Remember that time you ate those laxatives thinking they were Hershey chocolate?" she asked. Rose turned beet red as Susan rubbed her feet. "OWW! Too hard! Jeez you're that jealous?" she asked. "Be nice" Keith said. Susan huffed. There was a small cascade of red and green firework like magic above them. "And that would be Hope" he said. "Evening everyone! It's that time of year that brings out the joy, love, and family in all of us. Some of you have had it rough this year and worry that things won't get better. That's why I’m opening this concert with this song*

(Authors note: The song is Face My Fears by Hikaru Utada and Skillrex)

Breath, should I take it deep? Faith, should I take a leap? Taste what a bittersweet. All my, all my life...

Elena began walking through the city holding her mike as she sang. Gentle flashes of red and green lights danced all through the air. Being the professional she was, Elena could look down by the corner of her eyes making sure her giant white stocking feet didn't crush anyone while not missing a beat.      

Let me face let me face let me face my fears. Oh, let me face let me face let me face my fears. Won't be long, won't be long, I'm almost here. Watch me cry...all me tears. Lose, soon have nothing to. Space, this is what I choose. A mile, could you walk in my shoes? All your, all your life...

Let me face let me face let me face my fears. Oh let me face let me face my fears. Won't be long, won't be long, I'm almost here...

Susan had stopped rubbing her feet and held her from behind. "Everyday. Not one goes by without thinking about her. All those times I yelled at her, the stupid fights about the car, having no dad. I wasted so much time Suzie" Rose said crying. "Nobody goes through life without regrets. She knew through it all you loved her. It's life kiddo" Susan said softly. She kissed her cheek and breathed her scent in. "Can I ask you something?" Rose asked. Susan nodded. "That night when I entered your room. You had your sword out and it was pointed really close to your throat. Were you're going to kill yourself?" Rose asked. "Yeah" she replied. Rose turned around hugging her so tight it nearly hurt. She was shaking. "I got better because I talked to people. Talk to us" Susan said.  Rose silently nodded. "There is one other thing I wanted to ask. There a mother daughter banquet this Saturday. Since mom is dead and Claire is out of town..."

"Of course I'll stand in" Susan said. Rose wiped her tears away and smiled. "You're missing the show" Susan said pointing. Rose's phone beeped. "Wow. Just got an alert for an escaped prisoner. Broke out of jail in Yorkshire today" Rose muttered. "Not our problem" Keith said. The song ended with the claps of thousands of borrowers. "Now for the next song I need a volunteer! Ah! Perfect!" Elena said grabbing the tiny college freshman girl from Susan. "Let's give it up for Rose Durmont!" Elena yelled opening her palm. "Elena I can't sing for shit!" Rose yelled. "Not the point. It's the spirit of it. The inner you" Elena said touching her head. Once she did, a delayed spell too effect. A spell that linked their minds sharing the lyrics to a song. She handed her a microphone her size between her fingertips. The music began and Rose began to sing.

(Authors note: The song is This Is My Wish by Kevin Ross)

This is my wish, my wish for the world. That peace would find its way to every boy and girl. This is the time, the time for harmony. Let love be the song that everybody sings.

Elena and Rose sing the next part together.

Fill the air with joyful noise! Ring the bells and raise your voice! Let there be peace on earth. Let there be peace on earth. Lift your light, let it shine. SHINE SHINE SHINE! Let every voice be heard. Let there be peace on earth.

Up above, a giant red ethereal magic hand and a green one hovered in the air.

I hear the sweetest sound, the sound of hope to come. Together we can bring goodwill to everyone. Let it start with you. Let it start with me. Let every nation rise, to sing this melody. I'll the air with joyful noise. Ring the bells and raise your voice. Let there be peace on earth. Let there be peace on earth. Lift your light and let it shine. SHINE SHINE SHINE! Let every voice be heard. Let there be peace on earth.

The hands in the air joined their palms together and held one another.

The city roared with cheer and a shy tiny girl bowed to the audiences from the giantess' hand. "It starts in the heart. It always does" Elena whispered to her. "If only it was that easy" Keith muttered. "They're running out of time Keith. He's coming" Joseph said hovering right next to them. "What will he do?" he asked. "I've known him for 20,000 years. When Markus gets desperate, nothing is sacred" Joseph replied.

Meanwhile in New York...

"Is this your first-time seeing Rockefeller Center lit up?" Markus asked as they passed on the sidewalk. "In persona yeah" Mirror Susan said as they passed a toy shop. She paused. Markus followed her inside. "Look at that shit. Borrowers for elves. How cheesy is that?" Susan asked. "Pretty smart if you ask me. I can go without the greedy little human children though" he said looking at kids begging parents for toys. The Santa Claus there placed an elf on his shoulder. A young woman who Susan could see was not comfortable with that. She looked into her mind briefly. Her sunglasses hiding the magical array in her eye. "It's appears Santa's been abusing the help" she said softly. "Then put him on the naughty list" Markus chuckled. Susan took control of his mind giving the impression he needed to pee. Susan followed him into the men's room. Susan willed anyone already inside to leave at once. "Missy you got the wrong bathroom" he said seeing her. "Nope. Seems jolly old Saint Nick been taking liberties with the elves. Especially the one that was on your shoulder" she said. "I don't know..."

"Lick my fucking dickhead or you're fired. Say anything and you'll disappear. It only hurts the first time. Candy canes don't break that easily so you can tighten that pussy. You got a younger sister right? Bring her with you to work Saturday. Double overtime if ya do. Just some of what I picked up from her" Susan said. "She's a fucking lying piece of vermin! I never..."

"Don't bother. I can literally smell it on ya. Underneath the smell of spiced rum, cheap cologne, and cured Christmas salami is fear. Have a merry little...keyword...little...Christmas" she said waving her hand. The middle-aged man shrank instantly down to the size of a grain of sand. She plucked him up with her fingernails and walked out. She went right over to the miserable looking elf dancing in front of a gingerbread house. Once the kids moved on, she stopped to rest. "Hold out your hand missy" Susan said. The borrower woman was very wary of her as it wasn't long ago, she hid from them. "No tricks. No harm will come to ya" Susan said with a smile. The woman did as asked and she dropped the man still in his suit in her hands. Susan held her finger to her lips to shush her. "Merry Christmas" she said walking off. "Oh god Christie you have to help me!" he squeaked. Even her borrower hearing barely caught it. She chuckled. "I don't know how and I don't care" she hissed as she pulled her green boot off her left foot.

She rolled her green stocking down and dropped him inside. His puny body tumbled to the toe of it and he smelled the damp sweaty odor trapped in the fabric. "If you're smart you'll crawl between my toes" she said before slipping her foot back inside. He barely had time to scream as her big toe pushed on him. What little light he had was cut off as she slipped the cheap, unbreathable shoe back on. He nearly had his legs crushed as she scrunched her toes to fit. With no choice, she wedged himself between her big and second toes. The sweat and grime covered him. She tapped her boot and giggled as she felt him move. The man who raped and extorted her was now a harmless speck soaking in the foot sweat of a three-inch-tall girl. "Christie? You seen the boss? Parents are asking for him" a young human woman. "Oh, you know him. He's probably...underfoot somewhere" she replied as she saw kids coming to watch her prance about.

"Thanks Pisces. Have the jet ready by six in the morning" Markus said ending the call. "We going somewhere?" Susan asked. "I am. Check this out" he said showing her his phone. It was a news article about the missing prisoner being transported. "And?" Susan asked. "The officers in the van say one moment they were going down the road and they blinked and next thing they knew they were parked on the side of the road...with the prisoner missing. Door and handcuffs still locked. They haven't found him, and I bet they never will because..." he said switching the page. "Is that Hope?" Susan asked. "Taken by a security camera a quarter mile from the scene. And then this. An escaped prisoner from Yorkshire jail earlier today. An ATM caught her only three blocks away" he said. "She's making them disappear?" Susan asked. "Yeah. I think our Etherion user is tired of playing by the rules her daddy gave her" he said. "And you're going there to appeal to that side of her? You think a speech or story is going to get her to come to our side?" Susan asked unimpressed. "That's the thing about stories. There’re always two sides to them. It's time she heard ours" Markus said grinning.   

"Now put your finger there" Susan said. Hope put her finger on the very small box and began tying a red ribbon. "You sure you don't want to do this big?" Susan asked as she towered over her. "It's for grandma Rebecca so no" she replied. Susan heard footsteps approaching and grinned seeing who they belonged to. The person motioned for her not to say anything. "GOTCHA!" the person yelled snatching her up from where she sat. Hope was fixing to blast the person until she saw who it was. "Mom! Don't scare me like that!" Hope yelled. "Come on it was funny! Now where's my kisses?" She said tickling her bare tummy with her fingernail. "Okay okay!" Hope yelled laughing. Aspen snuggled the girl to her cheek before kissing her face. "Have you been a good girl?" she asked. "As good as I can" Hope replied. Aspen eyed the sly girl. "Where's momma Clare?" she asked. "Putting our luggage away. Susan, it's good to see you too. You look better" Aspen said. "Thanks to Keith" she replied. "Yeah. She and daddy been lovey dovey lately. I smell him all over her" Hope said innocently. Susan blushed out of embarrassment. "I see. Why don't you say hi to Clare" Aspen said. The girl flew out the living room and up the hallway.

"I see she's as blunt as ever" Aspen said. "About me and Keith..." Susan muttered. "Is your own business. I'm aware how smooth an operator he is. Just be aware you have to share him and not just with Lawan" Aspen winked. "Speaking of the little horn dog. Where is he?" Aspen asked. "At the academy training grounds to practice with his new sword" Susan replied. "Well I hope he gets back soon. Say, we're going into town for shopping and dinner. Want to come?" Aspen asked. "Already got a thing planned with Rose this evening. Thanks for asking" Susan replied. Aspen shrugged and went to the kitchen.

Hope flew into the guest room where Clare and Aspen would be staying. She didn't see her, but she could smell her. "I spy with my little eye, a cutie asking to be kissed and licked" a voice said. Hope landed on the bed and saw nobody. "I can find you mom" Hope said. "So you say honey. But if you don't in the next minute, I won't stop until you pee yourself laughing" Claire said. Hope used her magic to search her out. Surprisingly, she couldn't sense her even though she had the magic of fae. "You hid yourself" Hope said. "Wouldn't be fair otherwise. Don't forget your half borrower too" Claire said. Hope realized this was a test of her natural borrower senses. She looked at the floor and found the carpet fibers matted recently in the shape of footprints. She hovered down and could smell the faint odor of Claire's feet. A natural scent of her's stood out as it smelled slightly sweet. Claire always did have a sweet tooth. "45 seconds. I'm going to enjoy those soft lips" Claire giggled. Hope floated towards the bed again and found her scent. She eyed the nightstand.

"Found ya!" she yelled looking behind the alarm clock. "Shit!" Hope yelled finding only her stockings and tiny heels. "Language dear. 30 seconds" Claire said. She looked in the bathroom and didn't find her at all. "10 seconds. Bet your feet are as cute as I remember. Cute long toes, rosy soles, and that perfect smell" Claire giggled. "You sound weird mom" Hope said. "Ah ah ah! That's the human part of you talking. You're better than that" Claire said. Hope finally noticed something. Her voice was echoing through the entire room. If she was hiding near the sides, it wouldn't sound as strong. The only explanation was...

Hope flew to the ceiling right to the light fixture and found Claire sitting there grinning. "I found you" Hope said. "That you did...5 seconds too late!" Claire said tackling her. Claire grew to human size as she fell to the bed. Holding Hope in her fist, she pulled off the girl's black stockings. The giantess smirked as she smelled her tiny feet. Hope giggled as she licked and sucked on her feet. "Oh honey we missed you and your brother so much. So very much" Claire sighed as she laid back on the bed placing Hope on her right breast. "Mommy Claire don't cry" hope said looking at her. "All those photoshoot sand runway walks and all I could think of was you and Luke" she said holding her close to her eyes for a moment. She brushed her long brown hair out of her face with her fingernail. Claire kissed her gently. "So tell me what you've been up to" she said. Claire listened to her stories and some of it she didn’t like. "Your dad brought you in a mission?!" Claire yelled. "I was needed. Susan would've died if I hadn't not to mention Hikari would be crippled and thousands of Japanese would be dead" Hope replied. Claire was not impressed. "You forgetting what I can do? I have a responsibility" Hope said. "To be a kid! To have children and a peaceful life!" Claire said. "What's going on?" Aspen asked entering the room. "Our daughter said Keith took her on missions!" Claire yelled.

"He said as much in his emails" Aspen said. Claire glared at her. "Yeah and I knew this is how you'd react. You know Keith. He wouldn't do it if there wasn't any other choice" Aspen said sitting on the bed. "Have you forgotten the funeral we were at just last week? I didn't know she was at that mission. I would've said something then" she said. "He's her father. He has a right to..."

"A real father doesn't put his child in harm’s way! You're her mother. How can you even try to rationalize that?" Claire asked. "Where were you?" Hope asked. "...excuse me?" Claire asked. "Where were you when we went to Japan to help Hikari?! Huh? Where was you when Fiona got vaporized?! Of everyone here, you're the second strongest. If you came along, she could still be alive! Her unborn child still alive! While I was knitting back bones the size of grains of rice together so Hikari wouldn't take her own life, you were busy prancing around showing off the winter catalog of Durmont Fashions to perverted and rich humans! You have the audacity to question my father's decisions while he risks everything so people like you can live safe quiet lives? Just stop touching me. I don't like it right now" Hope said coldly. A shocked Claire let go of her and watched her fly out of the room. Claire shrunk down. "She's angry. She didn't mean it" Aspen said.

"She meant every word and she's right. I'm the most powerful Fae on earth and what am I doing with that power? Size difference sex, healing my sore feet, and smoothing out the wrinkles in my dresses. Did you notice the word she used? Audacity. That's not a word a child uses. How much of her growth did we miss being on the road?" Claire asked. "How about I run a hot bath in the sink. That usually cheers you up" Aspen said. "Go ahead but I want to be alone. I think I need to reassess what's important in my life right now" Claire said.

At the academy...

"It feels strange. My hands feel a tingle" Keith said as he gripped the newly forged sword. "Understandable. The magic imbued in the sword is five times more powerful than the old one. That's the advantage of using crystallized silver. It's not just a conduit of magic. It's also a storage battery. What that means for you is you can store spells in it for later use. No more post it notes for you" Joseph said. "Can it still kill spells?" Keith asked. Joseph backed up and prepared a low-level lightning spell. He let it fly and Keith deflected it. "Answers your question? Now try cutting this" he said after snapping his fingers and transmuting the dirt into solid matter the shape of a cube. Keith raised the sword and brought it down. He cleaved it neatly in two. "What was that made of?" Keith asked. "Graphene* boy" he replied. Keith's jaw nearly hit the ground. "Fuck me sideways" he muttered. "Not today. You've got practice" Joseph chuckled.      

(Authors note: Graphene is considered the strongest known material on Earth. Harder than diamond itself, it can be almost 300 times harder than steel)

Joseph formed a magical sword in his hand. "Whoa. Wait a minute now. If this thing touches you, you'll be split like a fucking rotted fruit" Keith said. "You won't. I know every form of combat in the world. Do your worst" Joseph said. Keith swung his sword slower than normal and Joseph sidestepped and kicked him in the back of the head. "Let that be a lesson. This isn't fun and games" he said. Keith picked himself up. He began swinging which was easily dodged. "You're used to long gain fights and simple attributes. That won't work against Markus. You must think bigger. Use that smart brain of yours and outthink him" he said. Keith swung for his head and Joseph used his fingers to push the flat of the blade away. Keith looked astounded. "Open lotus style. Think boy. How did Markus snap your blade so easily?" he asked. "With a fucking curse!" Keith yelled taking a breath. "The curse made it impossible to fix the blade. It didn't snap it."

"Look closely at my hand" he said. His palm seemed totally normal, but his thumb and index finger glowed for a moment. Very quickly, Joseph moved in and plucked his right shoulder. "Fuck!" Keith yelled feeling it dislocated. Joseph touched it healing it instantly. "Hell was that?!" Keith yelled. "Fortification. Except in that case the spell was concentrated in my fingers other than my entire body. By doing this, you can increase the strength of an attack dozens of times over and save energy at the same time" he replied. "Never thought of that" Keith muttered. "Markus is the third strongest Mage in the world and knows every style of combat invented just like I do. However, you have an advantage he doesn't. You're a borrower."

"You have photographic memory and reflexes. You're stronger than a human. Physically and mentally you're leaps and bounds ahead of him. You know what a Lemurian is? Just a magically augmented human. That's it. In terms of speed and strength, their baseline is the same as people like Aspen or any other human you've met" he said. "And how much good will that do?" Keith asked. "He's a lateral thinker. You're not. You invented a fucking shrink ray boy. That alone says you don't think the way others do. A wise man once said that it’s like a finger pointing to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you'll miss all that heavenly glory" he replied. Keith shook his head and sighed. "Alright. Why doesn't lightning travel in a straight line?" he asked. "A lot of reasons. Ions distribution, heat, moisture, magnetism..."

"So, if one was to control that you could redirect it on the fly?" Joseph asked. "Yeah I guess" he replied. "And you know somebody who can cast those kinds of spell don't you?" Joseph asked. "Susan seems to be able to" Keith said. Keith paused. "And that's the light bulb going off in your head. Susan can aid you with using those old spells in new ways, you should practice with her" Joseph said. Keith hurriedly ran off. "Thanks Joseph! Anytime kid" Joseph said sarcastically.

"And when are you leaving?" Ruby asked. "In a few hours" Susan replied as she was deciding on a dress. "So we have time for me to practice being big?" Ruby asked. "Honey. I must decide on a dress, make sure Rose has enough magic for tonight, cook you some repeatable dinner, get my hair and nails done, and then have enough time to make it to the ball on time. Tomorrow okay?" Susan asked. Ruby sighed and sat on the couch. There was a knock on the door. Susan opened it revealing Keith. "What's up?" she asked. "Wondering if you can help me with some training" he replied. "Full schedule! She has other concerns" Ruby huffed. Susan glared at her. "You know what? Keith can train you but he's worse than me" Susan said. "As long as I can be a giantess I don't care" Ruby said. "Go. Get your shoes" she said. "Susan I'm kinda busy myself preparing" he said. "You can spare an hour and she's a cutie" she smirked. Keith watched the girl come back down the stairs holding her shoes. "By the way. If you fuck her without protection, I'll shrink you and shove you up my asshole" she grinned patting his cheek. "I wasn't going to fuck her!" Keith yelled. "Did someone say fucking?" Ruby asked curious.

"I mean it Keith. Just because she's an adult in two months doesn't mean she needs to push out your babies" Susan said coldly. Keith silently nodded and watches the girl skip out of the house. "Have fun!" Susan smiled.

"This one seems different than the other one" Ruby said looking at the street below. "Because it is. There’re two training grounds for borrowers wanting the clearance to be human sized. The one your mother took you to was to get a feel for being a giantess. Moving around houses without falling mostly. This one is for active users. Those shiny lines in the street is silver to conduct an illusion spell. The illusion being people in the homes, shops, and streets. It's set that they'll act as normal as possible" he said. "Don't someone have to control that?" she asked. "Normally yes but the more complicated spells no. I built this back in the summer as more borrowers wanted to live as human as possible. The illusion spell took me an entire week to perfect. Now take off your shoes and socks. I'm sure Susan told you how important being barefoot is for beginner giants and giantesses" he said. Ruby took off her shoes and socks and wriggled her giant toes nervously.

"This is just an exercise. No need to be nervous" he said as he bent down to touch a small silver plate in the street. Almost instantly, the illusion of dozens of people appeared. "Wow" she muttered. "Head to the end of the block" he said. Keith kept pace as her giant feet took small steps forward. "You're using the balls of your feet to step down. Good. Make sure to rely on your big toes for stability. Your center of gravity is different now" he said watching. Ruby listened and waited for the people to clear out of her way. Suddenly, a boy darted out of the alley chasing a ball. Ruby gasped just before her left sole would've crushed him flat. She balanced on one foot and shifted it back. The mother of the child grabbed him out of the way. "Excellent! Most first timers would've squashed the kid. You okay up there?" he asked. She nodded as she sweat bullets.  

She made it to the end of the block. "They're waving" she said. "Wave back" Keith grinned. The young giantess giggled waving at them. Curious, she looked into the multistory houses as some waved from balconies. It felt nice to see them so friendly. Keith touched a plate in a wall changing the illusion slightly. There was a small gust of wind that blew a small balcony door wide open. This caught her attention and Ruby looked inside. She immediately blushed seeing a boy not much older than her naked dying himself off with a towel. He turned feeling a breeze and gasped seeing the giantess. "It's okay. Don't be scared. Wow you're cute" she said. She reached in and plucked him out. Keith shook his head. He ended the illusion as the girl brought the boy closer for inspection. "Hey! What happened?!" she yelled annoyed. "You failed is what happened" he replied. "How?! Nobody got hurt or anything!" she said. "Did you get permission from that boy to take him from his home? You took him without consent bare ass naked in public" he said. "He didn't cry or anything. Wouldn't someone cry or say something?" she asked. Keith destroyed the arcane keeping her big. She shrank down to his size. "You really want to go there?" he asked. He took a note out of his pocket and used the arcane on it to shrink her on the spot. He roughly grabbed her up.

With not a word he removed her clothing. Ruby was petrified at the cross look on his face. He brought the shrunken teen to his face. "How does it feel to be stripped naked and held without consent? To be stared at for amusement. To be seen as a toy? Hmm?" he asked. You're not crying or saying anything so it must be okay right?" he asked raising his voice. Ruby began sobbing in his hand. Keith put her down and broke the shrinking spell. He waited until she got dressed again. "Your mother told you there are certain responsibilities about being human sized among us. One is to remember how the other person feels being around you. It's okay to do things like snatch someone up and play with them if you're on intimate terms but a stranger? It's terrifying. Remember how frightened you were being encased in plaster?" he asked. She quietly nodded where she sat on a bench. "I screwed up big time" she muttered. "I've seen worse" he said sitting next to her.

"I want to be an agent" she said. "You do know they have short life...of course you know. Fiona" he said. He looked at her bare feet for a moment. "I can't tell you what to do with your life. My job is to make sure you have the longest one possible. If you join the academy, that means you're going to experience the hardest months of your life. It's not just about running, climbing, and swinging a sword. You'll be made to do things you will want to die of embarrassment doing. Pissing and shitting on command to throw off the scent of predators. Learning how to seduce people which means fucking people you don't like. Eating people so not to leave evidence. Learning how to survive if you yourself is eaten. That means your instructor will shrink and swallow you alive. And first aid. That one can really be rough as the instructor will break your bones just so you can use magic to heal them. I've seen recruits lose their shit at every stage. Them begging for their mothers as they slip down someone's throat. Pleading for them not to snap their bones like twigs. Some just...break. Their minds checking out. Susan was nice enough not to tell you that. Me? I give the full disclosure" he said. Ruby was very quiet.

"Can you start the test again?" she asked. "...one moment" he said. Keith grew her and restarted the illusion. He watched with a sly grin as she went through it all again.

They returned two hours later. The girl yawned as she got close to the feet of her then giantess mother who stood outside the house. "You wore her out?" Susan asked. "Get your mind out of the gutter. She ran the test six times" he said. "How did she do?" Susan asked as Ruby passed between her giant feet entering the house.  She finished the beginner stage at the end. She learns fast" he replied. "She still wants to be an agent" Susan said. "She got the full story from me and yes she does" he said. Keith polished a watermark from her giant toenail. "You look pretty tonight" he said. Susan bent down. "Just tonight?" she asked. Keith looked up and saw he was directly beneath her pantied crotch. Susan smirked as she pulled her panties aside for a moment exposing her giant pussy to him. "Cute real cute" he said. "No, what's cute is that face you make when you cum inside me" she smirked. "Says the woman who squeaks like a mouse when I lick between her toes. "I don't...eek!" she squeaked as Keith stuck his head between her giant toes and licked. She grabbed him up. "I have time for a quickie" she said. "And you'll smudge your makeup" he said. Susan huffed and put him back on the street. "Tonight when I get home?" she asked. "Claire and Aspen are back. I'll be busy catching up with them. I'm all yours tomorrow night though" he replied. "Oh all right" she sighed as she walked off.

"Sweee! I've got to take a picture!" Susan squeaked as Rose came down the stairs. She was dressed in a pink dress going to her knees, on her feet were open toed white heels. Around her neck was a gold necklace given to her by Lily a few years prior. Her auburn hair was done on a ponytail pink bow. Susan shot pic and pic from different angles. "Come on! We're going to be late!" Rose giggled. She pulled the young woman with her to the garage. "That's a magnificent dress Suzie" Rose said as Susan unlocked the jag. Susan did like the blue with sparkles dress the best of all. "Eh. It's okay" she shrugged. They got in and she started the car. Susan drove down the M1 heading for the interchange to take them to her college. "What are you going to tell them if they ask about you?" Rose asked. "That I'm your estranged half-sister and my job takes me all over the world. I returned when your mother died" she replied. "Hmm. Sounds plausible" Rose shrugged. "I put some thought into it" Susan said grinning.

25 minutes later, Susan was handing the keys to the valet as they stood at the entrance to the ballroom. She wrinkled her nose. "Smells of old money and privilege" she muttered. "Behave" Rose said. Susan bowed mockingly before taking the girl's arm. "Good evening Ms. Durmont. I was not expecting you seeing your mother had passed" a middle-aged man said. "Well one must think outside the box in these times. This is my older sister Susan" Rose said. The man eyed her. "Don't recall ever hearing of an older Durmont child. I don't mean to offend but she didn't appear just after your inheritance?" he asked. Susan narrowed her eyes. "I have my own money thank you sir. I returned to make sure my sister was taken care of emotionally" Susan said coldly. "Nothing implied. Just curious. Please enjoy yourselves" he said walking off. "The vice chairman of admissions" Rose said. "He keeps snubbing his nose at us and I'll have him admit my foot up his ass" Susan growled.

Rose introduced her to several professors and staff before the main events. "Who's that?" Susan asked pointing to a girl Rose's age. The girl was sitting all alone in the corner. "Alyssa Roberts. People see her as an outsider because..."

"She's black?" Susan finished. Rose silently nodded. "Rose! Come meet my mom!" a girl shouted. "Go to your friend" Susan said. Susan went over to Alyssa. "You don't seem to be having any fun" Susan said sitting next to her. Alyssa looked at her surprised as she didn't even sense her approach. "I shouldn't have come" she muttered. "Why not?" Susan asked. "I don't have a mom to bring here. She's in America" she replied. "...is that the only reason?" Susan asked. She didn't answer. "I know what bigotry feels like. To be looked down on because you're different" Susan said. Alyssa glared at her. "Oh so you've had people ask how good at basketball you are? If you own a gun? What rap stars you listen to?" Alyssa asked. "No. I've been called an abomination because I like girls. Bestiality because some of the girls I fell in love with were borrowers. I was even blinded with bleach because I wouldn't put out because I was expected to" Susan replied. Alyssa looked at her stocking feet embarrassed. "It's not just because I'm black. They look at me as a charity case because I'm here on scholarship" she said. "Good for you. That means you're smarter than them. If they don't like it, they can suck dick" Susan said. A girl Alyssa's age heard her and scoffed. "Fuck you looking at bleached blondie?" Susan said. Alyssa giggled.

"Join me and my sister" Susan said extending a hand. Alyssa took it. "Hi Alyssa. I'm Rose" Rose said coming back seeing them. "I know. You're in my AP Calc class" she muttered. "In a moment we'll have the opening dance" the announcer said. "I'll leave you two to that" Susan said sitting down. "Wha?!" Alyssa said. "Delicate feet honey" Susan said slipping her heel off and rubbing her foot. "It'll piss them off" Rose grinned as she kicked her shoes off. Alyssa grinned and followed her to the dance floor. "Ma'am. This is for mothers and daughters" a man said. "Don't see a sign saying we can't" Rose said pushing past him. The music began and the two began dancing. Susan grinned at the others staring in contempt at them. "And here I thought it would be boring" Susan said. "The nerve! Just stamping on tradition! That's what happens when you let outsiders in" a middle-aged woman whispered behind her.

Susan turned to her. "You know where the loo is?" she asked. "The corner and to the right" the woman replied. "Good thing you know. Shit yourself" Susan said using magic to agitate her colon. There was a wet unnatural sound for her gut and the woman took off running. She ran right through the dance floor. The dance was over and the two returned to the table. "What happened with her?" Rose asked. "Someone...something didn't agree with her" Susan smirked. Rose eyed her. "It was either that or I teach her the true meaning of brown nosing" Susan whispered as she shifted in her seat. Susan sat there watching the two gossip as they ate dinner. It occurred to her that Rose never mentioned having friends outside the colony. Rose stood up and went to get a refill of punch. A girl there began talking to Rose. Suddenly, the girl slapped Rose hard and threw punch on her dress. Alyssa and Susan quickly for up and went over. "What happened?" Alyssa said. "...nothing" Rose said walking off towards the bathroom. Alyssa went after her leaving Susan looking at the girl.

The girl went outside, and Susan followed suit. "What was that about?" Susan asked seeing her light a cigarette. "Fuck is it to you?" the girl asked. Susan casted a low-level truth spell on her and asked again. "I said she preferred dark meat. And then she said I only get good grades because I spread my legs for the professors and to go fuck my racist self" she replied. She was shocked she had. "I see why your peers are so shitty. Birds of a feather and all. You couldn't hold it down for one fucking night" Susan hissed. She knew how important that night was to Rose. Her temper got the best of her as she found herself shrinking the girl down to two inches. The girl squeaked in terror and took off running. A well-placed heel blocked her making her fall in the dirty melted snow water. Susan slipped her heel off and spread her toes. "Lick" she said. The girl didn't until Susan pressed her sole down slightly on her puny body. "That's right you little shit. Clean it good" she hissed. As Susan grinned at her whimpering, her phone buzzed. "SOS. Bathroom" the text message from Rose said. Susan sighed and unshrank the girl. "Forget except in your nightmares" she said touching her forehead. Susan left the dirty dazed girl where she stood.

Susan entered the bathroom. "Lock the door" Alyssa said. Confused and concerned she did. "Please don't be mad" Rose said as Susan got closer. "Aw shit" Susan said seeing Rose her normal three-inch self in Alyssa' hand. Susan snatched her away. "I thought you had a handle on this!" Susan said. "Not my fault! The fucking punch washed the arcane away!" Rose yelled showing her a very small scrap of wet paper. "Can someone tell me what's going on? I'm kinda freaking out" Alyssa asked. "We're going to have to erase her memory of tonight" Susan said. "NO!" Rose screamed. "Hell do you mean no? She saw you shrink Rose!" Susan yelled. "I want her to remember. She's the one that sent that text. I have no human friends here Suzie. I'm sure Alyssa can keep a secret" Rose begged. "A girl you've known all of two hours?" Susan asked. "What going on?" Alyssa asked nervous. "I'm a fairy Alyssa" Rose replied. Alyssa stared wide eyed. "And if the existence of fairies and magic became mainstream, it would be a disaster" Susan said. "Don't...don't you supposed to have wings?" Alyssa asked. "The really strong ones do when they use magic. I don't as I'm half human" Rose replied. "Susan. Hand me back to her" Rose said. Susan begrudgingly did. "I'm just like you Alyssa. I laugh, cry, grieve, bleed" she said. "No way! You can make yourself big and small. That's way cooler than anything I can do" she said. "I'm the last of my kind now that mom is dead. I'd trade all my magic just to be able to live like a real human girl" Rose sniffled. "I swear I'll keep your secret Rose" Alyssa said seriously. Susan placed Rose on the floor and grew her to human size. "I thought you said you're the last" Alyssa said. "Susan is something different" Rose said. "One secret at a time and I'm still not sold on this. But...just because she's human doesn't mean she's untrustworthy" Susan said using magic to clear Rose up. "Part of this is my fault. Should've used my own magic to grow you" she muttered.

Someone knocked on the door. Susan unlocked it. Someone's mother rushed inside paying no mind to the ones inside. "Do we really have to go back?" Alyssa asked. "No" Rose replied walking outside. Rose led them to the college greenhouse. "Nice and warm in here" Susan said. "I come here between classes to get a feel for stuff. That and the tiniest bit of magic can be found in some of the dirt here" she said. "Rose. What's it like to be a fairy?" Alyssa asked. Rose looked at Susan with a smile. "Just be careful" Susan said as she shrank Alyssa where she stood. Susan sat at a nearby table for them to enjoy themselves without having the worry some giantess above them. "You can shrink other people too?!" Alyssa asked looking around. "Yep! Follow me" Rose said leading the girl around. There was a carefully sloped ledge she brought her too. Their shoes wouldn't let them walk up it so both took off their heels and stockings. "I'm afraid of heights “‘Alyssa said looking at 12 ft. (really 6 inches) drop off. Rose held her hand and guided her up.

There was a rectangular pot at level with pansies planted there. Rose had Alyssa step in. "Feel that?" she asked. "I feel damp dirt between by toes" Alyssa said. "Stop looking at your feet and look up" she said. Alyssa did and found the pansies made a perfect canopy over her head. She touched the stalk as Rose pushed her hand to it. "What...what is that?" Alyssa asked. "The pulse of the flower. The water in the stalk moving up and down giving it life" Rose finished. "I didn't know...is it like this for all plants?" Alyssa asked. "This is what it's like being a fairy. To feel connected to life. To be small enough that a single flower can be your umbrella. To know you're part of something ancient and grand. To be the last of your kind" Rose said softly. "My mom didn't die in a fire. She died saving a lot of people and because of how she died we didn't even have a body. That was the hardest part of it all. No body. And girls like that bitch tonight is free because the sacrifice my mom made. Mom left me the family fortune and business, friends, and family to get me through it all but there was one thing she left me that helped me get over the grief above it all. Walk with me" she said.

Susan could hear every word and felt the sadness in her own heart. Curious, she quietly followed the shrunken girls as they walked around ledges and from pot to pot. "Just right up here" Rose said helping Alyssa up. Her feet hurt from walking barefoot but said nothing as she saw this was important to Rose. "What is that?" Alyssa said looking at a flower. "See for yourself" Rose giggled as she pushed her over the ledge. Alyssa screamed for a second before she landed safely in the middle of a huge flower. Rose jumped onto it next to her. "That wasn't funny!" Alyssa yelled. "Sorry but you never have to worry around me. I wouldn't let something happen to my new best friend" Rose said. Rose petted the flower petals. "This is what my mom left me. A species of rose she created so rare people think they're fake. The black rainbow rose. I cut a piece to grow here so could have a part of mom with me at school.  It was sickly, weak, and stubby but I gave it love and nurturing until they flourished. From a distance they look dreary and black but when you're close, you see it for its true beauty" Rose said patting Alyssa's hand. "Like me?" Alyssa asked. "Like both of us" Rose replied.

Rose and Alyssa sat while washing their ring feet off in a small pool of water. "Tonight felt so magical" Alyssa said. Rose laughed. "I mean fairy tale magical" Alyssa said. "Glad you had fun" Rose said. "We should go before some nosy groundskeeper pops in" Susan said hovering over them. Susan carried the two back to the ballroom and grew them back to human size when the coast was clear. "Call me" Rose said giving Alyssa her number. Alyssa smiled and waved as they left. "You made the right call stopping me from blanking her memory" Susan said as she pulled onto the road. Susan wiped her tears away as she drove. "What's wrong?" Rose asked. "You smell more like your mom tonight" she replied. Rose went to lower the window. "Don't" Susan said gripping her right hand. "Thanks for being there for me tonight" Rose said. "No need to thank me. This is what family does. This is what a big sister does" Susan said.

Meanwhile...

Hope had walked into every shop on the strip and even though it was getting late, she didn't feel like going home. Claire had royally pissed her off and she felt weird about how she yelled at her. "Why should I feel guilty? She totally shits on dad!" she thought. Not paying attention, she slipped on a patch of ice and rolled her ankle. "Shit!" she yelled feeling the pain. "Let me help you up" a young man said to her. He pulled her back up and Hope stared at him. He was cute in an exotic way. Tanned skin, with black hair but a touch of gray. She figured him to be 19 or so. She grimaced as she out weight on her ankle. "We should get you to a nice warm place and take a look at that" he said carrying her. Hope had been carried hundreds of times while tiny but not like this. She blushed as she felt him carry her like a princess. Strange thought as she sensed something about him but couldn't place it. He smelled nice. The young man carried her into a coffee shop and went to the back wall and sat her in a chair.

"A cup of ice, a napkin, and a pumpkin spice latte" he asked of the barista.  He returned and put it on the table. "A drink for milady" he said handing her the latte. Normally, she would easily heal such an injury as one would wave their hand, but she was curious of the attention he gave her. He eased her boot off followed by her sock. "That's unnecessary" she said embarrassed. "Pish posh" he chuckled as he wrapped the ice in the napkin and placed it on her swelling ankle. Nervous, she sipped her latte. "Tell me if this hurts" he said gripping her big toe. He moved her foot around slightly until she winced. "Not broken. Just a small sprain. You have or pretty toes" he said smiling at her. Hope blushed beet red but didn't stop him from feeling her toes. "You do this all the girls around here?" she asked. "Only The cute ones unlucky enough to fall on their butt in front of me" he replied. Hope gulped her latte in embarrassment. "What's your name?" she asked. "Markus" he replied. She paused. She tried to probe his mind. "Now that's rude Hope" He said feeling it. Hope went rigid as what she feared was confirmed.

"You. After all you've done. You got some balls to show yourself to me" she said shrinking him on the spot. With no ceremony, she dropped the ant sized Markus in her latte and used her straw to push him all the way down to the bottom. She held it there for three whole minutes watching his body finally stop moving. "Can't wait to tell dad" she said. "Tell him what?" Markus asked standing a few feet away human sized. Hope began to glow. "Easy there. They see you lit up like a Christmas tree..." he said pointing to the people. Hope snapped her fingers freezing time inside the shop. Pissed, she shrank him again and translocated him into her mouth. This time she chewed him up and swallowed. A few minutes passed and she was content with herself, until the urge to vomit came. In horror, she watched him reform on the floor and grow back to human size. "More effort but no" he said. Hope felt the strain of the time spell to be increasing by the moment and let go of it. Coolly, Markus sat next to her.

"Now I didn't come here to fight you. I came here to explain why I'm doing what I'm doing" he said. "What's to explain? You want to conquer the world with your shitty friends" she said. Markus burst out laughing. "Conquer the world? I want to save it. Where do you see the world in 50 years? Come on. I know you're playing dumb for the others, but you don't fool me. I know how smart and developed you are" he said. Hope began to get up. "Leave and everyone here dies" he said coldly. Hope shot him a glare before sitting back down. "I never gave it thought" she said. "You really should. Do you see borrowers being a legitimate member of human society? Magic still being under wraps? The nations of the world doing their usual thing?" he asked. "I don't see why not" she said. "You naive girl. 50 years from now, borrowers will nearly be extinct. Fresh water a commodity traded like gold. Millions dead from famine as weather patterns get more chaotic. And that's assuming they don't burn the world in nuclear fire" he said. "Humans are full of potential. My mother is proof of that" Hope said.

"Humans are ruining the planet. Many think they can solve climate change by turning their thermostats down. Drive electric cars. And then you have people saying it’s a fucking hoax while sheets of ice the size of cities fall into the ocean. Borrowers traded on the black market. No laws yet about killing them by accident and good luck proving otherwise. Since your little buddies made borrowers citizens, their numbers went down even faster. You know what the biggest job for borrowers is now? Sex trade. A few dollars to rape or suck on them. I saw yesterday one that had to put up with being raped by her boss to keep her job. Humans haven't changed in thousands of years and I should know. If anything, they've become worse."

"Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong Un and his son, Chairman Mao, and shitload of others just in the last 50 years have spilled more blood than you can fill an Olympic sized swimming pool with. And back to that fat fuck in North Korea. A man who claims he never shits got into a nuclear pissing match with the US. Fuck 50 years. They don't have 25. Everyone you ever loved vaporized because of humans" he said coldly. "I won't let it come to that" Hope said sternly. "And you'll do what? Magic them? The second humans learn of magic every jackass politician will run over one another to get their hands on it. A magical arms race and God forbid if they learn about you. They'll want a piece of you literally. They'll want to study you, clone you, weaponize you. And dear old daddy will die when he tried to stop them. Your very existence threatens the safety of the world" he said. Hope sat there shedding tears in anger. He knew deep down that every word the bastard said was true. "And your so your solution is to enslave them?" she asked.

"Homo magi has been superior to Homo sapiens since the beginning. To pretend otherwise is just folly. We have the power to save the planet. To punish evil, to end world hunger, war, and pestilence. Imagine a world where those that do evil for their own selfish reasons are put down and the good humans can live without being preyed upon by them. Don't think I don't know what you've been up to" he said pulling his phone out. Her blood ran cold seeing her own pictures near where she had been. "Don't be upset. You didn't do anything wrong other than forget about cameras. How much did they beg as you held their shrunken worthless bodies?" he asked. "...a lot" she said softly. "And their hearts and minds revealed what kind of person they were didn't they?" he asked. She nodded. "How did it feel to remove them like the cancer they were? How did it feel to erase their lives? Did your pussy tingle as they slipped down your throat? Did you get wet as they wriggled to death under your bare feet?" he asked. "Yes" she hissed. Markus grinned. He touched her forehead. This is where I'm staying. Maybe we can finish this conversation over dinner tomorrow?" he asked getting up. She watched in a daze as he left. Hope sat there unmoving for another 30 minutes confused. She could sense the evil in him but knew his words to be true. She didn't know what do to.

"She's in Yorkshire and a coffee shop" Keith said. "Alone?!" Aspen asked. "Yes alone. She knows the rules. Take her phone with her, no magic, and no further than Yorkshire" he said. "She's a kid Keith!" Aspen yelled. "A kid? Not quite. She's matured at a rapid pace since you've been gone. Using advanced words or have you not noticed?" he asked. Aspen sighed. "Yeah I did. It would be hard to discipline a girl who can change the world on a whim" she said. "Exactly. We give her some freedom while teaching her responsibility" he said. Hope walked past her guest room. "There she is! How was your day?" he asked. "Interesting. I tried a new drink. It's weird but good weird" she replied softly. He snuck up behind her and tickled her neck. "Daddy I love you too but I'm tired" she whined. "...okay. See you later honey" Keith said. "What about me?" Aspen asked. "I'll play with you tomorrow mom" Hope said before walking away. "She's still upset" she muttered. "Probably but she's a teenager. She's been under a lot of stress lately" Keith said. "And I didn't help" Claire said sitting on the windowsill looking out.

Keith picked her up before sitting down on their bed. He caressed her bare leg with his fingers. "She'll get over it Claire. Were your parents happy to see you?" he asked. "Over the moon. Daddy kept sniffing me and mom wouldn't let me go. Between my son and my new little brother, my fucking tits are sore" Claire whined. Keith pushed open her robe. "Oh thank god. I thought they sucked them flat" Keith chuckled. Claire giggled and then fully laughed. "Same old Keith" she muttered. Keith brought her close to his lips and kissed her. "Still lovable Claire. Aspen coughed. "Haven't for a second forgot about you" he said tapping the bed. Aspen sat next to him. He snuggled her. When he did, she felt him tremble. "Keith?" she asked. "Things have gotten worse lately. Me and Susan was exposed to a booby trap spell that showed us our worst fears" he said. Claire and Susan looked at him. "I killed our little girl. She turned evil and I killed her" he muttered looking at his shaking hand. "It wasn't real" Claire said.

"It was as real as you are to me. The smell of her blood. That wet gurgling as I pushed my sword into her" he said. Keith suddenly put her down and ran to the bathroom. Both girls could hear him vomiting. "Now I really feel stupid" she said. Keith flushed the toilet and returned. He found Claire human sized patting the bed for him to sit down. "Sorry about that" he said. Claire didn't say a word as she shrank him. She pulled off his clothing and laid down in the bed. He looked into her crystal blue eyes before breaking down crying. "The grief and shame. The way she looked at me when she died" he sobbed. Claire licked his face. "I know how powerful and illusion can be. Thankfully, I had two of the most wonderful people in the world to come to about it" Claire said. "I love you. I love both of you" he said. Aspen laid down next to Claire. "Don't hog him. It's been awhile since I had a tiny Keith to play with" she said taking him from her.

"What to do with you? Hmm...I could just shove you up my pussy but that's too quick. I want to savor each and every millimeter of your body. From those cute tiny feet" she said touching his soles. She traced her finger up to his hardening cock. "These precious balls with their yummy sperm. That strong heart. And finally a kiss that literally takes your breath away" she said licking her lips. "Not your feet?" he asked. "If you're a good boy and don't come right away" she said stroking his cock between her fingers. Aspen kissed his entire body over and over as Claire got between her legs. "Yeah. Make me wet" Aspen murmured as Claire began fingering her. Aspen placed Keith next to her ear and listened to his faint heartbeat. She smiled as she held him close to her lips. A gentle peck on his and he could see a longing in her eyes. "Be gentle with him" Aspen said handing him to Claire. The giantess borrower pushed him into Aspen feet first.

Claire straddled her in a way that Keith’s upper body went into her. "Mom did say I should share my toys" Claire winked. She bent down and began kissing Aspen. The two fucked each other using him as a strap on for several minutes. They were careful not to smother him and Keith just let them use his shrunken body for their pleasure. He came as Aspen's pussy squeezed his body, but he wasn't done, and neither were they. Aspen placed him in her mouth and kissed Claire. Each one sucking the juices off of him. It became a tug of war of who would get him. Claire won slurping him in almost to the point of swallowing him. Seeing the almost accident, both decided to calm down. "Who has nicer feet?" Aspen asked as both of them had their feet sticking out in front of him on the bed. "I'd say Claire. This pedi is magnificent" he said feeling how utterly smooth her nails were. "Because I'm a model. No self-respecting model has fucked up feet" Claire said. "Your like three inches tall. Humans would have to squint to see your toes" Aspen huffed. "Don't fight. Both of you have nice bodies" Keith said. "...how am I better than Claire?" Aspen asked softly. "Well...uhh...bigger boobs?" Keith said. "Hah! I got bigger tits!" Aspen said. "Tits ain't everything and not only I got nicer feet, I got a better ass too" Claire said spinning around. Keith got a full view of her giant ass and pussy.

"Oh please. You can bounce a quarter off mine. A quarter would put you in the hospital" Aspen huffed. "Ladies. Let's not get carried away" Keith said. Both glared at him. "Who was a nicer fuck?" Aspen asked. "I can't answer that. I gave a part of myself to both of you those nights. Claire. I wanted you to be happy. The happiest borrower I ever seen because I love you so much. Aspen, you were my first true love and what we did can't be put into words. What you're asking isn't fair" he said. Both grew quiet. "That was childish of me" Aspen said. "I deserve some blame too" Claire muttered. Keith had Claire unshrink him. "It's late. I'll see you two ladies tomorrow" he said. "Keith?" Claire asked. "Yeah Claire?" he said. "You're a good man" she said. "I try to be. I'm a role model for a lot of people not to mention my kids. And with another on the way, I got to be on my A game" he said as he left the room. "Yeah I guess...what do you mean another?!" Claire asked. Keith whistled as he walked down the hall. "Susan?" Aspen asked. "Susan" Claire replied.

The clock said 12:33 as he slipped into bed. He glanced at Hope's bed and didn't see her. He got worried. "I'm up here" Hope said sitting in the windowsill naked. "What's with you girls and windowsills. Come down honey. It's cold up there" he said. Hope fluttered down to his pillow and sat. He cupped his hands around her and breathed warm breath over her tiny naked body. "It's the wrong time of year to be going around naked" he chuckled. "Dad? If you could get rid of all the really evil people in the world, would you?" she asked. Keith had to be careful on his answer as he knew this girl could actually do it if so desired. "No, I wouldn't. Lawan taught me that all things are part of a balance. For example, good and evil. One defines the other. As for the evil people, we have a judicial system that takes care of that" he said. "But doesn't THORN kill the really bad ones?" she asked opening her legs. Keith blushed and tried not to look at her little bush. "Yes, but those can't be tried by humans because of what they know" he said. "So why does rapists and murderers go free?" she asked. Keith got more uncomfortable by the moment.

"The system isn't perfect" he said. "But it could be" she said. Keith found her talk unsettling. He began rubbing her tiny feet to distract her. "We can't use magic to solve the world's problems honey. Humans have the right to learn and grow on their own" he said. She pulled her feet away. "What about borrowers? Yaksha? Koonago? It's not just a human world" she said sternly. "No, it isn't but we have to share it. It's called tolerance" he said. Hope didn't like the sound of that at all. In her mind how could one tolerate evil? "Hope? Is everything alright?" he asked. "...just wanted to know your thoughts on it" she said. This moment would haunt her for a long time. If she had told the honest truth right then and there...what would come to pass wouldn't have happened. A lie of omission that would cost her and countless others.

The next day...

"Luke honey don't fidget" Claire said straightening his Santa hat. The baby was being fussy as his little Santa costume was a little hot on him. He started crying until Hope tickled his cheeks. "He's gotten attached to her" Claire muttered. "She visits him every other day. Only natural" Keith said finishing his ginger punch. "We all set for the picture?" Rebecca said bringing her youngest son into the room. "We are now" Aspen said straightening her dress. Half of them sat on the sofa while the other half stood behind it. Keith ran up to the iPhone and pressed the timer function for the camera. He raced back. "Say Merry Christmas!" he yelled. They all did in unison smiling as the picture went off. After that was done, they went to the table to eat lunch...all except Claire. "Why The frowny face?" he asked. I've been gone so much my own son barely recognizes me" he muttered. Keith squeezed her shoulder. "I don't even lactate anymore" she said softly.

"Claire. A lot of moms work abroad. That doesn't mean what you're doing is wrong" he said. "For humans. It's not the same for us" she said. "Being part of human culture means adopting some of their norms. Especially in the work force" he said. "Hopefully not all of their norms and values. Borrowers don't need their concept of domestic violence, divorce, or monogamy" Hope muttered. A few eyes turned to her. "Present company excluded mom" she said to Aspen. "So you've been studying humans?" Thomas asked. "We share the planet with them grandpa" she said. "And your thoughts so far?" he asked. "They're a nice people as long as they do the right thing. If not, they're the worst. How does one kill another because they believe in something else? What makes one right or wrong? Mom, you're Christian right?" she asked.

"Uh yeah mostly" Aspen said surprised she asked. "Then how can a people that worships a man who taught love and tolerance do such horrible things? Burn and shoot Christians in their churches? Take children from parents? Shoot schools? Say such hateful things?" Hope asked agitated. "Honey. Calm down" Keith said. "No! Why is it okay because I'm a borrower if you suck my toes but it's wrong if I was human? Why does our kind get the short end of the stick when we're the most loving gentle people on earth?" she asked trembling. Everyone was silent. "Not all humans are like that Hope. Look at your mother Aspen there" Keith said. "Dad rubbed my pussy because I was too horny" she said flatly. Aspen's eyes went wide. "See! That right there. She thought that was really bad! And we should be more like them to fit in? What happens when their laws against incest and polygamy are forced on us? Mom. I love you more than you know but you will never truly understand what it means to be us unless you ARE us" she said coldly. Aspen got up and left the room crying. "Go back to our room" Keith muttered. Hope looked at him. "I SAID GO BACK TO OUR ROOM!" he yelled. Hope translocated out as she gave him an icy glare.

Keith sat there for a moment listening to his son Luke crying and Aspen in the other room. He quietly got up and went into the guest room where she was. "I'm sorry you heard all that. Hope doesn't understand how the world works" Keith said sitting on the bed. "She made good points Keith. Even I know some human laws won't work on borrowers. And I did think it was wrong what you did...for a moment" she said. "You were raised in a human society. I can't fault you on a knee jerk thought" he said. "Don't be that kind. It hurts more" she said. "So...you don't think I hurt our child?" he asked softly. She hugged him from behind. "You'd die before you'd do that. She was in heat badly wasn't she?" she asked. Keith nodded. "I remember how Claire was back then. Holy shit she had it bad. Sleeping in my socks and panties. Humping my toes. One night she masturbated on my homework assignment because I ignored her" she chuckled. "Ha. Bet that was hard to explain to the teacher" he said. "Please. I never turned that in. Sorry Mrs. Crabtree. My borrower friend got the paper wet with her pussy juice" she laughed. "I'm not a borrower but I know enough about them that I fell in love with two of them" she said. Keith kissed her on the lips. "About our daughter..."

"I'm worried Aspen. She at an age where they question authority, morality, and society. You or me whatever but our daughter can bring a nation to its knees if she wanted" he said. Aspen thought he was joking until she saw fear in his eyes. "Can her power be sealed?" Aspen asked. "Not a chance. Joseph told me as much and even trying could really piss her off or at least break her trust in us" he said. "Maybe we should take her to some places. Show her the good things humanity has to offer" Aspen said. "Hmm. That's not a bad idea. Disneyworld, The Alaskan wilderness, the Louvre, Doctors Without Borders" he said. "Let's go back to the table. I'm sure they're worried about us" she said. "They're fine. Claire's right outside the door listening in. Watch this" he said in a faint whisper. He went to the door. "You know. Your prettier than Claire. When I was complimenting her, I was just telling her what she wanted to hear" he said. Keith saw the doorknob turn. "What the hell did you...whoa!" she said as he pulled the door open very fast. "Eavesdropping is a bad habit" he said wagging his finger. "That had better be a joke" she snarled. Keith pulled her to her bare feet and kissed her deeply. He walked past her grinning. "Was that supposed to be answer?" she asked. Aspen giggled at her.

The rest of lunch came and went abet quietly. Keith didn't want to go back to his room just yet loathing that talk he would have to have with Hope. Walking around a bit, he found himself at Susan's. "Come on in" she said opening the door. "I'm not intruding, am I?" he asked. Susan shook her head and went to the living room. She got on her knees and went back to fixing up a gingerbread house. "Where's Ruby?" he asked. Susan grinned and pointed at the house. Keith gently popped the roof off finding the shrunken bug sized girl decorating the inside.  "Busy working?" Keith chuckled. "I did the windows and now I'm going to start on the bed and chairs" she said. "Using vanilla wafers?" he asked. The girl nodded as she dipped her hands in icing. Keith smiled at the ingenuity of it. "Adorable isn't it? And she keeps leaving these teeny little footprints made of powdered sugar on the table" Susan said. Susan could see how tired he was and brought him to the sofa. He propped her feet up and began rubbing her soles. "No, you don't have to do a thing" she said as she asked Siri to open Netflix. Susan held him close breathing his scent. She gently stroked his hair and he fell deeply asleep.

Keith awoke a few hours later. "Wha...what time is it?" he asked. "8:13" she said. "You shouldn't have let me sleep" he mumbled. "You were exhausted Keith. I could smell the stress on you" she said. "Hope. She's been thinking strange things. Saying out of the way stuff about humanity and how we can't coexist with them" he said. "And she might be right. You won a great victory for borrower rights, but the war is far from over. Looking at my daughter over there I have to wonder what world she's going to grow into a woman in. You heard the sex worker trade has seen a shitload of borrowers coming in lately right?" she asked. "So I heard" Keith said. "I don't want some no name pervert using my daughter as a jerkoff toy. Some human asshole with 100 bucks sucking on her body like candy and then eating her for kicks just to be puked back up" she said narrowing her eyes. "And if she chooses a human mate?" Keith asked. "Then they better treat her like the Irish queen she is" Susan replied.

"So you agree that humans and borrowers can be partners?" he asked. "Humans have caused more misery for us than any other species. A least there's an excuse for a cat. They're just following instincts. They see us as a hairless tasty mouse. Humans? We look like them, talk like them, dream, desire and love like them. But so many of them treat us like playthings" she said. Keith crowed and looked at the floor. "But not all of them. Aspen, my father and so many others believe we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness just like they do. It's not a perfect world by any means but it is getting better one day at a time" she said touching his cheek. Keith kissed her. "I needed that" he said. He went to the door. "Leaving?" she asked. "Yeah" he sighed. "Oh. I was thinking we could you know..." she said. "Tomorrow I promise. You can even eat me" he winked. She walked up to him and licked his cheek. "You'll taste delicious smothered in honey" she whispered. She waved bye to him as he left. "Jesus. Her sex drive is worse than mine" he thought as he made his way back to the mansion.

Keith had returned to their room and asking her name a few times found Hope not to be there. Annoyed, he pulled up her location. "She's in the mansion at least" he muttered. He texted her to come to their room so they could talk. Keith heard a notification ding. "Shit" he muttered seeing her phone sitting behind the clock on the nightstand. He picked it up. It was faint but he could smell traces of water and salt. Tears. The smell of tears on the screen. Keith tried a magical link. "Honey where are you?" he asked. No answer. "Hope is daddy. I'm not angry anymore. I'm worried. You supposed to have your phone if you leave and I don't know where you are and if you're okay" he said. Still nothing. Keith hurried out of their room to look for Joseph.

At that same moment...

Hope couldn't believe she had come. This was the enemy after all, but his words still rang in her mind. Markus had all but forecasted Keith’s response to her questions. And the answers her father gave her she couldn't abide. She cried out of frustration as she tried to find reason behind what Keith had said but she determined with all the insight he gave; it would not save her species...or possibly the world. Hope made her choice and translocated to the Ritz Carleton in London. With a mere thought, she transformed her dress into elegant emerald silk with matching heels, her hair bouncier with a slight curl at the ends. Her reddened eyes from crying now clear. She entered the lobby and saw a young woman of similar stature richly dressed. She compared herself to her and saw her purse. Hope had never truly wanted for anything, but she felt compelled to have that. She felt lesser not having a purse for a reason she knew not. "What kind of purse is that?" she asked the woman.

The woman scrutinized her as if an animal finding a rival in their territory. The woman saw no jewelry about her and then smirked. "Now this place caters to call girls?" she thought. Hope cocked her head to the side not understanding that thought. "I politely asked a question" Hope said. "Don't you have a John to be worried about?" she asked smirking. Hope delved deeper into her mind to understand why she thought she was here to see someone named John. "Ah. You think I'm a girl here for sex. That's not the case. Now please answer my question without the attitude for I have done nothing to you" Hope asked. The woman found the girl strange and unnerving especially the way her eyes twinkled. "It's Louis Vuitton" she muttered. "What’s it made out of?" she asked. "Leather" she muttered. "What kind of leather? Cow, reptile, human?" she asked. The woman nearly pissed herself hearing Hope asked if it was made out of human skin. "Cow! Jesus!" the woman said quickly walking away. Hope walked to the bathroom and snapped her fingers. Somewhere, some poor cow just screamed bloody murder...

Hope has created her own designer purse by memory and found herself more confident. Still, the snobbery of the woman from before annoyed her. She felt an urge to punish the woman as she had been mean to Hope just because she felt intimidated by her looks. Hope dismissed it she felt it was not evil just misguided. Hope had seen a sign saying to reach the penthouse (where Markus was) the receptionist had to buzz her up. "Excuse me sir. I need to get to the fourth penthouse" she said. The man had eyed her from toes to nose. "Your guest has arrived sir" he said quietly on an intercom. "Good" Markus said on the other end. Hope could sense his lewd thoughts but that didn't bother her. It was by no means the first time she experienced that. He directed her to a lift not used by other guests. Hope felt it take her up. She was nervous, worried if she was doing the right thing going behind her father's back. She had seen Keith angry before and his rage could go deep.

The lift stopped at the 30th floor which opened to a T intersected hallway. Before she could knock, Markus opened it. With a gesture, he motioned for her to enter. "Please make yourself at home. Kick off those shoes and sit while we wait for dinner" he said. Hope removed her shoes feeling the soft expensive carpet under her soles. She sat in a chair and looked out of the window at the city below. "Magnificent isn’t it? Once upon a time you couldn't even remotely see this far due to smog and soot. The city was a cesspool using that time. Child sweatshops, brothels on every corner, Jack the Ripper making the headlines. Look at human progress. Smog replaced with carbon dioxide, brothels with escort services, and every woman violated by cameras hanging on lampposts and stop lights" he said chuckling. He sat next to her. "I see your ankle is better" he said. "Of course it is" she said roughly. "Only making conversation. Tell me. Did you speak of our meeting with your father?" he asked. She shook her head. "Good call. Your father has a habit of hiding the truth of the world from you" he said.

"He said we should rely on humans changing gradually. That we should adhere to their norms and society" she muttered. "Give it time approach. Of course he would say that. Optimists always say we should wait. Time however has taught me that humans will always bounce to one atrocity after another. Auschwitz, Armenia, Rwanda" he muttered. "He said we should tolerate evil as it’s a natural thing in the world. That's we can't stamp it out with force. That humanity needs to find the solution" she said coldly. "And how has that worked out for borrowers? Sure, you throw them a bone in the form of "human rights" but is it real? They can't adopt human kids, no law protecting them from accidental injury or death. Shit, I can go outside right now, crush one under my foot and say I never saw her down there and get away with it" he said. Hope abruptly stood up and walked to the window. Markus stood behind her. "And it isn't just borrowers. The yaksha have to live in seclusion for fear of humans. Koonago are close to extinction, The Alux like your friend Elena live in the fucking jungle for fear of what humans will do learning of their existence. At least the Mogwai were on the right track by seeing humans as a means to an end for survival. And the fae? Only two left on the planet now. Every magical race has borne the stranglehold of the human race one way or another. It's not coincidence the only one not to take their shit has become the most prosperous"

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Down there are sheep. And in their flock are wolves that prey on them. And we? We are their shepherds. It's come time for people like us to tend our flock and kill the wolves" he said coldly. There was a knock on the door which made her jump. Markus opened the door and a busboy brought in a tray of food. Markus bid him to leave and had Hope sit at the table. Markus said nothing as they began eating the steak and lobster dinner. Hope had never eaten lobster before and found the thing ugly as fuck. Still though she was curious enough to try it. "Dip it in butter" he said. Hope cracked it open took a chuck and dipped it. She was shocked such a disgusting looking thing tasted so good. "I have questions" she said. "Fire away" he said drinking the expensive wine. "Aquarius tried to kill my dad. That alone I should kill you for so why should I side with you even IF I agree with what you say?" she asked.

"Aquarius was an imbecile. He decided on his own that Susan should be eliminated. It was not by my order that he did what he did. Yes, I did sanction that Susan should be eliminated but I never said your father should be a target" he replied. "Just like that?!" she yelled. "One of the things about being a leader is you'll have morons trying to suck up to you. Avarice isn't just a human trait" he replied. "Speaking of Susan. Where is yours? Not a coincidence she's not here" Hope asked. Markus smiled as she was no fool. "Back in New York. If she tagged along, we'd have a nice body count. There's no love lost when it comes to you. Honestly, she nearly more trouble than she's worth. She hates humans like a vampire hates the sun. Seriously, she giggled like a schoolgirl as she ate a woman's children in front of her. I only brought her over to counter this world's Susan."

"I asked her how she awakened to her powers and she told me something that made even my skin crawl. Shortly after she was sent back the first time, that world's Keith tortured her for three days for her little transgression. Finally, he strangled her and just as she was about to shed the mortal coil she awoke. She beat him within seconds, literally broke his body and then went after the version of you there. She said she snapped your neck as you slept and made him watch as she ate your little body bit by bit. Only when he begged to die did she oblige by raping him till his heart gave out. When I found her, she had conquered all of the UK. Totally laid waste to London just as a warning. Deaths in the millions. All in a few weeks. What do you think she could do in a year?" he asked. "And you brought that here?" Hope asked. "If you joined me, I wouldn't need her anymore. Her usefulness would come to an end" he said. Hope finished her dinner not saying anything else.

"Let me show you something Hope" he said after dinner. He opened his laptop and pulled up a file. "I keep extensive files on people of interest. For example, this man here. Robert Abernathy. American, 59-year-old male. A senator from Wisconsin. Three kids and four grandchildren. A self-proclaimed man of the people, he announced his bid for president in the 2020 election. His hobbies are cars, agriculture, hunting, and taxidermy. Seems like an okay guy but I did find something odd. He utterly rallied against borrower rights more than any other congressman. When a man tries too hard, it's about something. ZODIAC hacked his bank records and found a lot of debits from various pet shops in Milwaukee" he said. "None of which is evil. Just means he's an asshole" Hope said. "You sure about that?" he asked opening a translocation gate. "Lately I've been using human transportation to keep me off my father's radar, but tonight is a special occasion" he said taking her hand. Hope reluctantly followed him through.

 Robert was enjoying some old malt scotch as he sat in his study. Looking out the window he could see his kids and grandkids playing in the snow. His wife and daughter in law had gone Christmas shopping leaving him alone in his multimillion-dollar home. Bing Crosby playing on his antique record player as he thought about his campaign strategy. That was interrupted by a hole in space time and two figures emerging. "What...the...fuck?" he asked. He looked at his drink thinking he had too much, but he could smell Hope's perfume. A barefoot teenage girl in a dress and a young man looking dead at him. "What the hell...who the hell are ya?!" he yelled standing up. Hope looked at him form a moment and began looking at the study. Some deer heads and old book but nothing strange. "I asked a question!" he yelled. "My associate here is determining if you're evil" he said. The man looked at him as if he was nuts as he got out of his chair.

"You see. I know you hate borrowers. You got a perverse hate for them for sure, but the question is why. No, that ship has sailed. You see Bob...can I call you Bob?" Markus asked. He ignored him as he went to his desk. "I know you visited the pet shop numerous times and then suddenly stopped when the borrower rights bill passed. It's easy to know why. Now my question is what happened to them all?" Markus asked. The senator pulled out a .44 magnum revolver and shot Markus in the head. Hope screamed from the pain the sound caused her ears. "Don't fucking move. I rather not kill a pretty girl like you too" he said as he pulled out his phone. He hit 9...1...

"That wasn't an answer to my question" Markus said standing up. The man pissed himself seeing the young man's brains reform in his opened skull before it closed. The hair and skin grew right back leaving no trace of the damage. "I doubt you ate them. Doubt you squished them too. No. You're a trophy kind of guy" Markus said. "What do you mean? What is he saying?" Hope asked them. "Care to show her Robert you real prize catches?" Markus asked. Robert couldn’t help but think of his basement. "There's something in his basement" she said. "It's your house. Lead the way" Markus said. Robert terrified of the man who seemingly came back from the dead led him to his basement. Markus turned on the light and Hope fell to her knees in horror. Lined up on shelves was dozens...over a hundred in total of dead, stuffed, and perfectly preserved borrowers. All of them teenagers. Markus looked at each and every one finding some barely old enough to be called a teen. Other than that, one glaring, utterly damning thing common for each and every one of them. Something he knew would push Hope over the edge. "You should see this Hope. I know it's horrible to even glance at, but you should see" he muttered.

Hope got to her feet and went over to them. She went and looked at them one by one and she had noticed what he had seen. The girl shook as the air smelled of ozone. The glow of magic surrounded her body. "You didn't just kill them. You gave each one a fake smile. Hope held out her hand and shrunk Robert on the spot. Her giant feet slapping on the concrete floor as she walked over to him. She raised her foot over him. "Please! I have a family!" he screamed. "So...did...they" she muttered. "I'm sick! I know it! I need help! Please spare my life and I'll atone!" he begged. Hope lowered her foot back onto the floor and the small man rushed to kiss her toes. "Your father says human have to solve society's problems on their own. My father says they're full of potential. Are you willing to let a man like him, a man who murdered so many borrowers and made his bones on pushing to keep them as playthings, have the chance to become president? Such a man could have congress repeal borrowers’ rights and all the hard work your father, your mother, and Claire did would be dust."

"Your mother's marriage would be tossed out. Claire would lose her livelihood. Susan would be removed from the Durmont family register. And that's just what happens around you. In the end...extinction" he whispered in her ear. Hope looked at the preserved bodies once more and snarled in a way that give Markus goosebumps. She stepped back. "Crushing you under my feet is too quick and merciful" she said as she raised her hand. In a display of unbridled power that she hadn't used since the day of the battle with Ebonheart, Hope called out to the souls of the borrowers he murdered. Hope couldn't restore their lives as their guts and innards had been discarded and rotted away some time ago, but that didn't mean they couldn't be used.

One by one, a soul found its former body and possessed it. The most eerie creaking sound came from them as they began moving. They hopped down to the floor and began walking to Robert. He screamed and tried to run only to find a giant foot blocking him. A good nudge sent him head over heels. "Why...why? I begged...pleaded...why?" a voice asked coming from a body. "Where's my sister? Where...is...she?" another asked. Each one asking him why he did it or where loved ones were. Hope watched as the first ones grabbed him and dragged him into the mob. "GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME! NO....NO...NOOOOO!" he screeched as they began pulling and tearing at his shrunken body. Hope watched in silence as they now dragged his bloody and badly bruised, yet alive, naked body to a worktable. He screamed as they slammed pins through his wrists and ankles. "Please...please don't. I'm sorry. Oh god I'm sorry. Please...." he whined as the corpses had prepared his taxidermy kit. Hope tugged on Markus's shirt as they stuck the dissecting scalpel into his chest starting at the collarbone. "It's okay. We can go" he said. "The...the spell will end when they get their revenge..." she muttered. Markus helped her back through the gate leading to his penthouse room.

He had Hope sit on the bed. "You helped them get peace and probably saved a lot of borrower lives" he said. She looked at him and broke into sobs. Markus hugged her tightly as she cried into his shoulder. When she has settled, he got up and gave her a tissue. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Markus knelt on the floor and her feet. She looked at him in shock as he sucked her toes. "I'm sorry. I know borrowers really like their feet worshiped and I thought it would calm you" he said. She grabbed him by the neck and slammed him on the bed making it squeak. Markus found himself shrinking as she stared at him with glowing eyes. Hope pulled off her dress and panties exposing herself. The giantess bent down and sniffed his shrunken body. Her mouth drooled as she licked him. Grabbing him and laying on her back, she roughly shoved him into her. Hope let out a painful yelp as her hymen was torn away. But that didn't stop her. As she began ramming him in and out of her.

Being her biological age, she was ripe for sex. Intimacy with her father had slowed her urges but they never stopped. She gripped him tighter as she shoved him in and out faster and faster. She didn't hear his ribs break. The gurgling as he drowned in her fluids. And with a screech she came. Markus slipped out of her unmoving until he coughed out her pussy juices. "You do know you killed me three times?" he asked. "Good. Perfect..." she growled as he snatched him up. Hope shoved him into her mouth this time and fingered herself furiously. The bedposts began to warp from the forceful pounding of her body on the bed. She came again with a squeak and let his body slip down her throat with an audible gulp. Markus landed in a pool of chewed up steak, lobster, salad and wine and chuckled to himself. Even with the acrid air nonexistent and her gastric juices stinging his skin, he knew he had succeeded.

He waited for her heartbeat to slow before coming back up. Let her savor her desires fulfilled. Hope gagged and coughed him up like some hairball. She expected him to be angry, but he just laughed. Markus showed the bile off him and returned to her. He sat on the bed still shrunk and began licking her giant feet. "I can't believe I did that" she muttered. "Killing him, fucking and eating me?" he asked. "All of it" she said. Markus pushed her second and third toes apart and licked between them. "It was meant to be Hope. You think it's a coincidence you were born here and now? Ebonheart had nothing to do with it. 20,000 years for this moment here. The world is on the brink and a once in an eon event can rectify that. It all leads to this moment. You were free. Free to do what you wanted, desired, longed for" he said. Hope canceled the spell on him growing him back. "I want you to fuck me for real" she muttered.

Markus slid into her causing her to flinch. She blushed as he looked into her eyes. "Don't ever be ashamed of how you feel" he whispered. Hope, never had a full-sized penis in her before, was afraid and excited at the same time. Having a shrunken person in her was nothing compared to being filled up by him. She gasped as his lips found her right nipple. She thought for a moment to use magic to make breastmilk by she figured why spoil it by cheating. Markus held her by the waist as he pounded her. Her voice rising higher and higher until he kissed her deeply. His tongue licking her teeth. His mouth sucking her tongue. She could taste him, and he loved every second of it. She clamped her legs around his waist and pinned him. "Please...release your sperm in me" she said softly. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and rubbed her cheek as he shot rope after rope of cum very deep inside her. Not long after, Hope, emotionally exhausted lay on his chest in her natural size.

Markus licked her little feet listening to her giggle and sigh as she stared at the ceiling. He stopped and began rubbing her bare belly. She let out a belch and laughed. "Gross" he muttered. "Says the man licking my dirty feet" she said. "Nothing about you is dirty" he said using his finger to flip her onto her stomach. He pulled her up to his chin by her ankles. "Case in point" he chuckled. Hope let out a squeal as his tongue licked her ass and parted her cheeks. "Fuck...that feels so good. I'm getting wet again" she moaned. He could taste her sweet taint on his tongue as she bucked her legs. Hope came with a whimper letting her juices dribble into the maw of the giant. "I need you to do something for me" he said. "What?" she asked rubbing her bare feet into his cheeks. "I need you to steal the second fragment of the Eye from your father. It's necessary" he said. Hope was quiet. "...alright" she muttered. Under his insistence, she showered his scent off her before sending her home.     

Keith sat in the dark waiting for her to come back. He was by no means alright as Joseph had told him he couldn't sense Hope at all, but he did have an ominous word with him. "Either she's that pissed or she's hiding something. Could very well be both Keith" he said. Keith wondered what she could be hiding from him. She was open enough to say where she went and follow the rules but was her leaving her phone behind an accident or on purpose? She was blocking them, so he had to assume it was on purpose. She he yells at her? Punish her? He really didn't know. The door opened.

"Have a seat Hope" he said turning the lights on. "Why did you leave your phone?" he asked. "...I didn't want to be bothered" she replied softly kicking her shoes off. "Is that why you hid yourself from magical sight?" he asked. "I have a right to privacy" she said coldly. "The thing about privacy is it runs parallel with trust. By going off on your own and breaking the rules you damaged my trust in you" he said. "By borrower law I'm of age" she said tossing her dress aside and standing only in a bra and panties. "Biologically yes. Chronologically no. You are not ready" he said. "I am ready!" she yelled. A small burst of power cracked the mirror behind him. Keith looked at it. She walked over to it and sealed the cracks with magic. "I'm not some wayward child. I only play one to alleviate your fears" she said. "Nobody is afraid of you" Keith said surprised. "Bullshit! I can sense the fear in your mind every time I use my power. Wonder, curiosity, fear" she said.

She sat in his lap. "Do you have any idea how hurtful it is to be feared by people you love the most?" she asked. She kissed him and got up. "It's time I started doing things the way I want because your way gets people killed" she said. She immediately regretted what she said feeling the pain in his heart. "What we do isn't easy. Being a leader isn't without risk or sacrifice" he said. "If that's true, then why isn't humans dying on these missions? They live, we die" she said. "So Fiona's death was meaningless?" he asked. "For a species that gave us rights to shut others up? What good is that? How long do you have to wait to see them turn on us? How long does people like me and Claire hide our gifts from the world? A world that needs us" she asked. She waved her hand. "Go to bed daddy. I grow tired of this conversation" she said. "Yes...Hope" he muttered. Hope soon laid in her own bed looking at her father. She had used her magic on him in a way she never dreamed she could do. Controlling his mind to silence his objection. She found herself not feeling guilty about it. In her mind he was wrong, and she was right.

The next morning, she watched Keith as she entered the kitchen. "Look who decided to wake up" Keith said to Aspen. Hope nervously waved hi as she didn’t know what effect her spell had on his memory. "French toast with bacon, eggs, and juice" Aspen said. "My favorite" Hope muttered. "Daddy clued me in" Aspen winked. As she ate sitting next to her parents, she found herself remorseful for controlling his mind. "Honey. Would you like to have some fun today?" Aspen asked. "Okay" Hope said. "Great!  There's this store I want to go to and we can get our nails done and then we can have lunch!" Aspen said happily. Hope nodded as she finished her food.

Hope forced herself to smile during her outing. She knew that today would be the last time for a long time she would have these moments with her family. For that evening, she would betray them. "Wish I had feet as nice as yours" Aspen said as they got their nails done. "Dad says my feet look like yours" she said. "He'd know, I guess. He told me that he helped you out with some...personal stuff" Aspen said. Hope waved her hand for a moment. "You mean stroking my tiny pussy because I was so horny?" Hope asked. Aspen clapped her hand over her daughter's mouth. "Relax. They're under a perception spell. You could scream bloody murder and they'd never notice" she said. Aspen tapped the head of the Asian woman washing her feet. Nothing. "Ahem. Yes that. Were you comfortable with that?" she asked. "I came. Dad was nice enough to get me off" she replied. Aspen was a little unnerved. "And that goes right back to what I said yesterday. That feeling" she said.

"Mom. You don't understand how I feel. I want my toes sucked. I want someone to pleasure me. Look me in the eyes and give their body and soul to me. Fill me with their seed, feel a life grow inside me. My breasts large with milk. I want to be a mother. As much as you want Claire, I want that. And to deny me that because of my circumstances which I never asked for is cruel. Okay, dad told me you got all kinds of shit for wanting to be with Claire. Did that stop you?" she asked. "Honey that's different" Aspen said. "No, you made it different. You had a part of society that told you it was wrong, and you and Claire told them to fuck off. You have to face facts, I'm not human nor will I ever be" she said roughly. Aspen was very quiet. "No. I never said that" Hope suddenly said. "Said what?" Aspen asked. "What you just thought. I never said I was ashamed of being part human. I ashamed of not using my power to make people's lives better. See that woman sitting in that chair?" she asked pointing to a middle-aged woman waiting for a stylist.

"She had terminal cancer. Not anymore she doesn't" she said snapping her fingers. "The borrower girl painting my big toe has been having nightmares for weeks about a trauma when she was a child. She's thinking of killing herself. Boom. The memory was erased" she said. "Hope! You can't just use magic to tamper with people's lives!" Aspen yelled.  "Tamper with...okay. One moment while I give that lady back her life ending cancer" Hope said raising her hand. "NO!" Aspen yelled. Hope looked at her. "While they pray to a deity to fix their lives I can actually deliver. Surely you can see that because you named me Hope" she said. Hope looked out of the window for a moment. "In three minutes, a little boy is going to be hit by a car. He won't survive" she muttered. She turned to her mother who could see her eyes glowing. "Tell me what to do" she said.

Aspen was torn at what to say. Her motherly instincts said to save the child, but such a display would prove Hope right. That to have such power she had a duty to use it. "Do it" she muttered. Hope walked on her heels to the window, the polish on her toenails still drying. The child bolted from her mother running into the street. A Mini Cooper rounded the curve right into his path. With barely a thought, Hope summoned a blast of strong winds that pushed the boy ever so slightly to just miss being hit. The mother ran and hugged the young boy. "Do you see it now? The absurdity of having to ask when just doing it accomplishes this?" she asked. Hope sat back down to finish her pedicure. "I didn't want to argue with you today. I just wanted a mommy daughter day. You have no idea what it means to have one for me" she muttered.

Aspen saw her daughter very depressed, but she didn't know it was for more than what she thought. Once their salon visit was done, they walked to Trafalgar Square. There, they noticed a young human woman with a tip cup in her hand. On an old rickety table was a male teenage borrower balancing on a tennis ball. Hope at first didn't like the look of it at all as people passed by with little notice of them. "Andrew..." the woman muttered. The young man hopped off the ball. "I know. It's okay. I ate yesterday" he muttered. The woman cried softly. Hope saw there was more to this and probed their minds. "They're lovers" she muttered. "Really?" Aspen asked. "She was kicked out of the house when she told her parents she wanted to marry the borrower that lived in their house" she replied. Hope went and sat down near them. "You two look like a cute couple" she said. "A...a couple?" the young woman asked. "Well it's clear you two love one another" she replied. "Yeah. Not everybody agrees with that" Andrew said. "How long have you two been on the streets?" Hope asked. "...three months" she replied.

Hope scooted closer. "What if I told you I could fix all your problems" she said. They looked at her. "Dead serious here" she said. "How much money are you..."

"Andrew. Listen girl. I'm not going to hand him over because some rich bitch throws some cash around" she said. "Good because that's not what I was going to do Kimberly" Hope said. She was taken aback as she never told her her name. "Do you believe in magic?" she asked. "No" Kimberly replied. "You should. It believes in you. I can use magic to solve your problems. You two can be together, provided for, even start a real family" she said. Both looked at her curiously. "How?" she asked highly skeptical. "Simple. I shrink you Kim" Hope said. "Yep. You're nutters" Kim said sighing. Hope willed the tennis ball to her hand and shrank it to the size of a gumball. "You were saying?" Hope asked. Hope sensed her mother's apprehension. "They're cold and starving" she snapped back. "Well?" she asked. Kim held Andrew up to her eyes. "A family? She can bear my children?" he asked. "Yeah. Your penis would fit snug in her if she was shrunk" Hope said off the cuff. Kim blushed embarrassed. "Yeah. Yeah shrink me" she muttered. "There's a catch. There's always a catch. You can't see your parents again. Seriously, how would you explain your size?" she said.

"Fuck them. They killed his family after all, and they tossed me out like rubbish" she said coldly. Hope put up a spell making sure nobody noticed what came next. With a smile, she shrank the young woman where she sat. Andrew astonished, touched her cheek. "You're so pretty" he muttered. Kim hugged him tightly and cried. "Hate to break up the moment but my mom is waiting on me" the now giantess Hope said. Hope placed them both in her coat pocket and walked back to her mother. Aspen was not too keen on what occurred. "So we can live in that colony?" Kim asked. "Yep" Hope said. "But I'm human" she said. "And you're three inches tall now. You'll fit right in" Hope snickered. Hope held her in her palm. "Don't be afraid" she said as she petted the shrunken woman. Kim felt natural fear being held in the palm of the giantess she knew all of an hour. But as she smiled, she saw a warmth in her eyes. "Let's play a game. A question for a question" Hope said. Kim shrugged. "How did you two meet?" she asked.

Kim went on to explain that Andrew's family lived in her home for years and then one day her parents fumigated the house. Andrew only survived as he was exploring the toy box in the attic and was not exposed to toxic gases. He was only 11 back then and she was 13. She caught him a day later looking for food as he wasn't used to looking by himself. Instead of squashing him...or worse, she took pity on him and kept him safe. A few years passed and they fell in love. Then one night three months ago, his father caught the two of them in an embarrassing position. Kim blurted out she was in love with him and her father being old school didn't approve. Her mother kept silent. Kim learned some of what Hope was. Mostly that she could use magic and there were others that could as well. Other things, such as Etherion and the war with ZODIAC was kept quiet. Aspen's heart softened listing to her story as Hope pointed out it was eerily similar to her and Claire's.     

"So, you guys had an eventful outing" Keith said as he looked over the paperwork admitting two new citizens to the colony. "It certainly was interesting" Aspen said. "Not all humans are bad are they? They can surprise you right Hope?" Keith asked. Hope was busy looking at her phone with a sour look. "Hope. Your father is talking to you" Aspen said. Hope nearly shoved her phone into his hands and walked away. "Shit" Keith muttered. "I'll go say something to her" she said. "Leave...leave her be" he muttered reading the screen. "Is something wrong?" she asked. "Other than a moody overpowered teenage daughter...yeah" he said getting out of his chair in the kitchen and showing Aspen her phone. "Oh my god. This happened last night?" Aspen asked. "...yeah" he replied. Aspen was reading an article from the Miami herald.

"23 borrowers and 4 humans dead from firebomb attack on borrower halfway house. No suspects found" she muttered. "I knew some of them personally. I went by that halfway house earlier this year because Lawan's parents live in Miami. Kids Aspen. Kids burned alive" he muttered as he walked to the sunroom. Aspen followed him. Keith sat quietly at the border where the city began. Aspen took off her shoes and sat beside him. "It's pretty" she said admiring the lights. He silently nodded. "What if she's right Aspen? What if coexistence really is a fantasy?" he asked. "Do you believe that?" she asked. "Look into that window" he said pointing to a dimly lit room on the second story of a house. "That is so precious" Aspen whispered looking in. The eyes of the giantess saw a little girl snugly tucked into her bed. Her nightlight was on and she hugged a toy bear as she slept peacefully. Her teeny little foot stuck out from the covers. Aspen opened her window and very gently moved her foot back onto the bed and pulling the cover over it for the inch-tall borrower girl. "She could grow up, go to college and be somebody in human society. Or, she could grow up, go to college and get eaten by some guy who got mad she wouldn't put out. And who would know?" he asked.

A few people on the street saw them and stopped walking curious as to what could make their beloved protector depressed. "Faith Keith. Faith that things will turn out alright" she said. Two young males approached Aspen's feet. "Faith didn’t save Fiona" he muttered. Aspen moved her giant feet to them and nodded. "I worry about them too. Such a loving people" she said looking at the males licking her giant toes. Keith looked at them. "I'm surprised you let strangers lick your feet" he said. "They mean me no harm, I like the attention, and I'm slowly getting used to borrower culture. Yeah, you're not the only one worried about our people" she said. "Our people?" he said. "Claire took my last name but I really married into HER family. So yes, our people. Get between the toes guys” she replied.

"Magic could catch who did that" he muttered. "And what then? What evidence would you give to the cops? Or you try them yourself?" she asked. Keith was quiet. "You're not wrong when you told her humans have to regulate their own lives" Aspen said. "And she's not wrong when she says magic can help them. She saved three lives today Keith using magic" she said. Keith looked concerned. "Nobody noticed" she said. "What should I say?" he asked. "More flys with honey" she replied. Keith kissed her before getting up. "Nothing about my toenails?" she asked. "Sorry. I was distracted by your inner beauty" he said. Aspen blushed and played with her hair as he walked back into the sunroom. "You're a lucky woman to catch his eye" a borrower woman said near her feet. "He flirts with every girl" Aspen said. "True but he doesn't bear his soul to them. I came looking to see what was taking my husband so long taking out the trash and found him licking your feet. As I PATIENTLY waited (looking at her husband), I overheard your conversation" she said. Aspen smiled slightly as the husband sheepishly walked back to his wife.

"Humans have a saying. For every strong man, behind him is a strong woman. He's a good guy but shoulders so many burdens. Remind him that sometimes a woman's touch is required" she said dragging her husband into the house. "We all should go home, I guess. Don't worry fellas. You can have some more fun with my feet tomorrow" Aspen told the other two men licking her toes.

"What you up to kiddo?" Keith asked seeing a tiny Hope sitting on the bed as she played with the giant tv remote. "Trying to find a movie for us to watch" she replied. Keith sat on the bed. "I know one. You ever see It's a Wonderful Life?" he asked. She shook her head. "It's about a guy who thinks the world is better off without him. An angel gives him a chance to see such a world and finds out the good he's done" he said using the remote to queue the movie. Keith laid back on the bed and placed his daughter on his chest. His steady breathing and heartbeat felt calming to her. "You like my toes dad?" she asked fishing her tiny feet at him. Keith blushed as she had no panties underneath her nightie. He squinted slightly. Hope crawled up to his chin. He could smell her cleanliness and youthful body. She smiled as she tapped her bare foot on his chin. Keith seized her foot and sucked on it making her laugh. She was so precious to him he felt arousal and hid his thoughts.

"I know you'd never hurt me dad. It's okay" she said as she pulled her nightie off. She looked so much like Aspen it was eerie. Hope climbed on top of his lips. Her toes hooking into the sides of his chin. "Tell me you love me" she said. Keith looked confused. "You know I do" he muttered. The sound and breath of his voice tickled her pussy. "I need you to say it. Please...please tell me you love me" she begged. "I love you with all my heart munchkin" Keith said concerned. As his lips parted, Hope pushed her crotch into his mouth. "Even...even when you're angry? When we get into fights? Make you sad?" she asked grinding her pussy on the tip of his tongue. Keith didn't answer as his instinct said to lick and suck on this girl's cunt. However, her questions worried him badly. His finger ran from the top of her head, down her back, to her naked tiny butt. She could feel his love and concern for her. She whimpered pitifully as she came and coated his tongue in her juices. He took her off his mouth for a moment.

"You thought I stopped loving you because you made me angry?" he asked. "I'm worried you'll stop loving me one day" she said softly. "Honey. You're my daughter" he said. Keith bit his finger till it bled. "See this? We are connected not just by this. You, your sister and brothers have a place not in my heart but in my soul" he said. Hope used magic to heat the bite. "I love you too" she said softly. As they watched the movie, Hope wished that night could last for eternity. His earthy scent, his lust tempered with love and concern. She had met many men even if she had only been alive for less than half a year. And even though she used magic to accelerate her rate of learning (which was how she matured so rapidly), she still found her father unique and puzzling. Every young male she met had the same or similar thoughts in their heads. How good her feet would taste. Did she whimper or squeak when she orgasmed. What she would look like pregnant. How tight was her pussy. Sex, lust, rough sex, and being her slave. Yes, the few times she was a giantess among them, some thought of being under her feet, some thought of being snatched from their homes and shoved up her pussy, walking along and becoming a snack for the girl. In their eyes she was royalty. An almighty being of borrower blood that was worthy of worship and sacrifice. It was those that frightened her hence the reason she wasn't human sized much at all among them.

But she found her father to be different. Dark thoughts of sucking on her, even eating her but the shame that came after that that Keith kept bottled up. Hope knew not what to make of it. And then she heard the story of how Claire almost ate her father when she first transformed. How she reveled in sucking on him, how drunk on temptation. So, like any curious person, she looked for the reasons. Borrowers felt emotions deeper than humans and having a size difference strengthened that. They bonded by taste, smell, and touch. And the first time Claire had come back from her first tour back in October, Hope could feel the joy in Thomas. He wanted to drink her breastmilk, suck on her toes, hold her close and breathe her scent. Not because he wanted to fuck her or simply lusted for her body. It was because he missed his offspring so much it hurt. And as Hope laid on his bare chest, her tiny soles rubbing up and down his skin, she understood her father's thoughts.

He felt those feelings, thought those thoughts because her father saw something to be cherished and to eat her would be like keeping something precious away from the cruel cold world. Not that it made logic but one once said "only a fool looks for logic in the heart". "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings" the little girl in the movie said. Hope connected with the movie in a way she nor Keith counted on. How one person was so important. And hearing her giant father's light snoring, her heart became heavy as it was time for her to do what she thought must be done. Hope got off him, grew to human size got dressed, and kissed him goodbye. "Where are you going?" he asked. "Dad. I didn't mean to wake you. I just want to go outside and look at the lights" she muttered. "You father is asleep. I kept quiet about yesterday but your questions and sneaking off with such sad eyes concerned me" Oberon said. "Go back to sleep" she said. "No. You used mind control magic on him, asked odd questions, and now I see you sneaking off WITHOUT your phone. What are you doing?" he asked. "Doing my duty with open eyes" she said. Oberon made his body get up. "You spoke with Markus. That's why you didn't take your phone yesterday. Whatever he said, it was a half-truth at best" he said.

"Every user of Etherion changed the world. I cannot hide from destiny any longer" she said. "Don't do this Hope. I beg of you. This is the King of Fae begging you not to break his heart" Oberon said. Hope sniffled as she shed tears. "Back to sleep. Tell him I'm sorry and I hope he still loves me" she muttered waving her hand. Oberon slipped into the recess of Keith's mind. Not an easy task to forcefully put a spirit to sleep but to her is was nothing. Hope closed the door behind her.

Even at 12:45 in the morning, there was still staff moving about. A guard perched in the windowsill in the foyer, a few maids and butlers finishing the kitchen and living room. A maid in pajamas exiting the tiny door that led to live in maid quarters. "Milady" she said bowing. This giantess just nodded as she walked by. She could hear Rose on the phone with a friend in her room. "Oh absolutely. We'd love for you to say for Christmas break. Naw. If anything, they'll be in awe of a giant African American girl. Well almost all borrowers are white, and I don't get many visitors at all. No, you're the first really. Only thing is they will probably want you to play with them. Well the kids yeah but some adults too. Yeah, I mean that way. Pfft. You'll change your tune when a cute boy is licking your toes. Haha!" Rose laughed as Hope paused at the door. Hope smiled slightly pleased she had made a human friend trustworthy enough to bring over. It didn't deter her through. She felt such harmony and peace should be for all. That humans has to be forced into coexistence for the sake of her species. No problem with humans as friends as long as they abided by a code of decency, respect, and acknowledgement that magical species has to save them from themselves.

"Ma'am. You're not permitted here without your father" a guard said standing at the stairway down to the vault. Of the two guards, one was stern the other nervous. "Sleep" she commanded, and they fell to the floor snoring. She walked down the stairs and stood before the vault. After the first visit of Mirror Susan, Keith changed the security measures. A hand printer retinal scanner wouldn't work if the illusion was good enough. Keypads could be foiled with clairvoyance. Keith had installed a voice print system that unlocked not with his name but with a short song. Hope had seen Susan use it two weeks ago out of curiosity. Hope mimicked Susan's vocal cords in her throat. "I was once but lost but now I'm found. Was blind but now I see" she sang. "Welcome Susan Durmont" the screen said as the iron door unlocked. Hope stepped inside and saw her target. She held the fragment of the Eye in her hands feeling the innate power it had. "This is it. No turning back" she muttered as she formed a translocation gate. She gave a final look of home before stepping through.

"They still have no suspects. They have no idea how it even started" Markus read in a text message. "Good. Meet us in Jakarta" he typed back. "You sure she'll come?" Mirror Susan asked over a text. "I'm sure she saw your handiwork being the news hound she is. And with that specific target I can give a nice fuck you to Keith. Just wish I could see look on his face when he finds out it was his daughter that betrayed him" he replied. "Lol. See you soon" Susan said. Markus erased the texts seconds later and just before Hope arrived in his room. "I knew I could count on you" he said seeing the fragment. "I betrayed my father" she muttered. "You saved him from himself. Humans have a saying. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. We can prove them wrong" he said taking the fragment from her. "Adet" he said. The other two fragments appeared before them and he joined them. The ring pulsed with power not seen in 20,000 years. With a smile, he activated it.

A strange scene was shown in the portal. A rocky desert with tents. "An ISIS training camp in Syria. One of many I'm afraid. He was about to stick his hand through and stopped. "Why don't you do the honors?" he asked. "Do I stick my hand through?" she asked. He nodded. Hope did looking at the overhead view of the camp. In a very remote part of Syria, a giant hand 400 ft. high and 500 ft. long from wrist to index finer appeared above them blotting out the morning sun. They thought it was the hand of God until the fingers curled slightly revealing manicured, pink painted nails. "Begone from this world" she muttered pushing down. There was a deafening roar as it rushed down. Hope felt it slam down on the warm dirt, tents, people, weapons, cars, and dust. All that was there was flattened. The tremor from her gigantic hand could be felt for miles around. And then she lifted it away. Everything compressed flat in a handprint bigger than a high school football field. Hope looked at her hand surprised seeing tiny blotches of red and ant sized bodies smeared into the palm flesh. With little emotion other than a cold smile, she wiped her hand on her pants. "Good girl" he whispered into her ear. "Now what?" she asked.

"Now we wait and prepare for the Great Alignment on New Year’s Eve. Come Hope. It's been a long tiring day for you no doubt and you could use some comfort" he said patting the expensive large bed. Hope took off her clothes and climbed into bed. She laid on the right side of the bed as always as that's where the nightstand where she usually slept was on. But tonight, there was no Keith. No smell of her father, his light snoring, or his hand to keep her body warm. She felt...alone. "You're not alone" Markus said softly as he climbed into bed. He could sense her thoughts. "Rest. Soon we will be in a place that will worship you and respect the power you have. Sun, sand, beach, and all the cute boys and girls you can play with" he smiled. Hope nodded and closed her eyes. 

"Still weird?" Rose asked the giantess standing above her. "Still getting used to it all" Alyssa replied as they stood in Rose's bathroom brushing their teeth. Rose saw the giantess holding her hand behind her worried she'd fall off the sink. "That's sweet but I'm pretty good keeping my balance" Rose said. A second later she sneezed and slipped. "You were saying?" Alyssa asked bracing her little body in her palm. "I only slipped because I'm in my socks. Goddamn menstrual period" she muttered. "What does your time of the month have to do with socks?" Alyssa asked. "Well, as I said before, I'm fairy by my mother's side.  Fairy's have a few...problems during their period. We feel cold and pain easier mostly. "So, you have socks on because your feet are cold?" Alyssa asked. "It'll be better when I get moving. I've been dealing with this since I was 12. Back then I couldn't even hold my human size properly" Rose replied. "And no other kids knew about you?" Alyssa asked. "You're the third human to know what I truly am. Dad, Aspen, and now you" she replied. Alyssa smiled until she saw Rose looking at her hand. "Sorry" she muttered. "Don't be. I'm glad you care" Rose said smiling. Alyssa blushed.

"I got a bunch of requests for you from the citizens once they learned you were coming" she said. "What kind of requests?" Alyssa asked. "Well...they never met a black girl before" she replied. Alyssa narrowed her eyes. "It's not like that. They want to know you, maybe even...flirt with you" Rose said grinning. "I don't want to be stared at Rose" she said. "The kids really want to meet you. Don't you want to meet a bunch of inch tall kids? They're super cute" Rose said. "Oh, all right" Alyssa said. And with that they got dressed. Rose sat on Alyssa's shoulder and they walked down the main hallway. "Morning sir! Thanks for having me over for Christmas break" Alyssa said as Keith approached. "... it's fine" he mumbled as he passed by. Alyssa looked concerned. "Don't take it personal. His daughter ran away from home three days ago" Rose said. "Oh damn and right at Christmas" Alyssa said. "Maybe I should've stayed at the dorms" she said. "Nonsense. Nobody should be alone on Christmas" Rose said.

As per her instructions, Alyssa entered the city barefoot. "Wow. It's warm" she said feeling the street. "Mom designed this place to be a constant 71 degrees all year. There's heating elements underneath the street to keep it just above room temperature in winter" Rose said. "They're umm...staring at me" she muttered. "Well you're black, cute, and barefoot so yeah" Rose told her. They waved at the ebony giantess. Alyssa nervously waved back. Rose pointed to where the main elementary schools were. Alyssa was terrified of crushing people, so she made very small steps. The fact that it was law that human sized people had to be certified to walk through the city spoke of how much she trusted Alyssa. "Bigger than you'd thought huh?" Rose asked. "Shh! I'm trying to concentrate!" Alyssa said. "Make way for the ebony goddess!" Rose shouted. "That's not funny!" Alyssa yelled. "Lighten up! I know you got this. I feel sorry for some of them though" she said. "W... why?" Alyssa asked looking at each step. "I bet they were hoping you'd wear a dress. Get a nice peek at those panties" Rose laughed. Alyssa blushed again. Alyssa sat down and breathed a sigh of relief as they got to the largest of the schools.

"How many kids are there?" Alyssa asked a heaping crowd of them swarmed to her. "In the colony? About 5,000 or so under the age of 14. Borrowers are considered adults when they hit 14" Rose replied. "Hi kids. Uh...kids...wait...Wait!" she yelled as they swarmed her. They climbed into her lap, played with her feet, admired her fingers. Alyssa was petrified to move. "Kids! Calm down you're scaring her!" Rose yelled. They obeyed and sheepishly climbed off her. Alyssa sighed in relief. "Okay kids. You can ask your questions but be respectful" Rose said. One boy jumped up and down. "Okay" Alyssa said. "Are you from Africa?" he asked. "I'm from America. My ancestors care from Africa" she replied. "Have you ever eaten a borrower?" a girl asked.  "No. I think that's evil" she replied. "You can have some fun you know" Rose whispered. Alyssa plucked the girl up between her fingers. "But if they're cute I might be tempted" she snickered tapping her belly. She put the girl back down. "Why are you black?" one asked. "Well natural selection..."

Alyssa was saying until she realized she was talking to children. "God made me this way" she finished. "We don't believe in God" a boy said. Alyssa placed him in her hand. "God believes in you" she said. "But why would God make us so small you could eat us?" he asked. "Maybe God is teaching us both a lesson. Kindness in humans. Trust in borrowers. Are you scared of me?" she asked. He looked at her mouth as she spoke. Alyssa couldn't see it but off a way were some of the parents of these kids. The mother of the boy was very fearful for him. "...yes" she replied. "...I understand" Alyssa said softly. She didn’t want to be feared and for a child to say he was afraid of her hurt her feelings. She choked back tears but let one slip. "He made the giantess cry! Don't make her cry! Why did you make her cry?" the kids randomly said. They boy felt embarrassed. "I didn't mean to make you cry giantess lady" he said. "You were being truthful. I am human and humans...

"Stop right there. Alyssa, kids, and the parents out there. What we are doesn't define who we are. This girl helped me when she could've just gone the other way. No, she chose to keep my secret and come here today even when she was afraid to" she said. "Why would she be afraid to come here?!" a random parent shouted. "Because she's never been around so many tiny people before. She's terrified she might hurt of kill someone. But she knew how much you wanted to meet her today. I want all of you to stop talking and listen very closely" Rose said. Rose motioned for Alyssa to be silent. The borrowers looked at one another. "She's really afraid. Her heart is racing" one said. "Bad people don't fear hurting others" Rose told them. "I'm sorry" the young boy cried. Alyssa kissed his little body. "Apology accepted" she said softly. She put him back on the ground. Once the ice was broken, one by one the kids asked questions and climbed into her lap to listen. A few hours went by. "And because there are so many stray cats and roaches, I never saw any borrowers in my apartment" she said just before her stomach growled. "Guess I'm hungry..." she muttered. She eyes the kids. "Hungry for...sandwiches" she chuckled. The kids laughed at her. "Okay kids we have to go now" Rose said. "But we wanted to play!" one groaned. "She can see you all tomorrow for the pageant" she said.

"That ended up being really fun" Alyssa said as they walked. Rose was staring at the center of town. "Something wrong? You look sad" Alyssa said. "Nothing. Just deep in thought. Make a right and then lower me to the street" she replied. Alyssa rounded the corner and placed Rose on the street. With an arcane spell, she shrank Alyssa down to their size. "This place is like a borrower Starbucks" she said opening the door for her. Alyssa looked around still amazed at the detail of everything. "Come and sit down" Rose said patting the chair at the booth. "It's all so real. The chairs, the tables, the smell" she said. "You'd never know you were three inches tall right? When my mom created all this, she wanted them to live lives as dignified as humans. Coffee shops, bakeries, grocery stores, schools, real houses and apartments, indoor plumbing. It's even gotten better since Keith took over. Community centers, pools, libraries" she said. "What would like to have today sweetie?" an older woman asked Rose. "Peppermint tea...and..." she asked. "The same" Alyssa said. The girl tapped the ball of her bare foot on the tile floor nervously as patrons looked at her. "This isn't like kids staring at me" she said. "They done seen black girls before. I myself tons when I lived in North Carolina. But seeing them and being friends with them is different things" the barista said putting down two teas and two muffins. "We didn’t ask for these" Rose said. "They're compliments of him" she said pointing at the young man waving at them. Rose motioned for them to come over. "In lieu of diamonds you give a girl muffins?" Rose snickered. "Hi miss Rose. The buzz was you had a human friend here today. Nobody said she was so cute" he said. Alyssa sipped her tea to hide her grin.

"This here is Alyssa. She goes to my school and is single" Rose said. "Single? With those soft eyes, that smile and cute feet? I find that hard to believe" he said smiling at Alyssa. "You use that line on all the girls?" Alyssa asked. "Only the ones drinking peppermint tea" he grinned. "And if I was drinking egg nog?" she asked. "Then I would use a different pickup line" he chuckled. Rose sat quietly as they flirted with one another checking her phone. She grew more withdrawn as she looked at old pictures of her and her mother. "There's a party being held at the community center tonight. I'd love if you came" he said. Alyssa looked at Rose. "Uh...sure" she replied concerned with Rose and not the boy. "See you then" he said kissing her hand. Alyssa giggled at that. "You two hit it off" Rose said. "Bobby seems nice enough" Alyssa shrugged. "Nice enough? He had an erection when he left. He wants that booty" Rose chuckled.

"Serious. He was like 16? 17? Borrower boys think a lot about fucking at that age" she said. "So he just wants the fuck a black girl? Alyssa asked despondent. "Don't get me wrong. Borrower boys can be the sincerest loving boys you could ever find. Just be warned he's horny for you too" Rose said. Alyssa nodded. "Still hungry" she muttered. "The maids is probably done with lunch. We can go back" Rose said. As they left, Rose canceled the arcane that shrank Alyssa and she grew back to normal. "Soooo...weird" she said. Alyssa walked back to the sunroom but saw Rose stare at the center of town once again with the same vacant look. "What's bothering you?" Alyssa said pausing. "That's where my mom died" Rose replied. "I thought your mom died in a fire" she said. "A flat out lie. A very bad woman came here back in the summer and tried to kill us all. Mom stopped her by shrinking her and the woman. It was the only way" Rose said. Alyssa walked to the outside of town and sat down. "You want to talk about it?" she asked. "What's there to say? My mom is dead, and this is the first Christmas without her" Rose said softly. Alyssa held her in her hand.

"I get why but we're alone here. You don't have to put up a front" Alyssa said. "She made gingersnaps and cocoa on Christmas Eve. Hid my presents in the attic. She even shrank down and walked through ashes before walking all over my bedsheet when I was a kid. Said elves were keeping an eye on me making sure I was a good girl" she muttered. Rose looked at the giantess.  "She would have these beautiful wings of pure magic when she carried me high into the air on Christmas Day and look at all the snow. It was just her and me then...and now..." she muttered shaking. Rose broke into a pitiful sob. "MOMMY! I MISS MY MOM!" she sobbed clutching the giantess' thumb. "Oh Rose I'm so sorry" Alyssa said petting her little back. Inadvertently, Alyssa went and kissed the top of her head. Rose abruptly stopped crying. "Sorry, I got carried away" she said. "Don't be sorry. I'm happy you would care that much about me. Having to keep my secret can be lonely" she said. "Really? They look at you like you're a rock star here" Alyssa said. "Here. But not out there" she said.

Rose was quiet during lunch. "You mom sounded like she was extremely cool" Alyssa said. "The coolest" Susan said as she opened the fridge. "Any word?" Rose asked her. "Nothing. Like she dropped off the face of the Earth. We're running facial recognition all over the place but not a single hit yet. There's just too many places she could be" Susan replied. "What about her cell?" Alyssa asked. "...she left it here" Sudan replied softly not wanting her to be involved. "Did she leave alone? Maybe they have a cell" she said. "I appreciate you're trying to help us but we don't know his number or ID" she said.  "Maybe if it was unique you could narrow it down" Alyssa said. "Unique how?" Susan asked. "Custom roms. International SIM cards" she replied. "He would have to be in a remote place that would make it stand out otherwise it could be a needle in a stack of needles" Susan sighed. "Didn’t he show up on that Japanese town of a couple thousand?" Rose asked. "Shit...you're right. Gotta go" Susan said rushing out the room. "Okay...more bad person stuff I assume?" Alyssa asked. Rose quietly nodded as she nibbled on a piece of sandwich.

"I need you to pull the cell tower data for Setogahara while we were there" Susan said as she sat on the floor. Control was the information hub for THORN and sat in an expanded room in the southern wing of the mansion. The room was packed with computers, some custom built by Keith himself. High performance enough they had to be water cooled and the room itself air conditioned to a cold 40 degrees. With a custom hacking suite, it only took a few minutes to pull the data from its secured severs. "That's a lot of pings" someone muttered. "Remove the game consoles" another said. "Down to 9,379 pings during that half hour" the human sized borrower said. "And now smart tv's" she said. "5,344" he said. "We need one that complete stands out. It would have to be a foreign carrier" Susan said. "Processing" he muttered.

"I got a hit. Four cellular pings not on a Japanese carrier. Three of them identified as Keith, you, and Fiona" he said. "You sure?" Susan asked. "Japan has only three carriers. NTT Docomo, AU, and Softbank. This ping here is using a AT&T international code" he explained. "Markus. Download the profile and run it through the towers we have on file" she said. Susan waited patiently as she could. "Got a hit from Heathrow. December 20, 2018. 12:34 p.m. Another on December 21, 2018 at 7:17 a.m." he said. "Good. Pull up the flight list for that time" she said. "23 flights commander" he said. "Jesus" Susan muttered. "Can't be helped. Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world and its Christmas season" he said. "Check all connections and pull tower data from those airports" Susan said. She stood up and left the room. She ventured to Keith’s room worried about him. Nobody had seen much of him except Lawan and their kids who had come into town.

"They're exhausted Keith. It's time for their nap" Lawan said over the crying infants. "Keith" she said sternly as Susan entered the room. "Alright" he said handing them back to their mother. All four of them were small sitting on his bed. "I can come back" Susan said. "No. Please enter. He needs company" Lawan said tucking the kids into their makeshift cribs on the nightstand. Susan sat down. "You need rest too it seems" she said. The man looked at the giantess with haggard eyes. "Could you sleep if it was Ruby?" he asked. "Yes. I rather fight the man than my own fatigue. Speaking of the man, we got a lead we're tracking" she said. "Don't keep it to yourself" he said. "We identified his cell phone and tracked it leaving Heathrow the morning after she left here. To where we don't know yet" she said. Keith crawled into her lap. "What did I say wrong? What did I do wrong?" he muttered. Susan looked at Lawan contentious of his closeness. She smiled and nodded approval. "Probably nothing. Sometimes things just play out the way they are no matter what we say or do" she said.

"My baby is out there with a man who would see this world plunged into slavery and chaos. He's doing god knows what to her and with her. Will...will I ever see her again?" he asked softly. Susan placed him on his pillow. It broke her heart to see him in such a way. Her finger petted his body and she could hear him stifling his crying. Her eyes lit up for a moment. "Sleep" she said. Keith lightly dozed off and she tucked him under a part of the covers. "You still humble me Susan" Lawan said as she hopped onto the bed near her. Lawan wiped his tears away before approaching the giantess. "Nothing I said or done since I arrived helped in any regard" she said. "Nonsense. Right now, I'm sure he wants these he loves most near him" she said. "Yet you gave him momentary peace" Lawan said sitting down. The tiny Asian flinched in pain. "Goddamn back" she hissed. "Wait right here" Susan said before leaving. 10 minutes later she returned with a cup. She placed it on the nightstand hear the cribs.

"What is that?" Lawan asked. "Warm milk" she replied. "I don't need sleep Susan but thanks" she said politely. "Not for drinking. Take off your clothing and slip in" she said. Lawan shrugged as she had nothing else to do at the moment. The milk was hot but not too hot a she slipped her feet in. Slowly she sank into the giant cup of milk and sighed. "I do this every now and then myself. Keeps the skin smooth and gets those muscles kinks" Susan smiled. "A girl could get used to this" Lawan chuckled. "I feel I owe you the fact I'm pregnant" Susan muttered. Lawan paused splashing the milk over her bare breasts. "I expected as much after this time" Lawan said. Susan dipped her finger in the milk and let it dribble over her small head. "There's more. I have him a piece of my soul after he shared his most painful memory" she muttered. "He's never done any of that with me" Lawan said. "Because he loves you too much to burden such a thing. Keith wants us to smile, to laugh. Susan said. "Yes. He's that kind of fool isn't he? He compartmentalizes us in odd ways" Lawan said. "How so?" Susan asked. "It's like he has a chunk of the world he lives in for each of us. As if to appease us" Lawan said.

Susan dropped some more milk on her and Lawan rinsed her hair. "I don't know about appease. More like protect. I know there's a darkness in him. A wrath he keeps guarded and let's lose when some unlucky bastard wrongs us. I didn't understand how someone could just switch up like that until I felt it myself. There was a mission we went on where he was raped badly. Then he told me about what happened when he was a boy. And I saw in his eyes that broken kid and the power within me just...burned. I ate people alive by the score, crushed them into paste by the goddamn dozens and even when I asked them to surrender or just walk away, part of me begged them not to. Hope told me this power has no conscience. That's its instinct. Boy she was right. What greater instinct does one have to protect one's mate?" Susan asked. "The instinct to protect your offspring. I never fought at the level I did at the battle before that day."

"The metallic smell of blood. The looks on their faces before I cut off their heads. The frozen stars of a Mogwai giantess as I stole her life's breath. Elena's spell boosted my abilities but the movements, the kicks, punches, slashes, swordplay...moves I never found I could master all came into focus. Love is our greatest strength. It's the foundation of our talents" she said standing up in the cup. "And when that what we love is threatened our taken from us..." she said as she used magic to hover up into the air. "We are as vengeful gods of old" she said as milky steam evaporated from her small naked body. Lawan flew into the bathroom and emerged minutes later clean and dry. Susan was deep in thought as she drank the milk. "Susan. I was bathing in that" Lawan said. "I know. Your cute body gives it the right flavors. Do all Asian girls taste that good or should I check and see if it's just the milk?" Susan smirked. "Hmm. It has been some time since I was played with and sucked on. My pussy could use the stimulation as well. I'm willing to..." Lawan was saying before the sound of Kannika whimpering in her crib caught her attention. Lawan floated down and cuddled her. The infant suckled her breastmilk as her mother sighed. "She's sensitive. She can sense the feelings of her father" she muttered.  "I'm not worried about finding her. I'm worried about if we do" Susan muttered. "So am I" Lawan said softly.

Hope sat quietly in her pool chair overlooking the city. Markus had told her about it but seeing was believing. It was ten times the size of the colony and divided into three distinct sections. Humans, gifted humans, and full on magic users. When she arrived, she walked through the first sector, being human sized it seemed totally normal as everything was human scale. That was the advantage of being a magic user...among other things. Three city blocks in total with a population of about 50. The people bowed slightly before her as their master informed them she was coming. The next section she walked into was familiar to her. The people borrower sized as their homes and whatnot of same scale. They bowed on one knee before her sandaled feet. They numbered 1000 or so. But the last section was one that made smile. The houses and buildings were no bigger than matchboxes and those that lived in them had been shrunk to the size of ants.

Humans, they were all humans that had no talent for magics and they numbered over 50,000. Just one step she could crush a hundred easy under her dusty sandaled sole and they prostrated themselves by the shitload seeing the teenage goddess before them. Under his encouragement, she sat on a marble chair in the front of the sector and kicked off her shoes. She didn't have to say a word as they swarmed her pedicured toes to pay tribute to the most powerful Mage on Earth. As that was one of the laws they lived under. Markus explained it to her. The first law was that those with magic ruled over them as they were their betters. Any human found to have magic talent was sent to the second sector no matter what. The second law was no harm was to be done to one human to another. Even the smallest infraction could be met with death. And the third law, magic users may only marry others of their kind as not to overpopulate with those of no talent. While it did cause a bit of concern with Hope (as she was of mixed blood herself) he did say the humans has the easiest of the lot. For as living a life under the thumb of giants and giantesses, they were required of nothing to get by. No work. Everything was provided for them from food and water to entertainment. But curiously, there were some that did work anyway. Shoemakers, dressmakers, bakeries, cafes, basic care doctors. And when asked, Markus replied that they wanted to work as it was part of their identity. But the most astonishing thing of all she noticed that day about them was every race was a member.

Asian, Caucasian, African, middle eastern, Indian, Native American, and of course southeast Asian. Markus had spent centuries combing the world for candidates that would live in his utopia. In fact, some humans cleaning her toes at that moment were descendants of people thought long died off. The Taino, the Etruscans, the people of Rapa Nui just to name a few. A culture of their own making evolving for over 2,000 years. Allowed to keep their religions, Markus made it clear to leave behind the racism, bigotry, and xenophobia of the old world. For if not, death was their reward. Hope sat there most of the day until sundown watching them live their lives like a child observing an ant farm. Hope would pluck up a random person, read their mind, and send them on their way just to get their perspective of it all. So far, she greatly admired what he had made. A macrocosm of what he believed the world should be like. 

Bored, she walked to the human part of the city. Her bare feet walking cautiously down the path. She had accustomed herself to the admiration of them as she passed but the bug sized humans fascinated her most for some reason. Maybe because she saw a side of them she never thought possible. She sat in that chair before them and those close by stopped doing whatever they were doing to clean and worship her feet. "Sorry about the other day. I'm sure my feet were kinda sweaty, but I just swam today so they could be clean" she said smiling. They were still in awe of her looking up in the sky at her smile as they pulled the grit off her rosy soles. "Do you mind if I join you?" a voice asked. Hope turned to see a girl slightly younger than her. Dirty blond hair with hazel eyes wearing a bikini. "Uh...no not at all" Hope replied. The teenage girl shooed the people away clearing the center of that part of town. "It's an honor to meet the Etherion bearer. My name is Cassie Croix but most call me by my code name...Libra" she said. Her eyes went wide as she remembered that rainy night in the Paris airport hangar. "We've met before" Hope hissed.

"Yes...that we have but now officially on better terms. Frankly, I didn't support that operation. Too heavy handed for my taste. Magical talent doesn't mean you get brains too. Aquarius for example. How do you like it here?" she asked. "Markus sent you to check on me?" Hope asked annoyed of her. "No. Took it upon myself. Someone close to my age I was worried you'd feel...lonely" she replied. Hope did feel some anxiety from being away from her father this long. It was three days, but she had never been away from him for even one day. She looked away. Libra sat down in the now cleared square and faced her. "I felt lonely too the first few days being away from my parents" she said patting the street for her to join her. Hope cautiously did. Libra sighed as she took her bikini off exposing her giant body to the people surrounding the square. "A trim below and massage. Get into groups" she commanded. Hope watched curious as over a thousand tiny little humans gathered and began climbing up her thighs to her crotch and then her stomach and b cup breasts. "You should do it too. It's fantastic" she said. Hope followed suit wondering how it would feel to be pampered this much. Both girls stared at the sky as the humans at their crotches began cutting down pubic hairs like trees. Hope couldn't help but giggle as they walked on her belly. She watched contently as they began to rub her skin and tit flesh.

"I was once like them. Tiny, small, a bug until my gifts was exposed" she said. "You were?" Hope asked. "Yes. My parents...my real parents are around here somewhere" she replied. "I'm curious. What's stopping the others from just abusing all these humans? I know they can't oppose us, but I've heard what Lemurians did in the past. It's looks...too tempting" Hope said almost embarrassed. Libra burst out laughing. "Wanna have some fun with them huh? If it puts your mind at ease, here's a few things. First as they have laws, so do us. The candidates of the second sector or three inchers as I call them are absolutely forbidden from arming a single human. As they haven't the skill or training to detect magic, they can't be certain they won't hurt or kill a human who has magical gifts. If one did, it meant death. As for the human sized fully trained ones, well, it's not entirely worth their while. Look at me, there's a thousand of the little guys and that's a lot of people to scan at a time. So no Godzilla rampages. However, they do partake of those living in the second sector. Again, no killing" she said. "No, no humans end up their victims?" Hope asked wary. "I didn't say that. One or two at a time no doubt" she replied. Hope again narrowed her eyes.

"It brings them joy Hope. We fight for their future. And those that die are glorified with adulation and respect. I dare say their families are better off without them. Not buying it? One moment" Libra said. She picked a random person off her crotch. She could see he was an average man of 30 years. Nothing remarkable about him. With not a thought, Libra let the man free fall into her mouth and with a small gulp sent him down her throat. Hope was aghast. "Hear any screams? Crying, wailing? Feel any fear from them?" Libra asked. Hope sat up and looked at the mob. Nothing but pure adulation. "I'm not eating a single one no matter what you say" Hope growled. "Even if they praise you for it? Don't you want to please them? Be loved and not feared?" she asked. Libra sat up and in doing so caused the dozens on her crotch to tumble off onto the ground. She looked for another more specific this time and found one. With a bit of natural magic within her, grew the boy she had chosen to a more pleasurable three inches. She placed him in front of Hope's pussy. Those servicing her found the somewhat giant boy staring at her cunt with a visible erection.

"She's pretty isn't she?" Libra asked. The boy bowed to the ground replying yes. "If you keep bowing, you'll miss the sight of that nice pussy of hers" she said. He raised his head and stared at it. Hope turned and blushed. He went back to bowing asking forgiveness. Hope glanced down at him and found him pretty cute. Slightly tanned with black hair. Probably Greek descent and around 14 years of age. Shorts and sandals with a lose fitting shirt. Before she knew it, Hope had him in her hands. "What's...what's your name?" Hope asked. "Theo" he replied. "Are you scared of me?" she asked. "No! I mean no my goddess" he replied. Her heart skipped a beat hearing him call her that. "You're very cute Theo" she muttered petting him. Her finger pulled off his shirt exposing his bare toned chest. Her eyes saw the tent in his shorts. "You think of me that way?" she asked. Theo had been taught many things as he grew up in this place and one of them was to NEVER lie to a Mage. "...yes" he replied. Gently, she removed his tiny sandals and then his shorts. The boy blushed now naked and being stared at by the giantess.

Hope sniffed him and found his scent pleasing. Theo was enamored by her. He had been around giantesses before, but none had given off that kind of smile. Even as a younger boy cleaning between the toes of Aries or Taurus or any other female zodiac, none had smiled at them that way. A smile of pleasure and satisfaction but not infatuation. And when Hope kissed him, he held his breath. Theo came and was just close enough to have it land on her chin. Hope drew back and wiped the speck off her chin. Theo was embarrassed and horrified at the same time. He had cum on the face of a goddess by a simple kiss. He expected her to crush him in her hand any second but was met with a laugh. Hope nearly fell over laughing. It was heartbreaking for the boy. Hope licked her finger clean and looked down on him. "Do you have more?" she asked. "Wha..." he muttered. "More sperm. Do you have more? It's yummy" she giggled. "You're not mad?" he asked. "Mad? I'm flattered. But please tell me you're not done" she replied. "...uh no" he said. Hope pressed him onto her lips and began sucking his tiny cock.

The boy gasped in shock and awe as her giant tongue touched the tip of his dick. "Don't spurt! Don't spurt!" he thought as he clenched his little butt and tiny toes. Theo held onto her nose concentrating but he was a teenage boy and inevitably came. Three small spurts of semen landed on her tongue. Libra chuckled and laid back down. She motioned for the small humans to service her once more. "Theo?" she asked. "Yes...yes goddess" he panted. "I'm going to fuck you now okay?" Hope asked. The boy could barely give her a nod as she lowered him down.  Hope moaned softly as his feet passed her lips and his body slowly sank in. Hope laid back on the ground and closed her eyes as she used the boy as a sex toy. Libra smiled and with not a care, pushed several shrunken humans who were fine tuning her pubic hair deep in her pussy. Theo was having the time of his life engulfed up to his neck in giantess pussy. And those with Libra were having the LAST time of their lives in her's.

With a good push, Theo went all in. His young life had been prepared for this. Because of their circumstances, children learned of sex at an early age. Unavoidable if you have a naked giantess walking through your town and using the people to get off or groom them. However, Markus had forbidden the mages from harming a child no matter they were gifted or not. The penalty of death awaited one if they did. Practical as they were needed to keep the population growing. But all bets were off as soon as they reached sexual maturity. At the age of 7, Theo learned where babies came from. By 9 he learned what pleases them most. By 12, he began servicing their feet. By 13, he was allowed onto their bodies and fully prepared to pleasure them in any way they wanted...or die in the process if need be. Theo had been lucky in more ways than one on that regard. Everyone in his middle school class had serviced a giantess before but not all had survived the experience. In all the zodiac, two were considered to be wary around. Aquarius and Aries.  

Theo had been cleaning between her toes for over an hour by then as Aries watched them quietly. It was his class' turn that day. "Need a break Theo?" a boy asked. "No, it's not bad this time" Theo replied as he wiped his brow. Aries knew that there were teenage kids between her toes and with a grin scrunched them. Theo barely knew what had happened as the fleshy sweaty walls contracted around him. She shifted her foot ever so slightly that Theo slipped in foot sweat and tumbled backwards. He would’ve fell to his death if not the fact his sandal was caught between where her big toe began and ball of her foot ended. Upside down, he looked to see if his friends were okay. All he saw was blood, drips of blood running down her rosy giant sole. 13 middle school kids were pulped in seconds by a simple scrunch of ten toes.

Aries contented herself in killing the normal humans in that seemed like accidents. A squish under her toes here. Flatten a few under her ass cheek there. Eating some that she "forgot" were polishing her fingernails. There were always a few casualties when she came by. Thankfully that wasn't too often as she had a civilian life outside the island. In fact, most of the time the zodiacs lived in their convers of the world doing his bidding. They only came by during certain times for rest, relaxation, and conferences. But as sinister as Aries was, she couldn't hold a candle to Aquarius. Being the only male, the general attitudes and training didn't apply when it came time for him to show up. And when he did, mass death followed.

As one would imagine, teenagers with no cultural rules forbidding premarital sex would fuck and have babies like no tomorrow. Keep in mind, they were expected to give pleasure to giantesses as young as 13 so sex was very much on their mind. Because of this, Markus had to create a way to curb overpopulation. He called it the culling. Every 10 years, Markus set aside 1000 humans to be exterminated. Humans that had no talent for magic obviously. And guess who volunteered for the job last time. Yep, it was Aquarius. This time last year he had come to do the job with a sadistic grin. Even though they knew they had to bow and respect the giant, they were still hesitant to approach him. That spring, he had laughed as he jerked off towering over them. His semen coming down like deadly slimy bombs by the gallon. The sheer force crushing them when it hit the mob. A few dozen dead but a calculated thing. He surprised them all as he walked right over them avoiding them. His eyes were on a bigger, more satisfying kill.

Theo was in class that day. The Spring semester had begun, and the teacher was busy going over the math lessons when it was announced Aquarius had arrived. They all knew why but what they didn't know was that the classes were segregated due to testing. Now like Libra, young children are tested with the word Adet and failing that are not tested again until later on around the age of 13 with simple spellcraft. As nobody knew everyone's birthday, nobody knew if they had talent or not until the test was taken. Theo's class had teenage kids that had taken the test already, but none knew they were all 13 unless one had the idea of asking. The teachers knew as they knew who asked to move the kids about. The kids began to talk as the rhythmic thuds of giant feet got closer. It was strange that the giant moved so far into the city as plenty of humans for him to kill were out there at the perimeter. It was around that moment Theo had the urge to pee. "Can I go to the bathroom?" he asked. His teacher gave him an odd look and then looked out the window. "...go ahead. Take your time" he muttered. With that, Theo went to the bathroom down the hall.

The entire school creaked with each thud. Theo thought nothing of it as he pissed in the urinal. He washed his hands and began walking back. But when he got near, a loud crash of glass filled his ears and then a shaking boom. Theo was shaken off his feet and fell backwards hitting his head on a wall. His vision was blurry, but he could see through the doorway a giant male face on the outside of a hole he had obviously made. "Alright you little shits. You've been chosen. Start marching in" Aquarius said before opening his mouth and sticking his tongue out. One by one in single file, they marched onto his tongue, walked to the back of his throat, and fell forward. In a span of three minutes, his class of 34 students became lunch. And they weren't the last. Theo didn't know how long he had passed out but when he came to, the entire upper floor had been emptied out. Traces of blood, saliva, and shoes littered the classroom floors. 209 students in all and half of the 8th grade class overall. The sun was low in the sky as he stumbled out of the school. His head still hurt as he walked home.

The streets were clean of blood and bodies, but one could tell people were on edge just trying to find loved ones. Theo made it home to find his mother cooking dinner and his father working on one of his paintings. "About time kiddo. We were winding when you would get home" his father said.  "The great Aquarius paid our school a visit today" he muttered. "That where you got that bump?" his mother asked. He nodded. "He ate all my friends. Would've got me too but..." he said before finishing. "Son. We all have our responsibilities. If you were supposed to be eaten, then you should've been eaten. I'm disappointed in you son" his father said. The guilt and shame followed Theo ever since. And as he sat in his classroom the very next day and saw all the empty seats, he made himself a promise. Whenever a giant or giantess entered their sector, he would be first in line to service them. And today, that promise led him to be fully engulfed in Hope's pussy.

Hope made a squeal as she came. Theo felt the rush of her juices and the crushing sensation of her walls milking his body. And as he felt the touch of death, merciful oxygen filled his lungs. "Theo, you felt so good in there. Come with me" she said holding his soaking wet body. He didn't know what to say. Nobody left the sector unless chosen by magic testing. Not that it was forbidden but the spells protecting them from insects ceased to be beyond the border. And in the first sector a bug sized human was easy pickings for any creature. Most that did leave just to leave never returned. "You done with that already?" Libra asked coming down from her own orgasm. Her fingers coated in juices and blood. "I wish to be alone" Hope replied softly. Hope returned to her room in the mansion sitting on the hill. She still couldn't get used to the quietness and lack of scents from various people. She wanted someone to be with. Someone her body marked for sex and that wasn't Markus at the moment. No, he wasn't even at the house right then anyway as he told her he had to run an errand and wouldn't even be back till tomorrow morning.

"You want to fuck again?" he asked. She shook her head. "I can clean your feet or rub your nipples?" he asked. Again, she shook her head. "Just lay next to me" she finally said. He was confused but he obeyed. Hope began to doze off, but Theo stayed wide awake. He was in the house of a man they considered a god and his goddess slept just a foot away. No way he could sleep under those circumstances. He was pleased he pleasured her so much but inside he felt guilt. He felt for her in a forbidden way. One does not lust for a goddess. Her body was not meant for a lowly normal such as he. He was her plaything, a worshipper, a sacrifice. Love, affectionate love was not sanctioned between such classes. Theo knew all this, but he couldn't help but feel a connection with her.

Elsewhere in San Francisco...

"How did he die?" Markus asked. "Cancer. It was quick" a man replied. Markus looked over the picture in his hands of a man in his 30's. "Thanks for paying for the funeral dad" the man said. "I do this for all my children. It's nothing special" Markus replied. He looked over at two children, both boys watching tv. The pretty Christmas tree lit near them sparkled in the living room.  "I've come for a reason. I have need of my sword" Markus said softly. "Dad. I... I can't. With my wife gone and now my brother, I can't leave the boys behind" he said. "Kevin. You know full well this day may come. I make this known to all my children. By giving you a heads up I do you a service" Markus said. The man hung his head. "Dad please" he begged. "With your older brother...

"By three minutes!" the man yelled. His kids turned to look at him. He weakly smiled. "I never made the rules. Your grandfather did. My eldest son inherits the sword. Out of the 309 children I have living on this Earth, you are the eldest. The curse falls upon you" he said. "It's Christmas Eve" he muttered. "Which is why I give until tomorrow morning. 9 am son. You have until then. Don't think for one second about running. Because if you do..." Markus was saying until the children ran into the kitchen. "Grandpa! Did you bring presents?!" the younger one asked. Markus was quiet for just a moment. "If you close your eyes and don't peep, you'll get your present" he replied. The seven and five-year-old boys clapped their hands over their eyes. With a bit of transmuting magic, he turned the table cover into a medium sized fishbowl. He gathered elements around him to create saltwater to add into it. "No peeking" Markus chuckled. Markus quietly Wilkes the Eye of the World into his hands. He created a portal above Sea World right in San Diego. With some amusement, he reached in and plucked out a fully adult Orca and pulled it through. The two-inch whale thrashed a little in his hand before he dropped it right into the fishbowl. "Okay, you can look now" he said. "Cool! It's a little black and white fish!" the younger one said. "Mammal...it's a mammal Zack" the man muttered. Markus and his son watched the boys trot off with their newest shrunken pet. "And yes, it works on people too. Consider it a word of warning. Now I'll take my leave until tomorrow. I have another matter to attend to" he said standing up. The terrified man watched his father leave.

Markus got into his Tesla P90 and drove away. It barely made a sound as it entered the freeway. It's electric drive pushing it along with only the sound of its tires in his ears. It reminded him of the electric vehicles the Lemurians used so long ago. Efficient, quiet, clean. Just like he preferred all things. The 805 took him to Chula Beach where he had sensed its presence the moment he translocated into the area. Over the centuries, he had vastly improved his magic detection skills and could sense a powerful user as far as 100 miles away. This one stood out like a beacon and was quite curious as to who it belonged too. He followed it until he arrived in front of a shabby rancher home. It was not impressive. However, the cars were not the usual for a low middle-class family. A 73 Corvette in mint condition and a 2015 Lincoln Navigator.

"It's definitely here" he muttered sensing it inside the home. He got out of the car, walked to the front door, and knocked. A woman in her late 30's answered. She eyed Markus. "You from the state?" she asked. "No" Markus replied. She slammed the door in his face. Markus sighed and knocked once again. Again, she answered. "What you want? We don't charity and we aren't Jehovah's Witnesses" she growled. "I'm not interested in you" he said pushing her aside. Markus walked in as she yelled for what appeared to be her husband. "Shabby on the inside too" he muttered as he heard the click of a gun. "You humans and your guns" Markus said snapping his fingers. The gun fell to pieces in the man's hand. She went to dial the police with her cell phone and fell apart as well. "Be a bunch of good humans and stay out of my way" he said walking down the hallway. He stopped at a doorway that had a padlock on it. "In there" he said ripping the door off its hinges. On the floor was a girl no older than 11 years old. Her clothes were dirty, no shoes or socks, her room was a mess, and he her bed was just a mattress with a sheet. She backed away from him as he approached. "No need to fear me little one" he said bending down to her level. As he got close enough, he could see bruises on her cheek and a bit of caked blood on her lip.

"I'm Markus. What's your name?" he asked. "Tracy" the girl whisperer. He went to pet her hair and she looked terrified. "I said I will not harm you" he said. "Bad things happen around me. I don't wanna hurt you" she whispered. "Bad things how?" he asked. She explained that things broke, caught on fire, or somehow grew small or large when she was upset. "Did your parents do this?" he asked pointing to her cheek. "They’re not my parents. They say I'm possessed by the devil. I'm evil” she muttered. Markus pulled together what was going on. They were foster parents and used state checks on themselves not her. It was not shocking a human beat (or worse) a magic user out of fear. He had seen that all through history. "You're not evil. You're gifted. Stand up Tracy" he said. She did and he led her to the dresser mirror. "There are some of us in the world that are given magical gifts" he said. "Magic?" she asked. He rubbed her bruised cheek and when done he pointed out it was healed. With a smile, he transmuted her clothes into a pretty lavender colored dress with matching flats. "Satan! SATAN!" the woman screamed looking at them. Tracy looked terrified of her. With no effort, Markus dragged her into the room with invisible force. "Was it you?" he asked pointing to her cheek. She didn't answer. Markus turned to Tracy who was hyperventilating. "Never be scared of these kinds of creatures. They're beneath you. You are so much more. You're something they can only dream of, fear, or worship" he said. Tracy began to calm down looking at her foster mother with fear in her eyes. This time though, Tracy didn't flinch or hunker on the floor. "She can't harm you Tracy. You have the power to stop her and her husband from hurting you ever again" he said. Tracy began to walk to the woman. Markus held her where she stood.

"What...what should I do?" she asked. "She belittled you did she not? Only fair you belittle her. Just concentrate and wish it. Feel the power in your blood" he whispered. Tracy concentrated. Concentrated harder than she ever had in her life. All the pain and anger welling up inside her. Markus was pleasantly surprised to see a magic array appear faintly in her left eye. "Very impressive" he thought. Tracy held her hand out and the woman began to shrink. She shrank and shrank smaller and smaller until Tracy stopped. By then the woman was no bigger than a crumb of bread. "All I wanted was you to hug me just once. You're nice when the people in suits come but you're so mean anytime else. I hate you!" she screamed as she pulled her right flat off. "Tracy please! I just wanted you to be normal!" the woman squeaked. Tracy couldn't or wouldn't hear her as she raised her big toe over her. "TRACY!" she shrieked before a giant toe powered by all her rage, pain, and fear came crashing down crushing her body into paste. Tracy twisted her big toe over the flattened corpse as tears fell from her eyes. She put her flat back on and stood there staring at what she had done. "I will take you to a place that has people like you. A place where you will be safe and never want for nothing" Markus said taking her hand. He led her out of her room and right in front of the husband who was still reeling from the display of magic before. Tracy looked at him and then the corvette outside. She moved her hand and the car shrank out of sight. "And him?" Markus asked. "Nothing. He's nothing" she muttered.

Markus took her back to his hotel downtown in San Diego. "I can hear your tummy. Take a bath and I'll order lunch" he said. Tracy was wary of this but having not eaten since yesterday and not had a hot bath in even longer time convinced her. She reflected on what she did as she washed in the tub. The power felt natural to her. Crushing that worthless foster mother under her dirty toe elated the girl. But she had so many questions and she wasn't alone in that matter. Markus rarely if ever found someone that naturally gifted and with an array in her eye meant Lemurian blood was exceptionally potent within her. Something that shouldn't be possible naturally. Tracy padded out of the bathroom cautiously until she saw the burger and fries awaiting her. She raced to the table and began wolfing it down. "Easy. Nobody will take your food away" he said. She lowered her head in embarrassment. "Can you tell me about your parents?" he asked. "Mommy was a nurse. Never knew my daddy" she replied. He asked for her name and she gave it. Markus made a note to look it up later.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked. "A beautiful place in Indonesia. A place where you can be you" he replied. He spoke about the city he had created, and she looked upon him curious. "So normal people get shrunk like really tiny?" she asked. "Yes. They are taught to respect us, to revere us, to aid us in any want or wish. In turn they are shrunk to provide space and to enforce our rules on them" he replied. She mused over that. "But we also provide for them. We care for their needs and maintain the harmony of nature" he said. "I don't understand" she said. "You know about climate change, pollution, war and stuff right? We have the power to end all that, but humans must learn we are better than them" he replied. "And if they don't?" she asked. "We make them Tracy. How many other people are out there like your foster mother? Millions? A billion?" he asked. She grew quiet as she finished the last of her fries. "And they're okay with being shrunk? Sounds kinda shitty for them" she said before gasping at cursing. "It's a small price to pay for an easy life. Well, easy as we permit. They do have to comfort us" he replied. She cocked her head curious about that part. "A lesson for another time" he said as he wrote something down. "Tracy. Speak this word out loud" he said. She squinted her eyes. "Adet" she muttered unsure. As soon as she did a familiar artifact appeared. Markus chuckled.

"What...what just happened?" she asked looking at it. "You invoked a very special kind of magic called null magic. It's very rare. Hold that in your hands" he said. Tracy held it and it felt weirdly familiar. "It's called the Bow of Artemis. It used to belong to a friend of mine before she died. Apparently, it found its new master" he said. He had her put the bow down. Markus texted the name of her mother to Aries before turning the tv on. He watched her silently as she watched a Charlie Brown Christmas.

Back in Yorkshire...

Aiden, (the boy who was flirting with Alyssa earlier), was busy rubbing her giant bare feet. They had drunk, partied, ate, and laughed for the last three hours until she complained her feet hurt. Understandable as she wasn't used to walking barefoot on concrete so much. Under Rose's instructions, Alyssa had torn up the shrinking arcane where it was safe to grow back to normal. "Is it working?" he asked. "I didn't say stop" she grinned. He looked at the Ebony giantess from between her toes. "We'd love to have you back you know" he said. "I'd love to have you back" he muttered. "You've known me not even a day" she said. "You made our Rose happy. I know enough just from that" he said. "Your Rose?" she asked. "Rose spent most of her life around us. She a child of two worlds but that day...that horrible day" he muttered. "The day she lost her mother" Alyssa said. "Many lost mothers that day. Father, sons, daughters. We saw how it broke her. It's not an exaggeration to say we deeply love her, and it hurt us to see her that way. Normally, we'd be totally against a human coming here but Rose vouched for you with a smile" he said before stopping on her second toe.

"She was that bad off?" Alyssa asked. "We hid a borrower in her room for a week for fear she would take her own life" he replied. "She seemed like the normal rich girl when she stared the semester" Alyssa said. "Well obviously that wasn't true" he chuckled. Alyssa put her soles flat on the ground. Aiden saw his reflection in her toenails. "What do you know about borrowers when it comes to reproduction?" he asked. "Well uh...they have kids early on around their mid-teens and choose a primary partner but sometimes they have several. Even their own siblings" she replied. "A answer from a textbook" he said. "What else would it be?" she asked. "We decide on many factors. Compassion, kindness, sincerity. Then the physical. Breasts or cock, nice feet, fitness. Their scent" he said. "Why feet. I get the fetish but why is feet that important?" she asked. He sat on the top of her foot. "Your toenails tell me you have a slightly low iron count but the length, sheen, and shape says you're very healthy overall. Your skin is smooth so a good vitamin count. No deformity in the arch, heel, or ball. Good runner if need be" he said. He stuck his head down between her giant toes startling her. "A strong scent" he said. "No shit!" Alyssa said embarrassed and annoyed.

"Don't be angry Alyssa. It's a natural thing and it tells me something about you" he said. She looked away but kept an eye on him as he felt between her toes. "A virgin. Healthy. Ovulating. You drink too much soda" he chuckled. "It's not fair to read into me that way" she muttered. "Do you think every borrower does this to everyone? No, only to the ones we take a liking to" he said. She looked at him once more. "And then the one scent that decides it all. That scent a male looks for at the end" he said. "Wha...what is it?" she shyly asked. The wind changed slightly, and he sniffed the air. "Her womanhood" he replied. She was about to say something until she saw him shedding his clothes. "Aiden...there has to be other girls. Don't do this because I'm black" she said. "You haven't been listening. You hit every mark for me" he said. She looked away again. "Oh. This is because I'm a borrower" he muttered. "No! I just don't see myself hooking a guy this easily. That a guy likes me that way" she said. "Well one does" he said. Alyssa looked around. Embarrassed, she pulled aside her panties. Aiden approached her crotch. "I'm scared Aiden. Scared something might..."

"Shh. Just lay back if you have to" he said. She did and looked at the stars through the dome. She gasped as she felt his hands inside her. Her heart raced as she worried about how she smelled and how much wetness she made. "You're pretty down here too" he said. She felt him start humping her giant pussy. She was so nervous laying down she had to remind herself not to move. "I can't believe I'm losing my virginity to a borrower! Wait, am I? I still have my hymen. I... I don't want to hurt him, but I really want more" she thought. She fought the urge to push him right in. He was a nice boy and was terrified hurting him in some way. When he came, she felt his body stiffen and knew his little seed was entering her. He couldn't get her pregnant, but the thought did cross her mind. She saw in the news borrowers and humans marrying but the size difference kept kids as a fantasy. But if she could shrink to his size, then it could happen. A new avenue of possibly formed in her mind. A new species emerging. And if this species was better fit than humans, how would humans react? Alyssa finally understood the true ramifications magic could have. It wasn't just the obvious worries, but the ones not thought up yet. But her heart wanted Aiden. Rose had told her that racism was a human concept that borrowers didn't ascribe to.

He saw past her skin into her heart. A female, healthy, kind, loving, considerate with a good body, sexy feet, and one that could give him beautiful kids. Alyssa was reminded of the other thing she told her about borrowers. They're passionate lovers who would never betray their mate. That they’d die for them. A devotion that went beyond human understanding, beyond words. Alyssa sat up, her pussy cold from the breeze now but she left it bare. "Aiden?" she asked. "Yes Alyssa?" he replied. "If I loved someone else...would you still love me?" she asked. "Well yeah" he replied. She played with her hair. "Rose right?" he asked. She blushed in embarrassment. "It's hard not to love her. Shit, most boys grow up wanting her. She has a way of bringing that out" he chuckled. "It's just she felt so fragile in my hands. I felt this urge to protect her" she said. "That's how it starts" he smiled. "And because she's a friend and a girl you felt it was weird?" he asked. "YES!" she replied. "She's more open minded than you think. Give it a try" he said. "But what about you?" she asked. "Me and my penis isn't going anywhere...unless you don't really want me" he muttered.

Alyssa yanked him off his feet and gave him a wet sloppy kiss all over his face. "Shit! I didn't hurt you, did I?" she asked. He pointed to his hard dick. "Don't think so" he chuckled. He shivered in the breeze. Alyssa cleaned shim with her shirt and tucked him underneath letting his small head poke out at the collar. She laid back on the ground looking at the stars. "You heart is beating really hard" he said. "I have a small naked boy between my tits. Yeah it's beating hard" he muttered. "If I fall asleep it's not because I'm bored with you. You're very...relaxing" he said snuggling against her soft bra. 

Keith had awoken and walked to control. "Have you found anything yet?" he asked. They were startled by his sudden appearance. "We just dumped the cell tower for Jakarta. One moment sir" one said. He could see them looking haggard. "We've been working slowly east" one explained. "I appreciate it" he mumbled. "A hit! I got a hit! Two and a half days ago. And...it moved outside the city to another tower. He didn’t take off from there" the first one said. "Jakarta?" he asked. "Was Jakarta. He left the island. Nothing else from there" she said. "What’s the search parameters?" he asked. They looked it over and gave him a solemn look. "It would take months of searching. The archipelago has over 17,000 islands. I'm sorry sir" she replied. "You did what you could. Go home and be with your families" Keith said before leaving. Keith walked to Joseph's room. "I need you to send me to a particular place and wait for me" he told the old man sipping tea. "For what purpose?" he asked. "There's something I need there. Do it" he said coldly. "Now?" Joseph asked. "NOW!" he yelled. Joseph made a translocation portal for the place Keith had in his mind and watched him step right through with no protection and all.

Susan gently sang Silent Night to her as she closed her eyes. Her hands rubbed Ruby's foot slowly. Her fingers pulling on her toes her hand placed next to the length of her foot. Susan took notes in her mind. Her second toe was longer than the big one. Her arch was slightly flat. The ball of her foot slightly calloused. 1.12 centimeters from heel to second toe. Slightly sweaty but understandable as she was going through sexual maturity. Susan could smell her pheromones. She stopped as she heard the girl slightly snoring and kissed her forehead. Exiting the gingerbread house Ruby slept in, Susan grew back to her normal size and gathered the materials to make Ruby's Christmas gift.

Aluminum, rubber, vinyl, silver, and Egyptian cotton cloth sat on the living room floor. Susan concentrated and began using magic to make what she envisioned. The base dress was easy enough and went about the shoes. Rubber for soles, vinyl for the base form. Stitching them together was easy enough and then a foam insert. Carefully, she sculpted the insole with a curving arch to support her daughter's feet. Once done she did it again for another shoe. Susan shrank down to the size of a grain of sand and literally walked the length of the inside of the shoe. The stitching was good, the insole supportive, and carefully she made holes in the roof of the cavernous little shoes for Ruby's feet to breathe. Susan hopped out and restored her size. Now came the truly had part.  Everything else was a warmup. Susan opened her windows letting in fresh air before using her magic to rip the aluminum foil into thousands of tiny pieces. She created a orb of compressed air around the collection of aluminum and began to heat it up. Higher and higher the temperature and pressure went. Susan began to strain. As much as this was a labor of love, it was also a test of her control. The orb of heat and pressure had surpassed the safe zone and if it failed would kill her and Ruby for sure, but Susan had no plan to fail. She was stubborn that way. And then it happened. What she wanted occurred. A chemical reaction. Susan cooled the orb down to safe limits and let what she made sparkle in the light. Thousands of little rubies. *

(Authors note: Rubies are made of aluminum oxide and created under extreme heat and pressure)

Using her magic, she pulverized the rubies into smaller, much smaller pieces and held it in suspension. Turning her attention to the silver, he pulverized it as well and coated the dress and shoes with it. Dropping the friction to zero, the cotton and silver merged. Susan coated the still malleable silver with the rubies until both the dress and shoes gleamed with it. Susan was proud of her work. A perfect blend of magic and science. The irony of a woman who spent years blind creating such a work of art wasn't lost on her. She rested on the sofa for a moment looking at her pajamas she wore. Thin cotton with roses on it. A gift from Claire and Aspen earlier that evening after dinner. She looked at her feet which had socks on them. Lilies. A gift from Lily last year. She missed people that eve. People she never though would leave her life. And then she remembered someone. Someone she could have spent Christmas with them who was once lost. Susan opened a portal, inexperience was surpassed by sheer love and desire and made it possible. She stepped through.

She staggered for a moment from the stress of the magic. And then she caught his scent. She followed it and the sound of a tv into the living room. In a love seat sat a sleeping giant clutching a photo. Susan hopped onto the coffee table. Her heart beat faster looking at her father as it seemed surreal to see him again. His cheek was stained with tears as he snored. The photo fell from his hands and she looked down at it. Him, her mother and foster father, and herself when she was 11 years old. Christmas 2005, the last one they all spent with one another. "He must've been thinking back to then" she thought. "Daddy! Daddy wake up!" she yelled. Nothing. "WAKE UP!" she screamed. Tim awoke rubbing his eyes. He glanced at her. "Too much wine" he muttered closing his eyes. "I SAID WAKE UP!" she screamed. He opened his eyes. "S... Susan?" he asked. "Hi daddy!" she beamed as she hopped onto his knee. "What're you doing here...and in pjs?" he asked. "I came to bring you to my house for Christmas" she replied. "That wasn't necessary" he said. "Yeah. Yeah I think it is" she said pointing to the photo.

"Oh. I didn't want to bother you" he said. "You're not a bother. You're my daddy" she said. He placed her in his palm and petted her head. "It's good to see you" he said. She could see fresh tears in his eyes. "Pack your stuff. We're going to my place" she said. "Now? Honey I got things going on and it's 8:00 on Christmas eve. It would be insane to try to fly out now" he said. "Who said anything about flying?" she smirked. "Is this some magic thingie?" he asked. She chuckled. "You get to meet your granddaughter" she said. That caught his attention more. "You never said you have a child" he said. "Adopted not long ago. What do you say?" she asked. Over the years he regretted the missed opportunities with Susan especially around Christmas. Just her surviving and entering his life again was a blessing to him. Tim was not about to make the same mistakes again. "Wait here" he said leaving the room. Tim returned 20 minutes later with a suitcase. "Stand there" she said hopping onto the floor. She touched his shoe and he and his suitcase began to shrink.

Tim watched as the world grew around him. He had been shrunk before by her but still marveled at it. Once done she created a portal home. "Don't be scared" she said taking his hand. Tim followed her through. "Jesus!" he said looking around. He was expecting something makeshift and cobbled together not the sight of a well-furnished and practical home. "I'm still small right?" he asked. "Yep. Just a smudge under three inches. Did you want anything? Cocoa, tea, juice, or a sandwich?" she asked entering the kitchen. Tim's jaw hit the floor seeing an actual working fridge, sink, plates, utensils, and electricity. "How?" he asked looking around now at her tv and leather sofa. "Shrinking magic and good engineering. Lily really knew what she was doing. You should see the upgrades Keith made to the city" she said. She staggered and Tim caught her before she fell. "Honey you don't look so well" he said. "I'm okay. Just been using a lot of magic tonight. Those portals and that high-grade shrinking spell on you didn't help much" she chuckled. He had her lay down on the sofa.

"You granddaughter is in the gingerbread house over there" she said pointing to it on the living room table pushed to the side. "In? Like inside?" he asked. Susan nodded. Time walked over to it and lifted the roof off. He chuckled in amazement. "Cutest thing you ever saw right? Like you just want to eat her right up" Susan snickered. Tim straightened Ruby's covers before returning her roof. "So, they offer borrower adoptions, or you did it in house?" he asked sitting on the sofa at her feet. "All legal. She had nobody else. Her parents died years ago, and a mission went south and she...well I couldn't just do nothing" she said. "Mission? What mission?" he asked. Susan thought over telling him. "I work for a secret agency that keeps magic away from humans. Keith is my boss not my boyfriend even though I carry his child" she said. Tim's eyes went wide. "There more. A lot more" she said.

Susan told him everything in the span of an hour. Everything. "I need a drink" he muttered. "Open the doors underneath the bookcase" she said. Tim opened it and got a glass and poured some scotch. He looked at her books and found it odd as they had no names. He pulled one. "Braille?" he asked. "A human blinded me when I was 12. Just got my sight back this summer" she said. Tim downed the drink in one gulp and poured another. "Why tell me all this stuff? Death gods. Magic battles for the future of humanity" he said. "What's coming I don't know if I'll survive. I already lost one cherished friend and I don't want to go to God with regrets. You have no idea what we're up against" she said sniffling. Tim could see the fear in her eyes. Tim put the glass down and pulled her socks off. Silently, he rubbed her feet. Susan began to breathe easier. "Hope my feet don't smell. They've been sweating more lately" she muttered. "Shh" he muttered. Susan watched him methodically use his thumbs to kneed her soles and fingers to pull on each toe. "You have your mothers’ feet. She had long toes too. I would rub them when she had anxiety attacks the first few months, we worried ZOADIC was still looking for us. She would have that same goofy grin you have and when I would...ahem" he coughed. "Lick them?" she asked. He blushed beet red.

"Don't be embarrassed. It's not as sexual for my kind. It's a bonding thing. When someone worships our feet, it connects them in a loving caring way" she said. Tim paused thinking on that. Tim shrugged and began sucking her toes one by one. "Thanks daddy" she muttered. He only did it for a few minutes as his human upbringing played with his emotions. He was happy he did though as it did remind him of Mary her mother. Even the taste was similar. "Daddy?" she asked. "Yes munchkin?" he replied. "I want a Christmas gift from you. Don't worry It's very simple gift. I want you to hold me in your arms till I fall asleep" she said. He was about to ask if she was sure as he wanted to do more for her as a gift. He chose not to as he remembered what she has truly lost. He himself would’ve given almost anything just to hold them in his hands once more...even Teagan. Tim plopped her in his lap, and she snuggled into his neck. "I love you daddy" she muttered. She felt his tears fall on her head.

Susan had fallen asleep not long after from the stress of magic and her worries. Tim carried her to her room which he found was not the dirty, smelly socks one, and tucked her into bed. "Merry Christmas honey" he said kissing her forehead. He went back downstairs and laid on the sofa. "Thanks" he said looking above.

In San Diego...

"We confirmed her mother is Amanda Grayson. Tracing her history, we found she lived in Berlin for a while and then suddenly moved to San Diego in March 2006. She was killed in car accident almost a year ago. Nothing on Tracy's father" Aries said. "Berlin?" he asked. "Yeah. Market manager for German Telekom around that time" she replied. "Good work. I can take it from here" he said. "But what about the father? If we knew that it could explain how Lemurian blood is so strong in her" she said. "No need. I'm her father" he said before ending the call. He looked at Tracy as she swished her bare feet to and fro watching tv. "I should've seen this. She has my nose and ears" he muttered as he thought back to her mother.

June 2005. Berlin. He was in town on business. He needed Telekom to begin including iPhones onto their cellular networks for his plan to really work*. A plan that would come into play just before the Great Alignment. He met with their marketing manager, Amanda Grayson, and made it clear that he had powerful friends that could delay the competition once the Apple contract ended. It was a win for both of them. He took her to his hotel to celebrate, fucked her, and went on his merry way. Wasn't the first time and thankfully he didn't need to threaten her. He didn't know that one night impregnated her with his child.

(Authors note: by this point in time iPhones were mostly limited to the carrier AT&T. Once the exclusive contract ended, it was carried by everyone else including German Telekom or by their more well-known name T-Mobile)

"I know where you get your magic from" he said. She looked at him curious. "From your father" he said. "You know who my dad is?!" she asked. "Me. I knew your mother when she lived in Berlin" he said. She was shocked beyond belief but found no reason to doubt him.  He knew her mother lived in Berlin which was not common knowledge. She began crying. "You're disappointed?" he asked. "NO! I always wanted to meet my daddy!" she yelled. Markus climbed into bed. "Well you got your wish" he said kissing her hair. She didn't want to let go of him. He petted her hair and she calmed down enough to let go. "Will I be good at magic like you?" she asked. "Like me? Maybe one day. You're my daughter after all" he said. She immediately began asking questions about all kinds of magic. Tracy, having been through what she had, had a desperate need for approval. She saw getting that through being good at magic. "Shh...being good at magic begins at one simple thing" he said. "And what's that?" she asked. "Sleep" he muttered. She chuckled and snuggled into him. "Merry Christmas dad" she said. "Merry Christmas Tracy" he said back.

A few hours earlier...

"Sorry to wear you out so much but you're such a nice fuck" Hope said wiping her juices off his face with her finger. "As long as you're happy" Theo said clearing his eyes. "Aw. Ain't that sweet" a voice said from behind. Hope spun around in her beach chair and was about to smile until she realized who it truly was. "Decided to show yourself?" Hope asked. "Well I've been slightly busy training. Gotta stay in shape" Mirror Susan smiled. "And here I thought you avoided me because you're scared of me" Hope said. "Hardly. You lack experience to be a threat" she said coldly. With a gesture, Susan willed Theo into her hands. "D... don’t you hurt him!" she growled. "Nice chest. Sizeable cock for his size. A good specimen and is that a hint of arousal underneath the smell of your pussy?" Susan asked sniffing the boy. She looked at Hope whose eyes glowed with contempt. "You're not attached to him, are you? There’re thousands of the little playthings. Speaking of..." she said pulling her beach bottoms aside. Dangling out of her cunt was a shrunken teen boy around 15. He wasn't moving. She pulled him out. "You done already?" she asked shaking him. Susan scoffed and tossed him into her mouth. She swallowed him whole with no remorse.

"The best ones are around 17 or so. The older ones in their 20's or 30's cum twice or three times a day but they last longer when you jam them up in there. And the young ones like 14 or so cum 6 times a day and their semen tastes much better but they die easily inside you. Yeah. 17 is the sweet spot. You got some life left in ya. Go inside" she said lowering him down. Susan slapped her hand to her cunt but oddly found no wriggling boy. Hope had Theo in her hand. She had translocated him at the last moment. "I think you should go back into the house for you own safety" Hope said to her. Susan laughed and showed her right hand. Theo was in it. Hope glared at her own hand to see an illusion disappear. "Inexperienced. How disappointing you are. I've yet to see anything impressive from you but I did hear something interesting. It's it true you restored a borrower to life once? Show me what that looks like" Susan said. Before Hope could say or do anything, Susan crushed Theo in her fist.      

It had been a clear starry night until she got pissed. Clouds began to form overhead. Susan felt a strange suction on her hand as Theo's blood, guts, and pulverized flesh and bone was gathered in the air. Susan watched in morbid curiosity as Hope restored his form. The bones knit and connected. Organs made whole and systemic. Blood, muscle, sinew and tendons. The brain sealed in his now intact skull. Finally his skin. And with a glare shoved his retrieved soul back into his body. He lived once more. "Now that's impress..."*KATHOOOM! *

Susan was blown clear off her feet right into the ocean water. Hope stood there with a single finger pointed into the air. She had commanded lightning to strike her with but a gesture. "I'm so sorry" Hope muttered to the boy. There was a weird sound and Hope found Susan's hand crushing her throat. "Make a gesture. I dare ya" she smiled. "ENOUGH!" a voice yelled.  An ethereal man in Ancient Greek armor separated them. Hope looked to the side to see a young woman with white robes that stopped above her bare feet. Her hair was pitch black, her eyes chestnut, and her skin the color of wet sand. "We were just playin'. No need to call out your Orion of whatever he is" Susan said. "That was no play. You've been itching to show your power off in the face of the Etherion user to gain further favor of our lord. You will not take me as your fool. As for you Hope, there are other ways to deal with an adversary other than striking them down where they stand. There's something to be said about watching them squirm or suffer" Taurus said. "She had it coming" Hope hissed. "I didn't say otherwise. Away with you Susan" Taurus said. Susan sucked her teeth and walked back to the mansion.

The ethereal Orion vanished leaving Hope and Taurus alone. "Is the human alright?" she asked. "Thanks to me" Hope muttered. Taurus motioned for her to sit beside her on the concrete steps leading onto the beach. "Are you good at worshipping feet?" she asked Theo who was still shaken by the ordeal. "Y... yes" he muttered. She motioned for Hope to put him down. "Then make us feel good" she said. Taurus smirked as he went right to Hope's giant toes first. "You going to say something about having him too?" Hope asked. "No. I have a dedicated group of humans I care for. Many of whom I was their first real fuck. I see nothing strange for caring for one" she replied. "So, you don't kill them?" Hope asked. "I do for criminals and those that ask to die by me" she replied. "Wait. Ask?" Hope asked. "Some desire it. To die under your feet. To be smothered by your ass. To be devoured and use their bodies as your nourishment" she replied. Hope recalled Libra saying something similar. Hope looked at Theo who was licking between Taurus's toes.

"Don't stay out too long. Even Etherion users need rest" Taurus said standing up suddenly. Taurus surprised her by kissing her cheek. "Merry Christmas if you're into that" she said before walking away. Hope sighed and stood up. She began walking back to the human sector. "Have I displeased you?" Theo asked. "Of course not. I'm just...having to understand strange things is all" she replied. Hope shrank herself to her natural borrower size while Theo kept his enlarged state as they entered. They were still a giant and giantess compared to the humans there. Theo acted as if just being like that was wrong as people still on the streets stared at teenage naked giant. "Yes, it feels that way" she said. He looked at her. "What was on your mind. I could do anything to them" she said. "Forgive me. Only the gifted can indulge" he said. "Is it true what she said? That some of you just give your lives up willingly to make us happy?" she asked. "Well yeah. It's a small price to pay to keep all of us safe" he replied. "Theo. Pick someone you like" she said suddenly. Theo shrugged and randomly chose someone. He bent down and plucked a young woman right off the street. She bowed in his hand facing Hope. Hope felt no magic from her, so she was free game. "Wha...what do you wish of me goddess?" she asked surprised by the personal encounter.

"You want to make me happy right?" she asked. "Absolutely!" the woman replied. "Take off your clothing" Hope said. The woman shucked her clothing letting it fall to the street below. "Let him eat you" Hope said. "Yes milady" she said. Theo raised his hand to his mouth while glancing at Hope. Hope probed the woman's mind in the meantime. If she caught just a whiff of fear, she would call it off immediately. She was shocked as there was none as she placed her bare feet on his outstretched tongue. She crawled into his mouth and once in Theo closed it. Hope was taken aback that not only she wasn't afraid, she welcomed it. "I really hope she's happy. I hope this brings a smile to our new goddess. Please be hap..." *GULP*

Theo felt her pulled down his throat and land in his belly with a plop. He had eaten in several hours and as a growing boy, he was quite peckish. It only took a minute for his stomach acids to begin its work. As Theo smacked his lips savoring the taste of his first human, Hope was still connected to the woman. She could feel her pain as her skin blistered and peeled. She wasn't afraid, she didn't curse her fate, she welcomed it. She screamed in pain and delight as it ate into her muscles and meat. Her voice barely registering over the giant's heartbeat and gurgle of his stomach. Hope broke the connection as it became too harsh. "Did I do something wrong? Did I eat her to quickly for you?" he asked seeing the confusion in her eyes. "No. It's fine. It's actually fine" she said strangely. She held his hand as the two walked to his home. It was curious for him seeing his neighborhood this way. Kids he knew staring at his giant naked form. But most importantly the fact he was alive. The gossip of him being taken had spread even in just a day. The thuds of their bare feet at the door of his house had stirred his mother and father to come out.

"He's alive...and huge!" his mother thought. Both bowed before Hope. "He's alive...again. Why?" his father thought. Hope read their minds and found his father not exactly to her liking. "Has he displeased you goddess?" he asked. "No" Hope replied. "He has done something. It's unnatural to keep one alive and at that size no less. The boy is causing trouble" he thought. "Why would you think that?" Hope asked. The mother looked at him disparagingly. "Nothing your grace! Just surprised to see him this way is all" he spat out quickly. Hope searched deeper as she saw Theo looking slightly upset. What she saw angered her. The man was actually disappointed his son was alive. He was exceptionally pleased when he heard his was taken but seeing returned alive made him anxious. Was it such an odd thing for one to come back alive if taken? Taurus said she had an entire stable of worshippers that she indulged in and kept alive if need be. Hope felt the eyes of others on them. The giant boy scrunched his toes nervous of his father.

"Make me understand why you feel displeasure seeing your child alive" she commanded. "I... I’m not displeased. I'm just..." he muttered. "You're right. You're not displeased. You're annoyed" she said coldly. The man ran to her feet and kissed her toes in subservience. "I've angered you! Forgive this lowly human!" he cried. She watched the tiny man kiss her toenails, but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the neighbors. Hope now realized the underlying problem. He wasn't angry Theo was alive. He was embarrassed that he was. Embarrassed as he believed others would judge them as being...worthless. Humans that didn't please their masters were useless in their eyes. And a useful human was one that died to pleasure their master. If you were taken you were expected to be either a smear under their foot or ass, or a nice meal within a day or so. Only Taurus kept her's alive till an extent. They accepted that unusual quirk from her, but Hope was the ultimate Mage. And as such their lives were forfeit for her pleasure the moment they were born. Hope saw that his pride meant more than his son.  

Hope made a grin as she saw to remedy the problem her way. "You want to please me? Make me really happy?" she asked. "Yes anything!" he yelled up to the giantess. "Take off your clothes. You're going to be eaten" she said. The man hurriedly stripped naked before her smiling the entire time. The people he saw watching him nodded which only fueled his ego. "Goddess! I'm ready to be eaten by you!" he yelled jumping up and down. "Who said anything about me doing it?" she said. "Aha...wha?" he muttered. Hope picked him up away from her feet and placed him right in the hands of his giant son. "But...but I thought you were going to eat me" he said to her. Theo smiled down at his father. "No silly. I want Theo to do it. You want to make me happy right?" she asked. He nodded. "Then let your son eat you alive" she said. "...okay" he muttered. Theo brought him to his mouth. "Bye dad" he muttered. "Take care of your..." he said before being tossed into his mouth. Theo sucked on his for a few moments just enjoying his movements before swallowing him alive.

He landed in his belly in pitch darkness. Something squishy and hard bumped into him. He didn't know it was the half-digested corpse of a woman. His own son had eaten him alive. A son he had been ashamed of since he survived a culling was now breaking down his body for calories, minerals, and nutrients. His pride was in question. He fulfilled the wish of his goddess but was consumed by a lowly human. He succumbed to his fate not knowing what to make of it. A punishment Hope figured was ideal. Hope pulled Theo into an embrace and roughly kissed him. The crowd was stunned. "Don't worry. You'll see plenty more of me. After all, you have something I want" she said. She touched his heart and her hand traveled down and squeezed his cock. With a gesture, she shrank him down to fit the size of the others. Theo watched her walk away and he entered his home. He sat in his father's chair. "That's your father's..."

"Was. He did his duty" Theo said cutting her off as he pat his stomach. His mother didn't say anything else and quietly sat down to finish her book.

Hope was quite content with herself as she walked back. The crowds in the street bowing as she proceeded. She chose a random person, a man and tore away his clothing as she sang to herself. With barely a concern she shoved him into her mouth. It was the first time she truly got a taste of a human. Before, she got some licks and whatnot but their entire naked sweet and salty body? She found it delicious. And then she felt the man toss himself down her throat. As she walked again, her pussy juice dripped on the street and anyone close by as the wind shifted. She found her first taste...enticing. "Have a holly jolly Christmas. It's the best time of the year..." she sang as she left their area.

Markus looked at his Rolex. "It's time" he muttered. "Can I come?" Tracy asked. "If you want but don't interfere" he replied. Markus stepped out of the Tesla and walked to the door.  A barrier stood in his way. "Honestly" he muttered and he pushed right through braking it easily. A barrage of curse spells littered the door itself which was literally swatted away. Markus knocked. There was no answer. "Son. I know you're there. Your wards were amusing but this is not. Open the door" he said coldly. The door opened. Markus pushed right past the man who was followed by Tracy. "Dad please" he whined. "It's 9:03 am" Markus said. The man looked at him and then Tracy. Markus sat on the sofa in the living room. "Hi kids" he said. "Merry Christmas grandpa!" they yelled putting down their new toys to hug the man. Tracy sat next to him. "This is Tracy. Your auntie" he said. "But she's a kid!" one yelled. "And yet still your aunt" he corrected. The father stared at Tracy. "She's my sister?" he asked. "And 100 times more powerful than you. She's adept at shrinking spells already" he replied. Tracy smiled and tapped the toes of her shoes at being praised.

"Whatever he told you, whatever he promised, it won't do you any good. His children are tools to him. Nothing else" he said to Tracy. "Oh? I gave you a choice like all the other children. Forgo this life and live with me. Live in my city and even with no gifts live like royalty" Markus said. "I was 10 years old! You asked me to leave my brother, mom and who I thought was my dad! What kind of kid could make that decision?!" he yelled. "She did" Markus said pointing to Tracy. "I did right by you, or have you forgotten San Diego State University 2002? What was her name? Annie? Carrie?" Markus asked. "Mary. Mary Becker" his son said quietly. "You see Tracy. While your brother here doesn't have the gift of natural magic, he does have a way with arcane. I taught him a few things when I came to check on him around his freshman year in high school. A few simple spells that he used to get an athlete scholarship. Got a full ride at state for it. But he let it go to his head and got into some trouble."

"There was this girl he liked, and she spurned him. Out of a bruised ego, your brother here shrank her and hid her in his dorm. A missing person report was filed and soon the cops came to him as she was last seen at a party with him. I came into town and helped him dispose of her, glamoured the cops, and he got off scot free. You went on to graduate top of your class, find a nice girl, and have this family. All because of me" Markus said coldly. His son had nothing to say. "Nothing in life is free son. Nothing" he muttered. His son hugged his kids asking if they had a good Christmas. They smiled and said yes hugging him back. He held them close. "I have a schedule to keep" Markus said. "Kids. Go play in your room and say goodbye to your grandpa" he said. The kids said bye and walked to their room with their toys.

"They'll be all alone. They don't have anybody after me" he said. "I already made arrangements for them to be looked after. They even have a trust fund" Markus replied. He had his son stand up. "Will it hurt?" he asked frightened. "I will make it so it won't" Markus replied. His hand began to glow as the magic energy around it formed an edge. "I'm sorry" he said plunging his hand into his chest. Markus blocked the pain receptors as he tore through his insides. Blood seeped onto the floor as the next part of the spell took form. "Return to your master Ea" he commanded. He felt the hilt emerge in his son's body and he pulled back. Impossibly, the sword began to come out of his body as the summon spell warped space within it. And then he held it in his hand. "Hello old friend" he muttered looking at the crimson stained blade. Markus used his free arm to gently place his son on the floor. Markus stored his sword away before bending on a knee. He couldn't speak but he did see sadness in his father's eyes. Markus removed a lock of hair from him. "When it's all over, I will ask my mistress to give you back your life. It may take many years for we will have much to do but for now, rest. Rest Cameron" Markus said. His son went still as the last of his life ebbed away. Markus cleaned it all up and his son looked as if simply passed out on the floor. He touched Cameron's head and a brief pulse of magic left his fingertips. "There. It will appear as an aneurysm to the humans" he muttered. Tracy had not moved from where she stood the entire time. "You killed him" she muttered. "A curse was put on my family very long ago to hide my sword away from me. I did only what had to be done" he replied. "If things were different, would you have killed me too?" she asked. "Without hesitation" he muttered. She was about to say something to him until he turned to face her. Markus was crying. "One of the things about being powerful is doing what needs to be done. Not doing only what's convenient. The world is in the mess it's in because of the latter. Come Tracy. Time to return home" he said. Tracy followed him out and watch him pause to look at the home. He said nothing and then walked to the car. He was quiet all the way to the airport and onto the private jet.

In Yorkshire...

Keith sipped his coffee as he rested. Early, he watched as those he loved unwrapped gifts. Aspen got a photo necklace of her grandmother. Claire got a porcelain tablet with her son's feet and handprints. Lawan an elegant silk dress. The infant’s toys and clothes. Keith thought back to Hope's gift which sat under the tree untouched. He hung his head as he sat at the kitchen table. "Sir? You're not with the others?" a maid asked after climbing onto the table. "I don't think I would be good company" he muttered. "Because of your daughter?" she asked. He glared at her and the little borrower maid squeaked. "...yeah" he replied. She turned to leave. "Sorry for glaring at you. I 'm just not in a good place" he muttered. "Need anything sir?" she asked. Keith wiped his eyes. She patted his finger as his hand rested on the table. "Shouldn't you be with your family?" he asked. "...they died last summer. Stray fire bolt" she replied. "Aren't you lonely?" he asked.

"Sometimes but the staff feels like my family you know?" she replied. Keith grinned at the 17-year-old girl staring up at him. "Yeah I do know. I feel very...strong about keeping you all safe" he said. He suddenly placed her on his shoulder and walked out of the kitchen. He headed to the west wing of the mansion where some of the maids lived. Most lived in the city, but a few did live in the mansion. Most were those who preferred to be human sized for one reason or another. There were 32 maids total but only 8 were human sized. They were divided into four groups with a human sized maid responsible for the others. The human sized ones were referred to as sisters by the small ones. So it was natural for them to see the others as a kind of family. Keith entered one of the rooms. "Nina! What have you done this time?" the human sized sister asked closing as book. "Not a thing. Are you busy?" he asked. "Uh no. Just reading some Charles Dickens" she said. Keith placed Nina on the floor. He shocked them by shrinking down.

"I need someone to talk to about something serious" he said. "But why us?" Nina asked. "Because if you think I'm a monster it won't bother me that much. I barely know you. No offense" he said. The giantess sat down on the floor. Her sweatpants were slightly loose as well as her shirt. Her feet were bare as she crossed her legs. "Helen right?" he asked her. "Yeah that's right" the giantess replied. Keith walked over to her and rubbed her giant toenail. Helen didn't move but she was nervous. "Helen. If protecting those you loved meant doing a terrible thing, would you do it?" he asked. "Terrible as in?" she asked. "Killing defenseless people" he replied. Helen stretched out her legs and curled them encircling the small Keith. "Sounds like you have something you want to get off your chest" she said.

"We tracked Hope to Indonesia but there's thousands of islands she could be in. I needed a way to find out and there's an artifact that lets you know anything anyone else knows" he said. "Sounds too good to be true" Nina muttered. "Yeah. All it costs is your fucking sanity" he said. "And what else?" Helen asked. Keith looked up at her. "The place wasn't uninhabited. Thousands of drugged out gremlins lived there. Gremlins that had the taste for flesh. An entire population of cannibals" he replied. "They don't sound too innocent to me" Nina said. "Nina. Their island is devoid of animal life. Half the plants are poisonous. They had to be that way. They had families, shops, trade, religion, and love. And I used it all against them" he said.

"What did you do sir?" Helen asked. "I came in there like some giant monster. I set their army on fire. Demolished their buildings. Crushed their mobs. And...and ate their loved ones as they watched. Shock and awe. Shock and awe" he muttered. The girls were silent. "You see I needed them to surrender out of sheer fear to give me what I wanted. It was the best way. My...my goddamn knees hurt from the stomping. I even slipped and fell because so much fuckin' blood and guts were on the street. But I got what I wanted. Their elder came out holding the artifact after begging me in broken English to have mercy. But through it all there was one thing that horrified me the most" he said.

"What...what was it?" Nina asked. "...I had an erection" his voice said cracking. Helen brought her feet together trapping Keith between her soles. "Helen!" Nina yelled. Keith said nothing. "So that's what's bothering you" she said. "I felt pleasure from it. I ate a young girl's mother right in front of her and I smiled" he said looking at the giantess. Her warm giant soles pressed on his body. "You didn't come here seeking our approval. You wanted to be punished" Helen said releasing him. "Punished?" Nina asked. "Why else would he shrink himself and not say a word when I used my feet to squeeze him?" Helen asked. "Sir...Keith. I know what it's like to do bad things for what we considered the greater good. We think of casualties in war by the way of how many died but we don't think of their minds, their souls. They have a name for it. The casualties of conscience. "In times of war the law falls silent" she said. "A Roman saying" Keith muttered. "Yes. A few years ago, I was a... comfort pet for humans. I was kept in a mental ward for American soldiers with PTSD."

"One day I was given to a soldier that came back from Afghanistan. I remember those eyes of his. Pretty hazel eyes but vacant. The first day he just stared at me. Then as each day passed, he would pet me longer and longer not saying a word. His hands were so gentle. His fingers would rub my little feet. Play with my hair and even though I was supposed to be his pet, I came to have feelings for him. And then one day there was an accident. He sneezed as he stroked my leg and broke it. I screamed in pain and the look on his face I'd never forget. Like that last best part of him died. The next day I heard he hung himself with his own bedsheet. As I healed, I heard the story about how he drone striked an ISIS leader riding in a big truck. Turns out he wasn't alone as his entire family was riding in the back. His wife, sister, father, two daughters and three sons. The higher ups knew this beforehand but decided it was too good a target to let slip away. The soldier was horrified when he found out but what made it worse was he got a commendation for the strike".

"See Keith. Like you he sought some kind of punishment for himself and when he grew attached to me an hurt me...well the proverbial straw as they say. My advice is this. Make it worth it. Make it count" she finished saying. "And the erection I had? What's that say about me?" he asked. "That you're not perfect. Welcome to the club" Helen replied. She pivoted her foot on her heel over him. "Now do you still want to be suffocated under my sole?" she asked. "No thanks. Still got things to do" he replied. Helen and Nina watched him leave the room. "I feel bad for him. Will he be okay?" Nina asked. "That's up to him. But I see the allure of him. You just want to hold him he seems so gentle hearted" Helen said. Helen wiped a tear away. "Are you..."

Helen picked the girl up suddenly and laid back on her bed. She placed her on her chest and petted her. "I'm sorry. Just bad memories" she muttered. "So, I'm your comfort pet?" Nina asked. "A precious sister" Helen replied stroking the small girl.

Keith ended back in his room still shrunk holding the signet. He pulled his shirt off and prepared himself. "Time to find out where you are" he muttered as he slipped the breastplate shaped Signet of Tantalus onto his chest. At first there was nothing until a blinding cascade of information flooded his mind. Keith let out a horrible screech as the random questions that were already in his mind were answered. For its power wasn't just to answer what was in the conscious mind but the unconscious as well. He suffered excruciating information overload as he tried to focus on asking the most important question he had. "Where is my daughter?" he thought. And it was answered. "Pulau Matasiri".  Blood poured from his nose as he felt as if he would have a seizure at any second and tore the artifact off his body. He laid on the floor shaking and damp from his own piss. He felt the vibrations of giant feet coming towards him. "Sir? KEITH! Nina call the medics now!" Helen screamed finding him.

Meanwhile...

"She is super happy" Susan chuckled watching Ruby model her new dress in the living room mirror. "Far cry from this morning. Never thought someone so small could scream so loud" Tim said. "An unfamiliar giant staring down at her as she woke up. Yeah, I'd scream too" Susan said. "Well at least she got over it after I explained you're her grandpa" Susan chuckled. "Honey. Save your dress for special occasions" she said. Ruby slipped it off leaving her stark naked. Tim looked away and blushed. "Honey. There's a human in the house" Susan said. "UHHGH. I'm sure he's seen plenty of bare butts and pussies mom. You were born right?" Ruby said folding her dress. "True but humans have issues with seeing one belonging to family. Well some do. Now get dressed little lady" Susan corrected. The girl walked off in a huff. "She's going through a phase" Susan muttered. "You were stubborn too" Tim chuckled.

"Me? Stubborn?" Susan asked. "Absolutely. Especially when you were 12. You kept crawling on me when I was busy writing sermons. I'd put you down and you'd crawl right back on me" he snickered. "That was because...because I was entering puberty" she muttered. Tim looked confused. "I liked your scent a lot okay? And...and your arm hairs felt good under my feet. And I felt really safe being around someone so big that loved me so much" she said. "But Teagan" he said. "Your scent was nicer" she replied. "Maybe because I'm your real dad?" he asked. Susan shrugged. "Speaking of body changes. If you're going to be around a little longer, you'll notice a few in me" she muttered. "I'm not well versed on borrower pregnancies. I know the mechanics of course but not the nuances" he said. "Well I'm entering my second week so I'll be eating a lot and my feet will start sweating a lot more" she said. "Pfft. A big appetite and sweaty feet. Nothing to be embarrassed about" he said. "Well that's the small stuff. Over the next few weeks you'll see other things. I'll be really horny and as my milk comes in, I'll needs someone to suck my nipples. Normally I'd ask Keith but with Lawan in town it might make things...awkward" she said.

Tim could see she was really shaking. He held her hand. "Honey it's okay. Did the same things with your mother" he said holding her hand. "But I know how you feel about doing things with me" she said. "I can see how important this is for you. I want to be here for you Susan. You're my little girl" he said smiling. Susan hugged him tightly.  "What was mom like as a kid?" Ruby asked entering the room. Ruby suddenly sat on his lap. "Well, she didn't like being told not to do things. She was curious about everything. And she was eager to show her love" he said. "Mom can be a little stifling with the love" Ruby said. Tim could see that comment hurt Susan a little. Tim held Ruby closer. "Your mother here said you lost your parents. What would you give to hug them again?" he asked. "...anything" she replied softly. "And Susan lost hers. She learned a painful lesson. Maximize the time you have with your loved ones. One day they'll be gone. It's a lesson we all learn...one way or another" he told her. "...I never thought of it that way" Ruby said shifting in his lap. Susan's phone rang. "Yeah?" she answered seeing the FaceTime was Lawan. "Susan! Something is wrong with Keith! I don't know if it's a stroke or aneurysm or what!" she screamed. "Lawan. I need you to stay calm and show me" Susan said.  Lawan pivoted the phone to a human sized Keith lying next to something very small but familiar. "Oh Jesus. I'm on my way" she said.

Susan was trembling as she put on her clothes. "That stupid son of a bitch" she muttered. "What happened?" Tim asked. "Keith used the Signet. I don't know how he got ahold of it, but he went and used it. He used it even after I told him what it can do" she replied. She ran out of the house. Susan had to stay small as the streets were busy with festival parade preparations. It took her three times as long to get to the sunroom. Once she had, she grew and raced to his room. She held her breath as a dozen small trained borrowers used healing arcane on his body. Lawan sat on the nightstand rocking back and forth on her butt. She looked terrified. "One of the maids said she heard him scream. When she ran in here to see to him, she found his body growing to human sized with blood coming out of his nose and urine on his crotch" she said. Susan held the Signet in her hand. She could smell Keith's scent on it. "He put this on. This is what caused it" she said. Lawan looked lost. "It's an artifact that can answer any question as long as someone knows the answer. He must've used it to find Hope" Susan said.

"But how does knowledge do this?!" Lawan asked. "The Signet isn't choosy in what to tell you. Raw unfiltered information came pouring into his mind all at once. My father used this artifact only because he had a damaged short-term memory. He told me what happened to the others" she said. "What...what happened?" she asked. "Insanity and death" Susan replied. Lawan wept where she sat. "Team. Leave us the room" one of the medics said. The others left leaving a man in his early 30's stepping off Keith. Susan knew of him as he was one of the few borrowers in the colony that had extensive medical knowledge. "Dr. Pritchard?" Susan asked. "Good news is there's no brain damage as I can see. Some slight arterial swelling but that's to be expected from a low-level seizure" he said. "So, he did have a seizure?" Susan asked. "A very mild one similar to someone suffering from photosensitivity. He should recover shortly" he replied. He nodded and excused himself. Lawan burst out sobbing.

Susan plucked the woman off the nightstand and cuddled her for a moment before placing her on Keith's chest. The tiny woman was crying and yelling in Thai as he pounded the giant's chest. "He's going to be okay. You heard the doc" Susan said. "If you love him so much how..." she was saying until she noticed Susan's hand shaking. "As a leader I'm trained to suppress my emotions around others, but I still have them" Susan said. "He's so goddamn reckless" Lawan hissed. "It was necessary" Keith whispered as he opened his eyes. Lawan wept as she threw herself on his chin. "Susan. Give us a few minutes" he said. Susan left the room. Keith petted her back and let her cry until she calmed down. "You're going to kill me with worry. I see this now" she spat. "I had to do it. It showed me an island I wouldn't have found otherwise" he said. "My husband was comatose. Forgive me for losing my shit" she said. Keith smiled slightly as he played with her hair.

"You look funny in that reindeer sweater" he chuckled. "A gift from Aspen. It itches" she muttered. "Then take it off" he said. Lawan did but he saw she wore nothing underneath. "Now that's a nice Christmas gift" he smiled. "What is?" she asked. "Your body and soul" he replied. Lawan blushed and slipped her pants off. Keith tugged her little socks off and panties. "Don't hide yourself. You're perfect" he said. "I wonder at night if you think of me this way" she said. Keith sat up in the bed looking at his diminutive wife in his hands. "I think of you every night and not just sexually. I look at the moon hoping you see it too. "Even surrounded by lustful women?" she asked. Keith rubbed his giant finger along her pussy making her twitch. "This gave me children. These breasts feed them. This heart here loves us. These eyes see into my soul. And these lips tell me what I need to hear and not what I want. And there's one other thing" he said tapping her head. "What is that?" she asked.

"You taste like pure joy" he replied. Keith licked her pussy and sucked on it for a moment making her pant. "Hmm...80% joy mixed with love, devotion, and a sprinkle of yummy don't fuck with me" he chuckled. Lawan looked at the giant before cracking up in laughter. "Are you really okay?" she asked. "My head feels like a colony of bees are buzzing in it. So many answers to questions I barely gave any thought to" he said. "Really? Like what?" she asked. "Your parents are proud of you. They regret what they said and want to see you again. I saw that. There’re tens of thousands of hybrid borrowers out there we don't even know about. And so much more" he replied. "That's what knocked you on your ass?" she asked. "No. I was keeping it together barely as I looked to where Hope was, but I asked a fleeting question and that's what triggered whatever" he said. "What was it?" she asked. "The origin of Etherion. Something...something fought back" he muttered. Keith shook his head. "Now that I know where she is, it's time we get her back" he said. "No. You're not going anywhere" she said. "Damn right I'm not. Susan come back" he said. Susan entered the room to see Lawan getting dressed.

"Who's the most capable in Briar Patch now?" he asked. "Gina Drew. She has the highest marks and experience after me...now Fiona is gone" she replied. "Contact her. I got a mission for her" he said. "Are you sure? There's a reason we don't use her much" she said. "I'm well aware of her unique status. I need someone who won't flinch" he said. Susan nearly took it as an insult but since he enacted Protocol Omega, Susan had not been too keen on doing it. What happened with the Xi still weighed on her and he knew it. Susan went to Control and had them dial using the satellite phone.   

In a remote castle in Latvia...

Gina heard her phone rigging and turned to it. *Slap*. "Eyes on me whore. Who sent you?" a man asked in a Russian accent. "I believe the call is for me" she replied. The floor was cold under her bare toes. The air crisp on her bare skin. The cords held her to the chair. The man grabbed her hair and yanked it back. "You got far more worried than a missed call American. You will tell me who you work for..."

"Or kill me?" she asked. "Kill you? No, you don't kill good livestock. You breed it. Work it. Brand it and when it has no further use...butcher it" he said grinning. Gina felt his hand on her thigh working its way to her pussy. Her phone rang again. "Must be really important" she muttered. Gina suddenly head butted the man and stood up on a crouching stance. The six men surrounding her pulled their weapons as she lept into the air slamming the wooden chair into the ceiling. It shattered and she fell down, she dodged the first shot and spun kicked him in the head. The snap of his neck audible to her ears. A bullet whizzed by her ear as she turned a guard with an Uzi let lose as Gina ran. She dived out of the window just after grabbing her phone. "Find her" the first one growled. "Boss that's a 40-meter fall" one said. "One that did not kill the American" the boss said looking down. Indeed, Gina's body was not on the ground below. The boss, a rising gangster in the Russian underworld followed his flunkies of out the interrogation room. As they rushed down the narrow screw staircase, a strange tingle on their skin could be felt. A faint reddish glow like St. Elmo's Fire surrounded everything. In reality, it's was no rare static electricity upon them but a powerful shrinking arcane.

"And here we go with plan B" she muttered as she watched the magical array spinning around the ancient castle. Gina had spuriously carved shrinking arcane all throughout the castle since she was taken captive and led to the room. Over a hundred inch in size arcanes ready to be activated at her command. Gina watched as the castle began to contract in size slowly at first but quickly speeding up as each arcane synced with the others. The sound was eerie. Groans, cracks, whooshes, and thuds as dirt that had been covered for 800 years was exposed. When it was done, Gina casually walked to the gaping hole where the castle had stood and yanked it out of the ground like one would harvest a turnip. The flea sized men inside were jostled around and hung onto anything for dear life. The ancient double doors to the front flew open as one of the grabbed the latch. He fell out towards a pink fleshy cavern. Gina had brought it to eye level and raised it slightly as the door opened.

The man was so small, terminal velocity was achieved in less than a second. Gina didn't even register him passing her lips and for a split second he hovered in the air as her breath was enough to keep him aloft. Then she inhaled and was sucked down so fast he couldn't breathe. Her throat was as open as a mine shaft and just as dark. Her throat muscles never touched him as he fell. Gina swallows saliva causing her trachea to shift sending him to a quick and merciful death. He landed in her stomach and at his size was digested within four seconds. She smiled as she held the structure and grinned wickedly as her hands began to squeeze. The men inside saw rafters and load bearings just implode as she pressed in. Unceremoniously, it exploded under pressure as ancient mortar gave way to borrower strength. A once bastion of a forgotten pagan king, now reduced to dust and pebbles on the ground. Gina walked to her car which had been driven by one of the thugs when she was taken. She found the spare key under the seat which she his earlier. She changed into warmer clothes found in the trunk, started the car for warm air and redialed her phone.

"You called Commander?" Gina asked. "Yes, I did. You didn't answer your phone and your GPS has out in the middle of nowhere. Are you alright?" Susan asked. "Five by Five. Had some Russian goons to take care of. Ended up having to shrink an entire castle to deal with them" she replied. "An entire...are you insane?! Humans are going to notice a castle missing!" Susan yelled. "Not this one. Well off the beaten path and this country is littered with forgotten castles.* Are you questioning my judgement?" Gina asked quietly. "...put Rina on the phone please" Susan asked. Gina sighed and out her glasses on which were sitting on the passenger seat. "You asked for me boss?" Rina asked in a shyer tone. "Is the site secured like Gina said?" Susan asked. "Yes. Humans won't find this place. It's been forgotten and overgrown by the forest" Rina replied. "I see. The big boss has a job for you. There's an island in Indonesia that his daughter is on. You're to infiltrate and bring her back if possible. As for civilians, safeties are off understood?" Susan asked. "Understood but I have a loose end to wrap up concerning the mission I'm currently on. Shouldn't be more than three hours" Rina replied. "Fair enough. There'll be a flight out of Riga late this evening for you. Good luck and check on once you arrive at the GPS coordinates I send you" Susan said ending the call. 

(Authors note: Mostly true. Doing research, I was shocked to find out over 140 castles are in the country, some forgotten to history. This averages out to one castle for every 15 miles. Impressive for a country one fourth the size of the UK)                     

Rina sighed as she put the BMW X5 into drive and followed the path down the hillside. Once back on real road, she made her way to Riga, the capital of Latvia and coincidentally also the location of the part of her mission.  Rina listened to satellite radio to occupy her time. Mostly classical as she preferred the structure. She was a loner but not by choice as other borrowers feared her. Rina had two personalities. One the shy mousy Rina which was the primary personality and then there was Gina, the cold, ruthless killer. And what was the trigger for her to switch? Weirdly the glasses she wore. Borrowers don't need glasses, but Rina did as it acted as a mental safeguard to keep Gina in check. Rina had been captured by Russian gangsters that morning and driven to the castle. Once there she was stripped naked but as soon as they took her glasses off, they were utterly fucked. Gina had been sitting in the girl's mind observing the entire time and began scratching out arcanes with her finger and toenails for hours as they moved her about. Gina was the brawn and Rina the brains.

The others knew she was a ruthless killer and one slip of her glasses meant calling out that side. Nobody wanted to work with someone like that. Not even those in Briar Patch. Susan, being her commander was one of the few that knew the full story of Rina and was told by Lily once the girl had graduated but refused to work with anyone.  The girl didn't want a team, and nobody wanted her in turn for different reasons back then. Lily explained to the confused Susan what the real reason Rina wanted to work alone.

Rina was a pet of a young girl starting at the age of 7. Even though a pet, she was a very pampered one as her owners were rich and the little girl herself was a kind and loving child. Rina has the best food and clothes she could ask for. Even an expensive dollhouse. Both her and the little girl were of the same age and therefore very close. A year after coming to live with them, the little girl began gymnastics. The girl found it funny and cute seeing the young borrower imitate her routines using pencils as balance beams. The two became as close as sisters. Years passed and both girls grew older. Rina was now a blossoming girl of 15 still doted on by the girl in every way...including her sexual needs. Rina didn’t think twice of asking the girl to suck her pussy or lick her feet nor did her owner think it weird. They even lost each other's virginity to one another. Rina loved her so much she cried and sobbed when the girl would go off to summer camp.

She wasn't her owner any longer, she was her gymnastics coach, her karate partner, her track and field trainer, her best bud, confidant, life mate. And then it all came crashing down. Rina awoke to the sound of breaking glass. Oddly the security system hadn't gone off but that didn't stop her from trying to wake her friend. Then she heard it, yelling and then two gun shots. Rina has just gotten to the floor screaming for the girl to hide when her door was kicked in. Two masked men with guns stood there. "Under the bed" one said. The man grabbed the girl's ankle and dragged her out. The girl kicked and screamed. Her foot hit the side of the desk that towered over Rina causing an eraser to fall and land right on Rina's head and a pencil that missed her just barely.  It knocked her out for a short time and when she opened her eyes once more...her horror truly began.

Dazed and concussed, Rina watched helplessly as the girl she loved was raped in front of her. It had been 20 minutes, but it seemed like eternity to her as she watched her beloved giantess savaged over and over as her shrieks turned to screams, and then grunts. Rina tried to stand up but fell over and over as the world spun as soon as she did. "Enough. An example was made" one said. His partner pulled out of her and zipped up. He aimed his gun at her. "...no... please..." Rina whispered again trying to stand. He fired. The sound was deafening to the borrower but the pain in her ears was nothing to seeing her beautiful life mate' brains blown out on the carpet. Even in low light, a borrower has good eyesight. So it very much wasn't by choice that Rina saw those perfect giant toes she used to paint and lick relax from their clenched state. Neither it was by choice he improving hearing caught the giantess' lungs exhale of death. The smell of cordite, male pheromone, cum, blood, and sweat was heavy in the air for her. "If...if I was stronger..." she thought. And once she had, a new pain filled he mind. The birth of new life is a painful thing, ask any mother. And the birth of a new personality is not so different. Gina was born amidst the shriek of pain from the tiny girl's mouth.

"Fuck was that?" One asked. The giant looked down and spotted her. "A borrower pet" the other replied. "Kill it. It saw our faces" the other said. The man grabbed Rina (who has grabbed the pencil) from the floor and tore away her cute pajamas. "Aww. You’re going to stab me with that? Think it's gonna save you from being a snack little one?" the man laughed. Rina closed her eyes and when she opened them...Gina had emerged. Gina bit the hangnail of the giant making him since and loosen his grip. Once done, Gina leaped with all her might holding the pencil. It was just enough force to drive it into his left eye. The man screamed in pain and fell backwards tripping over the girl's body. Rina used all her might to slam both bare feet down on the eraser head jamming the pencil through the eye socket into his brain. The other man went to grab her and he missed. Gina ran up his arm to his left ear and using her gymnastics lesson coupled with karate, forcibly kicked her leg just deep enough into his ear canal rupturing his ear drum. The man fell to the side dropping his gun.

Gina ran to it and pushed the barrel to the left aiming it right at his head. She wedged her little body in the trigger guard, her toes grilling the cold steel, her soles flat on the metal and pushed. She saw the shocked eyes of the giant as the trigger pull was achieved by a girl no bigger than his index finger. Gina damn near went deaf as it went off, but the shot was true. The man was dead. Gina stumbled to the girl's body burned out by rage and adrenaline and laid against her giant sole. Gina didn’t move from her foot for two whole days until the weekly maid came by and saw the gruesome sight. Being a witness, the police interrogated her with little to no care for her trauma. And then a female officer tried her luck. Kind and caring, Gina closed her eyes and Rina had come back when she opens them once more. "DIANA! DIANA!" Rina sobbed pitifully into the giantess cheek. "Diana was the name of the 16-year-old victim" the officer muttered to the detective. Months passed and with Rina's help, led police to a Chinese triad lieutenant. Diana's father was a shipping merchant and the triad tried to bribe him into "loosing" paperwork for some containers coming into his owned port. He refused. The gangsters had come to the house to murder his entire family in the most visible way possible to set examples. Rina heard the lieutenant fled to China before trial.

Rina ended up living with the female officer until one day Lily had come. The woman had posted on Facebook how sullen and sometimes violent her borrower was and didn't know what to do for her. Lily recognized Rina from the news and came. She told the woman of the colony and that Rina would be better off there. Caring for the girl, the woman agreed. Lily encouraged her to mingle with her people but saw tension in her like a cat ready to pounce on prey. Something had to be done. Lily used magic to probe her mind and found Gina inside. Any stress, negative emotion, or threat Gina handled. And being in a new place surrounded by thousands of people, many who wanted to fuck her, was indeed stressful. Rina was terrified her more violent side could emerge one day and asked Lily to purge Gina. Such a thing was impossible as Gina and the traumatic memory was intertwined. Doing so would be like a lobotomy. The only other option was hypnosis.

Thinking it over, Lily chose eyeglasses as the trigger. Words were too risky and sounds even worse. As long as Rina wore her glasses, Gina would be kept at bay. Rina joined the academy even after Lily said it wasn't a good idea. However, Rina excelled beautifully. Top of her class with arcane, combat training, and even broke the record for mastering human size navigation of a colony street with a time of 23 minutes. She seemed perfect even rivaling Susan until the day for sparring practice. Rina lost badly and flinched at every movement. When talk of her washing out surfaced, Rina tried again but this time took her glasses off. Gina demolished her partner making the young man cry in pain as she broke his knee and spun him around breaking his arm in two places. Gina made it so nobody wanted to spar with her. Seeing their fear of her, Rina shied away from friends or lovers for mutual reasons.

Rina graduated and got her first assignment. She was to investigate the selling of Philosopher stones on the black market. Her search led her to an Islamic terror cell wanting the stones to make a WMD. Gina crushed the cell by herself and came home. An impressive feat but what was in the report raised eyebrows. Gina tortured innocent family members to get information where the bomb was. It was deemed justified seeing the possible worst-case scenario and got her transferred to Briar Patch. Rina worked her way up in less than three years to where she is today...

She parked the car, entered the hotel, and made her way to her hotel room. A guard stood outside her door and was shocked to see her. He pulled out a stun baton as she dropped a piece of paper from her hand. Suddenly The man shrank where he stood until he was no bigger than a bread crumb. Terrified, he now took out his gun and began firing at the colossal woman standing over him. His shots not even as loud as a firecracker and couldn't even pierce her skin. Rina stepped on the man as he made the faintest squeak. A tiny splotch of blood the size of a pea mixed with the red carpet as she took her foot off him. She opened the door. "RINA! Thank god! I thought they killed you!" a young man said standing in her room. "They tried Luka" she said taking off her clothes. "What are you doing?! We have to get out of here!" he yelled. "Shhh. There's nothing to fear from them anymore. The mafia won't be bothering you again" she said kissing his cheek. "Still. Whatever you did...they'll send more" he said. "I will have a plane ready within an hour or so. Now just...relax..." she said pushing him onto the bed. She smiled at him as she slipped into the shower.

Luka was beyond nervous. He had met Rina just two days before and found her charming as he talked about his discovery to her. How with her connections they could change the world. And as they spoke alone in her room, armed men took her away and confiscated his cell phone and laptop. The door was locked, and he could hear a man speaking Russian on the other side. He thought himself a fool not thinking the crime underworld wouldn't be interested in his finding. But Rina returned alone and dirty and the man outside was nowhere to be found. He wondered who Rina really was. Her accent was American so possibly CIA? NSA? Echelon? "Luka?" Rina asked. "Y... yes?" he stammered. "Can you take off your clothes?" she asked. "Uhh...yeah but I showered an hour ago" he said. "I know silly, but we can't fuck with your clothes on. Well I could but that wouldn't be fun" she giggled. "F...fuck?" he asked. "You know. Mate. Fornicate. The horizontal tango" she chuckled. The bathroom door opened revealing a naked Rina. "Yeah..." he muttered.

Luka took off his clothes as she finished drying off. He had thought about her naked the first time they met. He found her unique. Green eyes, c cup breasts, black hair to the curve of her back. Skin the color of peanut butter. Even the way she painted her nails was unique. White and black on alternating nails. He hadn't seen her barefoot until now and saw her toes painted similar. His eyes lingered on them. Long yet proportionate like the rest of her. "Feel free to suck on them" she said. "Huh...what?" he asked. "My toes. You were staring at them. I don't mind if you suck my toes. I wouldn't mind at all" she said blushing. She reached out her hand and caressed his cheek. His hands pulled her to him, and she straddled his lap. His cock getting harder sliding against the crack of her ass. "Rina? Who are you?" he asked. "A very lonely 19-year-old girl. So very lonely" Rina said in a whisper. He could see tears in her eyes, and he kissed her. His tongue entering her mouth. They broke for air. "You have pretty eyes Luka. Like the Baltic Sea on a full moon night" she said. Luka moved onto the bed pulling her with him.

He laid back and Rina guided his cock into her. "Here let me get those" he said reaching for her glasses. "No! I mean...no. I want to see your face clearly" she said. Rina began to bounce up and down his shaft. Her hands on his chest. Her eyes on his. "Jesus you're tight" he groaned. "Or maybe you're big? Do I feel good?" she asked. Luka picked her onto her back and began pounding her. Her soles pressed against his shoulders. Luka took her left foot and nibbled on her heel. "That tickles!" she giggled. He planted wet kisses on her sole before sucking her big toe. Luka swore her pussy got wetter suddenly. She shuddered as he licked between her toes. He let go of her foot and caressed her left breast. Her nipple as hard as rock as he squeezed it. Rina made a cute squeak and her pussy tightened. His hand lingered over her racing heart. With a silent plead with her eyes, she came. Luka gritted his teeth as her pussy clamped down. Warm semen rushed into the deepest part of her. Rina looked at the ceiling as she felt her spasms milking him for seed. She crawled next to him.

"Are...are you crying?" he asked. Rina wiped tears off her cheeks. She picked up and pad and paper and began to draw. "I really hate having to do this. You're not a bad guy at all. Brilliant and shortsighted. Caring and naive. You solved a puzzle that the world isn't ready for to be solved. You're not the first to decipher the Voynich manuscript. The 17th really. The computer age has made it...easier" she said as she finished. She placed the paper on him, and Luka began shrinking. Rina waited patiently for the spell to finish. She sat up on the bed as the shocked two-inch man looked up at her. "What...what have you..." he said until his eyes saw the paper. "These symbols are in the decoded script" he muttered. "Yes, they are. As you found out, the manuscript does indeed contain instructions on alchemy but it's so much more than that" she said looming down. Luka scrambled back. Rina closed her legs and trapped him in place with her feet. Her soles pressing together making sure he couldn't scramble away. "You wanted to transmute garbage into useful things like clean food and water but what was the original reason humans wanted to study alchemy? Base metals into gold"

"Hence the Russian mob coming for us. If they learned how, well just think of what would happen if a fuckload of gold just dropped onto the market. Inflation, economic collapse, war. Ans that's just with gold. Imagine a country like North Korea or Iran learned how to transmute rock into plutonium? A pandora's box. Just one of the forbidden things that book can teach your kind" she said. "Rina...you're hurting me!" he yelled. Rina let him go. He looked at her terrified. "Gina...I can't..." she muttered. Rina took off her glasses. "I know" Gina said. Gina grabbed him. "Please don't hurt me...I... I love you. I just wanted to make the world a better place" he begged. "She's knows that. I know that" Gina said. "She?" he asked. "Rina. I'm her other half. The one that does things she can't handle. Luka, she really likes you. She remembers you shouting her name as she was dragged off. She was even tempted not to use contraception tonight. And she's so lonely. So terribly lonely" she said. Luka calmed slightly looking in her eyes. "I can destroy all my notes, my laptop, cell phone. I'll even erase my cloud" he said. "Not enough Luka. Even if you did that and we erased your memories, you're too smart. You could stumble right down this path again" she said placing him before her pussy.

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" he asked softly. "Yes, but I'll do it in a way that there will be no pain at all. You're owed that much" she replied. Gina drew another arcane and placed it before him. Nothing happened...yet. She held him firmly as she pushed him into her cunt. The small man began to breathe rapidly as it swallowed him to his neck. Her fingers held his head as she used him for pleasure. He was frightened but felt the bliss and awe of being used in such a way. He had seen porn vids of borrowers used as such but now he kinda got how some of them actually smiled about it. She was so warm and wet he got an erection. Deeper and deeper he went in and he felt her walls getting tighter. Her fluids threatening to drown him. But there was no panic. No, he felt sleepy. And then he was sucked all the way in right to her cervix. Luka couldn't breathe. No light. Hot and stifling but sleep pulled on him not terror. Gina felt him inside. A human pressed near her womb as if she was ready to give out life and not death. Luka died two minutes later. Gina laid on the bed with her legs open for a few minutes as his shrunken corpse lay submerged inside her pussy. As hardcore as she was, even she felt reluctance about seeing his dead body.

She pulled him out of herself and looked at him. Sticky and lifeless, his eyes closed as if asleep. Not surprising as that was the point to her spell. To put him in a deep sleep so as not to fear his demise. He drowned peacefully inside her. "Eat him. It's not right to simply flush him down the toilet" Rina told her softly. Gina agreed silently as she placed him in her mouth. Her sweet juices coating his body, her mouth salivated. And with a gulp, disposed of him. Gina cleaned herself up and got dressed. Seeing her part done, she put her glasses back on. Rina cried quietly as she rummaged through Luka's things. She sat his laptop and phone on the bed and plugged the hacking USB into the drive port. The worm infiltrated his computer tracing his cloud accounts and deleting them as it went. Rina looked through his phone as the worm began wiping the drive. A few pictures of her she made sure was removed from his camera roll after closing his apple account. All in all, Luka was a man of his word. He had uploaded nothing of his findings. Just to be sure, Rina shrank the devices to the size of grains of rice and crushed them to dust between her fingers.

She spent the next half hour removing all evidence of her and him being in the room and finally left the hotel. This was her life. A ghost. She drove to the airport and parked her rental in the lot awaiting Susan's call. Tired, she closed her eyes.

The carpet was warm under her feet. The air cool on her naked body. Her heart pounding in her chest. The giantess stalked her silently. She had a good hiding place. She wouldn't find her easily. There was an odd light tap and thump in the floor. Rina looked around nervously. A heavy thump and he looked all around her. Nothing. Suddenly, a hand from above lifted her off her feet. "Game over" the giantess said before tossing her into her mouth. Rina braced her bare feet on her molars as she was pushed to the roof of her mouth. A vibrating hum rattled her bones. The giantess was very pleased with her taste. Motion. Lots of motion and Rina hugged that tongue just to be safe. And then the coolness of air once more. "Dammit Diana! That one really scared me!" Rina shouted. "Aww. Not like I was gonna swallow" Diana chuckled. "And if you were my size and I did that to you?" Rina asked wiping her drool off her. "...wouldn't mind if it was you" Diana replied quietly. Rina looked at the blushing giantess and huffed. She was cleaned with great care and given a warm soft robe to wear.

"I'm sure you can think of another game we could play other than hunt and gobble up the borrower" Rina said. "Well we haven't had sex in a while" Diana said. "That's not a game" Rina said. "But it's fun" Diana chuckled. "Di...you're in high school now. Your parents might be okay with this for now but eventually they'll want you to marry a human male. This isn't going to last" Rina said. Diana sat on the floor. "I know that silly but no law saying I can't have a mistress" Diana grinned. She placed her in her palm. "Us growing older doesn't mean we stop loving one another or having fun now and then. What did I say years ago? Besties for life" she said. "Besties don't push the smaller one in her vagina or have them lick their feet" Rina said cocking an eyebrow. "They do if they're meant to be together" Diana said. She pushed open her little robe and kissed her belly. "Together forever" she said. "...together forever" Rina replied. Rina awoke with a start as her phone buzzed. "Our flight is ready" she muttered looking at it. She started the car and went to drop it off and the rental. "Rina?" Gina asked. "Nothing. Just a dream" Rina muttered as she dropped the keys in the box.

Rina yawned as she stood in her socked feet at security. The metal detector scanned her and found nothing. Not that it would as her equipment and weapons had been shrunk to the size of pinhead and placed in a harmless looking locket sitting in a bin beside her. She put her warm boots back on as well as her denim coat and grabbed her small carry-on bag as she made her way to her flight. "Flight 671 leaving Riga in service by way of Mumbai to Jakarta will be boarding in 20 minutes" the gate worker said. Rina paid little mind to anyone as she scribbled out a very detailed arcane. Soon, she was boarded and deposited her bag in the overhead. Her first-class seat she was all alone and wouldn't be disturbed. Tucking her arcane paper in her pocket, she snuggled into her seat and relaxed. The plane took flight and Rina drifted off to sleep. Her arcane making sure her growth spell wasn't broken as she slept.

The flight to Mumbai was over 12 hours and she slept the entire time. However, the flight to Jakarta she spent the time meditating after checking her equipment. Rina mediated often in the field. Not to ease an anxiety but to focus her own energy. It was a necessity for what she called plan C. Rina was not a pure borrower. No, while her father was one, her mother was half borrower and half Alux and she inherited the faint ability to use magic. A fact she never told anyone. Her mixed blood gave her the uncanny ability to understand arcane like a prodigy and the power to cast spells. However, she lacked the inborn ability to sustain such spellcraft. She could shrink and grow on her own with considerable effort, but elemental spells took all her might and left her extremely weak. Even when absorbing souls, she couldn't do any better. Nevertheless, it was a card she could play if there was no time for arcane. Through trial and error, she found if she mediated, she could stabilize the internal energy in her body and the strain was less on her.

She arrived at her destination. Her shrunken bags tucked in the pocket of her shorts. A loose shirt and sandals as the weather was considerably warmer in Jakarta than Riga. But being a light skinned English speaking girl in a country of dark-skinned Muslims and Buddhists made her stand out. She quickly hailed a taxi as she didn’t need the attention. "...where to?" the driver asked. "Southwest seaport" she said settling in the back seat. The ancient beat up Mercedes left the airport and rolled up the main road. "What brings you to Jakarta?" he asked. "Sightseeing" she replied. The man nodded. Rina could smell the body odor and old leather but there was something else...gun oil. She paid it no mind as Jakarta was no stranger to violence and taxi drivers probably seen their fair share. But as they traveled, Rina saw that the sun was in the wrong position. "I said southwest" she said as he pulled off an exit. "And that's where we are going" he said. "Really? This seems north to me" she said. The man pulled down an alleyway and stopped the car. He pulled a gun on her. "Handcuffs in the seat pocket. Put them on now" he growled. Rina took her glasses off.

Bending down towards the seat, she took out her one-inch bag and pulled out her sword. Canceling the spell, it grew. With lightning speed, she stabbed him running the sword through the driver's seat. Her blade perfectly aimed went through his spinal cord making him drop his gun. "Where...." he gurgled. "In my pocket" he replied as she pulled the sword back and got out of the car. She pushed him aside. "Wasn't going to rob me as you didn’t see anything of value on me. Rape and kill me? Sell me in sex slavery? Somewhere in the middle I bet. He reached out to her and she took and ripped his shirt off him. She wiped up the blood and sat in the driver seat. "You got about 9 minutes to live seeing I missed the lungs, liver, and shit. An eternity if you're suffering like that but don't worry. You won't live that long" she said drawing arcane in his blood. He began shrinking in the passenger seat. "Dried out chicken, pretzels, and flat as fuck cola. All I had to eat for nearly a day, and I'm famished for something...flavorful" she said plucking him up. He ripped off the rest of his clothing tossing the little things out the window.

"Sha...shatan" he muttered. "I'm not the devil sir but I do enjoy exterminating evil and those who would do harm to innocents in the most horrible ways. Any other day I would keep you alive and track down your little slavery ring. Crush it under my fucking foot literally but I have a prior engagement. But time grows short for you and I do enjoy feeling you nasty fuckers squirm and scream in inside me" she grinned. "Allah..."

"Nope. I'm not overly religious but I'm sure God doesn't appreciate rapists, murders, and slavers. No paradise for you" she said coldly as she pushed him into her mouth. Salty, coppery, his sweat and blood giving off a distinct flavor. She found it distasteful, but she wasn't lying about being famished. She titled her head back and let his whimpering body slip down her throat. He landed in her stomach which was empty. He was cold and shaking. Fluid began to rise around him. It tingled at first but soon it burned. Having not eaten properly in over a day, her stomach acids were stronger than usual. Pound for pound, borrowers required almost double the calories than humans due to their metabolism, brain, and denser muscle structure. The man was screeching in pain as his skin blistered and burned away. In a minute he went into shock and slipped under the acids never to rise again. Rina was correct. He had died before his initial injuries took his life. Rina found her way back on the main road and followed it southwest confident she would find the seaport on her own. 

The owner looked at her strangely as she asked for the motorboat but slapping down a wad of cash had him mind his own business. Rina hopped into the small little boat and puttered off. She followed the coordinates for six miles and saw a small island. She stopped where she floated and changed into her specialized suit. Unlike the suits other agents wear, Rina used what was called an infiltration suit. By first look it seemed no different except carefully woven inside was an illusion and perception spell. What Rina had to do was simply think of or look at a target and take her appearance. Normally a piece of cake but in this case Rina had no clue what to expect here and therefore had to approach someone first. Risky. The suit was tight on her body for its purposes. Her waterproof shoes felt weird on her feet. The again shrunken sword carefully concealed in a bracelet.

At first, she thought she had the wrong location as she saw nothing. Just sand, grass, and a few trees. But she noticed the birds refused to even approach the islands. Not the fish, crabs, not even lizards and Indonesia was crawling with reptiles. Rina felt wary as she rowed the boat to shore. Some force told her to leave. She forced herself ashore, shark back to her normal size and walked forward. Just as it was becoming overwhelming, the feeling disappeared as she passed through the barrier. "Well fuck..." she hissed as she saw a sprawling city before her. She had emerged at the northeast corner of the human sector. She dashed forward and hid behind an apartment building. "What the hell is this shit?" she asked smelling thousands of humans. It didn't make sense to her. If she was her regular size, then the humans must've been bug size. But there were thousands, no tens of thousands of them as to her size the sector stretched for at least two miles. And beyond that were much bigger housing. Movements, sound, the opening of a door.

Her eyes locked with the young woman and she bowed on her veranda. She had been spotted in her natural state. Rina grabbed her and looked at her closely. She was unafraid of her and acted if expecting something. "How...how may I please you?" she suddenly asked softly. "Please me?" Rina asked. "Massage, sex, or may you wish to devour me?" she asked nonchalantly. Rina balked. "I assure you I'm clean" the young woman said. Rina wondered if all of them were so eager to be used as toys or food. The girl was her age and seemingly ready to have her life snuffed out if the giantess holding her chose to. Rina had seen enough of her to copy her appearance. Carefully, Rina drugged the girl and placed her back in her room. Using the spell, she took her appearance almost perfectly. Dusty blond hair, silver eyes, a thin build, skin tanned by the sun, and her clothes was a whimsical red dress and sandals. Not that such clothing actually felt that way on her. It was an illusion after all. Rina shrank herself even further and cautiously mixed with the locals.

It was so strange to her walking among them. They spoke different languages but English, Spanish, and French seemed the most popular. A mixture of cultures by their dress and the city itself like a real one. If she didn't know better, Rina would’ve sworn she was walking down a city street in Orlando Florida. She found a cafe and ordered what appeared to be a coffee. Rina was shocked to see no price or means of payment required. And there she sat at the table simply listening and watching. They spoke of normal things, family, food, hobbies, but they did talk of the goddess. "I haven't been well. What does this goddess look like?" she asked one. They had described Hope to a T. Rina listened carefully at what she had done a few days prior. "She...she ate one?" Rina asked. "The father of the boy she chose to fuck. That family is blessed it is" the woman replied sipping her coffee. Rina didn’t know which to be disturbed about more, the blessed remark or the fact a girl nobody thought was capable of killing an innocent person had done just that. Her primary objective was to bring her back but if she's eating and fucking humans for sport, then it might not be possible without serious harm to the girl. Rina left the coffee shop and left back towards where she entered. Hidden (barely), she grew to her borrower size and changed her appearance slightly as not to be noticed. She needed to know what was going on in the buildings further ahead. Now things were really getting strange, every human on the street she walked on bowed. When she stopped, they would approach.

"Class structure based on size? Wouldn't be so simple with a man like Markus" she thought as she continued her walk. "You ducked out of training too?" a voice said to her left. She tensed up. A young man of 16 was sitting in town square stark naked. A human woman busy servicing his cock. Rina was shocked but played it cool. "Something like that" she said walking over. The young man patted the ground and had her sit. "I don't remember seeing you before" he said. She got nervous. "I'm...I'm new" she said. "Really? Look kinda old" he said. Rina adjusted her bracelet ready to take out her sword. "Probably a late bloomer. Joined after the last test quarter, right?" he asked. "Exactly" she said. "Ryan" he said extending his hand. "Rina" she replied shaking it. "Well don't be shy. Chose a human and have some fun" he said smiling. Not to make him more suspicious, Rina did. She plucked up one of the closer ones. She cringed as he was younger than what she was trying for. At most 15 and with the same expectant look on his face. Ryan was watching her.

Rina took off her shoes which wasn't easy as she had to extend the illusion on the fly. It worked though and nothing seemed unusual as she wriggled her bare toes. She didn't wish to harm the boy, so she had placed him at her feet. Some foot worshiping wouldn't kill him even though her feet were pretty sweaty in those rubber shoes. Ryan grunted as he came coating the woman on his prick with his seed. "That's it. Eat it up" he said softly to his pet. "So, you like humans?" she asked. "Pfft. They're okay as long as they remember their place. We are the betters, they are lesser. And as such we are entitled to some...fun. You ever eaten one?" he asked. Rina didn’t know what to really say or more how to say it. "Haha! You a really are new. Take the one at your feet and eat him up" he said. Her blood ran cold. "Rina. Switch" Gina said internally. "But if I do..."

"Just goddamn do it. We don't need to start any shit right now" Gina hissed. Rina took her glasses off. She plucked the boy from her soles. "Nothing personal kid" she thought as he pulled his clothing off. Gina tossed him into her mouth and swallowed him as fast as she could. They boy didn't even cry, scream, or even struggle and that was worse than eating him in both their minds. Gina was still hungry even after eating the taxi driver and knew that boy wouldn't last long at all. This is what it meant to be her, ruthless, cold blooded, getting the job done. "You didn't even savor him. You supposed to play with them using your tongue. It's way more fun when they orgasm in your mouth and swallow as they cum" he smirked. His hand touched hers and traveled down her body. "Not here" she said. Ryan got to his feet, pulled up his pants and led her out of the city. Gina was hoping for this. A perfect excuse to enter the next part of this place.

Meanwhile in Yorkshire...

"Any word?" Keith asked. "She sent a coded message that she arrived. Nothing since" a member of control replied. "You okay over there old man?" Keith asked. "I'm watching for a signal from her. I must concentrate as his wards are very powerful. Can barely sense her at all" Joseph replied sitting in silence. Keith yawned and returned to his room. 2:34 a.m. the clock said in his room. "You should rest. They will call you if needed" Lawan said startling him. "Thought you'd be asleep" he said. "You daughter is teething. My nipples hurt" she replied softly. Keith laid down next to his tiny wife. "Poor baby. I got just the medicine" he said pulling her night gown off her. Gently, he placed his lips over her little breasts and dropped his tongue over them. He didn't suck though. "That...that does feel nice" he groaned. His fingers held her hands for a few minutes before he released her breasts from his mouth. His breath felt cool on her saliva soaked skin. He sniffed her. "Vanilla?" he asked. "Body soap" she replied. "Dangerous" he said. "...how so?" she asked. "Like you want to be eaten" he said spreading her legs.

Tender kisses on her shaved pussy and the girl squirmed.  His lips kissed her toned leg and right to her little foot which rested on his nose. Not much of an odor but a fairly weak scent of female pheromone. A little kiss on her sole. He rolled her on her back. His finger tracing her backbone to her shapely ass. An ass he parted to stick his tongue in. The small Asian girl squealed making Keith chuckle inwardly. His finger pulled gently on her ponytail bringing her head back. "You're the perfect little toy" he whispered to her. "Is that what I am now?" she asked. "Same kind of toy a child holds when he's scared of the dark. A toy that keeps fear and loneliness away" he replied. Lawan rolled onto her back. She touched her crotch and a faint light came from her hand. "Semen. Now" she said. Keith shrank himself down for her and lined himself up with her cunt. He slid into her and she cooed softly.

He began fucking her slowly as his hands groped her body but as he sped up, he felt something inside himself. He abruptly stopped and pulled out. "Why did you stop?" Lawan asked concerned. He looked at his hand. "I felt myself losing control. It's...it's not safe around me" he muttered. Lawan had not said anything about it all day but she knew Keith had killed more than one person overnight. As good as he washed himself, he had forgotten one thing, to brush his teeth. He kissed her that Christmas morning and she immediately tasted blood. Blood she knew wasn't his as she had tasted his blood one evening their lovemaking got out of hand. Yes, she could tell the difference. His diet of red meat and sweet snacking made his blood stand out. What she tasted was weak, the blood of someone malnourished. It disturbed her greatly but forgot it all when she heard he had been found unresponsive. "Is it because of the signet or whomever you killed?" she asked flatly. His eyes wide in shock.   

"...both" he replied. Lawan suddenly grew herself and picked her husband up. She placed him on the floor and before he could say anything to his giantess wife, she made herself not a giantess and stood equal to him. "I've seen this before. Not often but I have seen it" she said getting closer. "A warrior begins taking life after life. Anger, shame, and regret wears on him until he fears he’s nothing but a killer. His body conditioned by adrenaline, so he needs aggression to feel anything. Then fear, shame, and anger all over again. A vicious cycle" she said. "What's the cure?" he asked. Lawan suddenly punched him in the face knocking him on his ass. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!" he yelled nursing his jaw. "You can't exorcize this. It can only be tempered and focused. A balance between aggression and grace must be struck. And when it must be done, a companion, life mate, or partner must initiate the intervention. Now, engage me" she said sternly. He hadn't heard her so sharp since his training. "I'm not hitting you" he said. She kicked him in the stomach and tackled him. She choke holed him and he couldn't breathe. She wasn't playing around. "Let...go...I said...LET GO!" he yelled elbowing her in the cheek. Lawan released him and spat out a tooth. Keith breathed deeply. His heart raced as he looked at her. He growled. "Yes. Let it bubble to the surface" she hissed.

Lawan was shocked at how much he improved. He was easily three times better than he was before. Her blocks became weaker and a punch knocked her back. "Stop...stop this" he said. Lawan kicked his leg dislocating his kneecap. Keith howled in pain. Crazed, he leaped on her and grabbed her by the throat. With little ceremony, he shoved his cock into her and fucked her hard. Lawan was terrified not of his brutality, but the fact he hasn't snapped out of it even with seeing her with a bloody lip, nose, and swollen eye. He was in no better shape but it deint stop him from fucking her so hard he heard a weird pop. She wanted to scream but held her breath. Such pain didn't stop her from crying. And when he thrust in her again there was the same strange pop. He paused and looked to where the sound was. Wasn't coming from him. No, it came from her waist. His eyes focused in the dim light and saw a purplish swollen spot on her hip muscle. "You...your hip. It's dislocated. How..." and then his feverish rage washed away. Lawan had never seen such horror on his face as he looked down and saw what he was doing. He pulled out and stood up. He stumbled for a moment and took off running. She was surprised he could move so fast with a bad knee.

Lawan healed herself as fast as she could. This was the most critical time during the intervention. When the person was most vulnerable emotionally. Being on their own after realizing what they've done was dangerous. Normally it would done in a locked dojo, but this was their bedroom. Lawan walked to the direction he had fled. Small traces of blood under the closet door. She cast a small orb of light into the air illuminating the closet. She found Keith rocking back and forth on the floor breathing hard. He saw her and scrambled again. "STOP!" she yelled. He paused. Slowly she approached him. He was in full panic mode. "Don't look at me please" he begged. She touched his cheek and began to heal his face. Even as his teeth grew back, he wanted to run so badly. She healed his wounds and fixed his knee. "How can you even bear the sight of me?" he asked. "For better or for worse. I take my vows seriously" she chuckled. "This...this isn't funny. What was in my head back there, I wanted to hurt you. To...to beat you" he muttered he pulled away and puked. Lawan gave him a moment. She used a sock laying in the closet to clean his face. "No not me, the world. God, yourself but it wasn't me you wanted to hurt and throttle" she said.

She jacked his cock rapidly until it got hard. "Lawan no" he said. She ignored him as she slid down his shaft. She touched his racing heart. "You never answered my question. Was it the people you killed or that artifact that pushed you so hard?" she asked. "Both. A lot of innocents died to get that thing and I talked about it to others" he said. "What did they say?" she asked sliding up and then down on his dick. "Ummm...that sometimes bad things have to happen for the greater good. That it was important to make it all worth it" he replied. "Interesting perspective" she said. "Unless you're the innocent" he said. "And the artifact?" she asked. "Like my mind was on fire. Answers to questions I asked without any real thought. The upper limit to growth, Muy Thai techniques, do my kids love me? And then questions about you" he replied. She paused. "What about me?" she asked.

"That your full name is Lawan Trang Koh. You hate asparagus because it makes your pee smell. You're frightened your people won't accept our kids if they can’t use magic. Why you keep this scar here under your left breast" he said raising it. A dribble of breastmilk leaked from her nipple.  "Why you're really wearing your hair in a ponytail. That you choose to use red polish on your toes. I love you the way you are. You don't have to dress yourself up to look like Susan or Aspen" he said. Lawan rested her head on his chest and sniffled. Keith bounced her in his lap. "You really right tonight" he muttered. "Did you really masturbate to Justin Bieber when you were younger?" he asked. "Oh my god" she muttered. Keith laughed. "It was a phase and he was cute. Don't tell me you didn't have some celeb crush" she pouted.

"No tv or magazines until I moved in with Aspen and Claire. My first crush I guess you could say was my older sister. Just before I lost her, I seriously considered taking her as a mate. Kind, sweet, considerate. Pretty as can be with a cute butt, perky breasts and suckable toes" he chuckled. Lawan frowned. "Did you just get bigger in me thinking about her?" she asked. "...maybe" he said softly. There was a pause between them. "You never elaborated on her death" she mumbled. "A human woman locked us in a cage for an experiment. I was terrified and Lenore saw that. She tried to calm me down, but I was so scared I hadn't eaten or drank in two days. My sister would be taken away and I thought I'd never see her again until she was brought back smelling funny. Pussy. Smelled of giant pussy.”     

“Imagine seeing a loved one snatched away multiple times a day not knowing you'd see them again. And on that last day, my sister sucked my cock to calm me down. Even as I squirted in her mouth, I prayed we would be okay. I watched her die horribly in front of me. The smell, fuck me the smell. Like burnt pork as her body lay smoking on the testing plate" he said. Lawan bounced on his shaft. "You see why I freak out so badly when a loved one is in danger. I go back to that night in that lab every time. Still have nightmares sometimes" he said. She looked at him. "I tried lighting my farts on fire as a kid" she suddenly said. Keith burst out laughing. "Bet you didn't know that about me" she giggled. Keith held her close and quickly pounded her in his lap. Holding her face by the cheeks, he came inside her. They held one another for a few minutes before Lawan released her shrinking spell on him. He carefully carried back to their bed and laid down. "Is that all you found out about me?" she asked.  "That you really do fantasize about me eating you" he replied. Lawan blushed and hid her face. She was startled as his finger rubbed her body. Her pussy, her soles, her nipples. "Got my ingredients for a nice illusion" he said. "Wha?" she asked. She watched her giant husband make a very realistic illusion of her. "Goddamn you got good at that. Wait! What are you doing?" she asked standing up.

Keith waved his hand. "He wants to be a naughty boy. He's going to make you watch as he eats me up" her copy giggled. "Oh, so this is funny is it?" she asked. She touched the copy and Keith was surprised he lost control of it. "Hi Lawan!" it said. "Hi Lawan. Now close your eyes Keith" she said. He did until she said to open them. They had both moved on the bed. "Which is the real one? And which is the fake?" both said in unison. Keith couldn’t quickly tell. They looked the same, sounded the same, smelled the same. He picked one up and inspected her. "Hmm...I did do a good job. I can even smell milk on them both. No, she did that when I wasn't looking. Clever" he thought. He held the other in his hand. "You better choose right" both said. "Justin Bieber sucks ass" he said. "What did you say?!" one yelled. "Ha! You're the real one!" he said. "You tricked me!" she huffed. Keith put her down. "All's fair" he said. He looked at her copy. She sighed and sat on the bed. The copy arched her back exposing her little tits to him. "Go ahead baby. Eat me. Fuckin eat me!" it said fingering herself. Keith kissed it before giving it a long lick. The real Lawan was in full control so she could see everything it did along with controlling it's actions.

"I love you" he whispered to it before shoving it into his mouth. The real Lawan had her eyes closed feeling the sensations of her puppet being sucked on and tasted. "Do it beloved. Swallow me whole" she moaned. Keith looked dead at her and with an audible gulp, sent her illusion down his throat. Her heart raced as the pitch-black tube pulled her down into a humid cavern of his stomach. "This...this is what it feels like. I'm food. Food for my husband" she moaned as she got wet. His stomach gurgled. "Honey. I need to you to cancel the spell. You're too connected and what happens next..." he warned. "Not yet...not yet" she moaned as she fingered herself. "Did...did I taste good? Was I good enough of a snack from my giant mate?" she asked as she panted. "Yeah...yeah you were" he replied. "Oh god digest me!" she yelled as she came. "Lawan!" he yelled. She suddenly snapped out of it and released the spell as his acids began to attack the illusion. It disappeared immediately.

"That...was embarrassing" she said panting. Keith laid next to her. "We all got our thing" he chuckled. He watched her settle in bed but stayed awake for a while. He had not been entirely truthful to her. There was one thing he had found out about her that was surprising, and he found it strange she never mentioned it. Lawan had a sister...

Back to Gina...

"So, this is where you stay?" she asked looking at his room. It was very Spartan to her. "Not so much different than your dorm" he replied taking his clothing off. Gina had not asked her questions yet, but she was startled to see so many buildings clustered together. He hopped on the bed. "What're you waiting for?" he asked. "Close your eyes" she smiled. He did. "Embarrassed?" he asked. "Don't you like surprises?" she asked taking her uniform off. Tossing it all aside, it reverted to its natural appearance. She inserted her finger into her pussy and touched the young man. "Keep them closed" she smirked as she used her juices to write an arcane on his chest. Once done, he began shrinking. Once finished, she said he could open then. "Holy shit" he said looking at her giant pussy. "You wanted me to shrink you could've...why the hell do you look totally different?" he asked seeing her true face. "Because I didn't need my disguise in here" she said lifting herself up slightly. "Fuck does that...mmmphg!" he muttered as she came right down on him. She didn't outright crush his four-inch body nor was he in danger of being smothered. Gina had him right where she wanted him. Covered by asscrack and crotch to his neck. His little head poking right from under her cunt.

"FUCK...ARE...YOU DOING?!" he yelled. "You're not going to be asking questions little man. I am. Starting off, how many live in this area?" she asked. He chuckled as his body glowed. "Good luck trying to smother me now" he laughed. Gina knew already he could use magic. She noticed him breathing easier now, but it wasn't the first time a target fortified themselves to resist her interrogation. "I'm one of the best at fortification spells. It's my fuckin' specialty. And when I get free and grow back, I'll rape you till you can't stand and deliver you to the master himself!" he yelled. Gina could see it was no bluff, she could feel him getting stronger slowly. She estimated she had 10 minutes before he could wriggle free. It would be easier to crush his head, but she needed answers and she knew exactly how to get them with a man like Ryan. Gin began fingering herself quickly. "Wha...what are you doing? This is how you're going to spend your last few minutes of freedom?" he chuckled. "I need to get wet little guy. See, fortification can do wonders for the body. Protect it very well but there's one little flaw...you still need to breathe" she said. She spread her lips above him and let her juices drip on his face.

Ryan gagged and coughed until she let go and let her lips close. Ryan gasped for air. "Bitch!" he yelled. "Damn right I am and more. I'm a borrower and borrower girls get a whole lot wetter than humans, so I got pussy juice to spare. This here I call cunt water boarding. Now are you gonna tell me what I want to know or are you going to slowly drown?" she asked. "Eat..." he was saying until she let him have another dose. She let him breathe after 20 seconds.  "What was that?" she asked.  "Stop! Stop you fuckin'" he said before she shoved his face in her folds. She kept the little young man there for 30 seconds. "I can find another boy" she warned. "1000. There's a thousand of us living here" he replied coughing. "How strong?" she asked. He looked at the giantess' face. "C and D class until they reach B class" he replied. "What are you?" she asked. "C class" he replied. Gina used clairvoyance to look at him. By judging his aura, she got an idea of his power. "Not good. He's on par with Mogwai grunts" she thought. "And of the human sized settlements?" she asked. "50 or so. A and B class" he replied. Gina was not pleased at all. If Markus fielded them in battle, it was very unlikely Keith and his forces would win. 50 human sized top tier mages would turn the colony to ashes in minutes.

Ryan wedged himself free as she thought it over. Quickly, she slapped her feet together trapping him for the moment. His small hands pushing against her big toes. "And of Hope?" she asked applying pressure. He squeaked as air exited his lungs. She released him after a few seconds to breathe. "The goddess? She will lead us to glory. The humans will fall into line as lemurians ascend to their rightful place. Your beloved Keith will have his head on a fucking pike and your species will see their dream of equality come. Equal to human slaves" he chuckled. The way he laughed got to her. Like it was a certainty. Gina reached within herself and used her natural magic to shrink him further and further. She let go to watch the dwindling teen hanging onto her second toe as she raised her foot pointing her toes up. Ryan tumbled between her toes. No bigger than a grain of salt, he was fast stuck between them as her toe sweat and dirt was like glue. Slowly she scrunched her toes. She couldn't hear his screams and curses, nor did she care. The walls of sweaty smelly flesh came down on him and he screeched. The tiniest of crunches came from her toes and she released. A simple wipe of her finger between her toes freed his munched remains which was just a teeny little spot of blood. Nothing more. Gina was satisfied even though drained.

Gina put on her uniform and thought about what to do next. "Hope has to be in the mansion. The damn ZODIAC is probably watching over her. No way I can extract. The commander needs to know what I found. I have to exfiltrate" she muttered. She cast her illusion once again and walked out of the room. She quickly headed to the exit and saw two young males. Both eyed her and smiled. Gina nodded but once she did felt dizzy and her illusion collapsed. The boys looked at one another in shock. "Get the head..." he was saying until Gina ran him through with her sword. She pulled it out as the other took off running. She could see him touching his head. "NO!" she yelled throwing her sword impaling him into the door. Her ears picked up hurried voices. "Shit. He got the word out" she muttered moving the boy off the door and running out. She ran full speed towards the beach. "Joseph! Need a gate!" she yelled.

"She's calling for me. She needs a gate" Joseph said in Control. "Dammit! That damn barrier is making it hard!" he yelled focusing. Joseph was trying his best to punch through the magical interference.

Gina was running as fast as she could. She couldn't stop for a second to grow to human size as the others were hot on her heels. A shard of ice zipped past her. A lightning bolt. Fire rained down. They were going to kill her. "You own all this?!" Tina asked looking at the beach. "All of it. And there's so much more to see. Wait till you see the tiny humans that will serve you. Little bug sized humans cleaning your stinky little feet" he chuckled. The young girl giggled. He looked up seeing stray attack magic getting closer. Gina jumped over the sea grass seeing the one man she didn't want to bump into. "Well I'll be damned. Looks like we got ourselves a spy" he chuckled. Gina used her own magic to grow herself and then fortify. She felt woozy as she had hit her limit. Nonetheless she readied herself for the attack. She removed her shoes and dug into the sand and ran. Her only hope was to cut off his head and use the time to reattach to make a break for it. At worse she could take the child hostage and stall until Joseph came through. The wind blew past her. The sand rough on her bare soles. She readied her strike...

"Oh no. The interference....it just skyrocketed. She's somewhere where I can’t reach her. That can only mean...my son" he muttered. One of the borrowers that went to get Keith had returned. "I can't get her..." he muttered. "...keep trying. Try as hard as you can old man" Keith muttered still tired. He nodded as trying was better than quitting.

Markus chuckled as he snapped his fingers. She was frozen in time like everyone else within 150 feet. His finger touched her sword which was barely a foot from his neck. "Looks like someone got in over her head" he said. With barely a thought, he disintegrated her uniform leaving her naked. He laughed as moments later began raping her where she stood. He groaned cumming inside her and then stood in front of her. "Adet" he muttered summoning his sword Ea. He snapped his fingers again unfreezing her. Gina felt her rape fast forwarded by 100 times in a split second which made her twitch. Then the feeling of his semen inside her was replaced by searing pain as her own momentum carried her into his sword. She looked at it astounded. "Impossible" she muttered as he pulled it out of her. The shock of it caused her growth spell to collapse shrinking her back to her natural borrower state. "I'll squish her daddy" Tina said as she raised her Sandy giant sole over Gina. She pushed the borrower onto her back and pressed. Sweaty little girl sole began to press the life out of her which was fading fast already. "No, get off her" Markus said. Tina looked annoyed but obeyed. "She's to be made of an example" he explained. 

Markus scooped up the small bleeding out girl in his hand who glared at him with contempt. As she did, she felt something within her slipping away. Markus opened a portal.

"Joseph you did it!" Keith yelled. "It wasn't me boy. Wasn't me" he muttered as the other side of the portal became focused. Everyone in the room held their breath as they saw Markus. "You son of a bitch" Keith hissed seeing Gina barely alive in his hand which extended through the portal. Markus let the girl tumble off of his hand and Keith caught her before she hit the floor. He looked at him as he gave off a smile that would make Satan cringe. The portal closed a second later. "...medic...GET THE MEDIC!" Keith screamed. He watched in abject fury as the medic mages carried Gina away.

He sat quietly near the metal sterilized tray table as they worked on her. One hour, two hours. Keith stood up just staring after three hours. Lawan and Susan said nothing to him as his gaze never wavered. Joseph had told him shortly before that the wound had to have been caused by Ea to resist treatment. The old man looked sullen as he told him as he knew his son had murdered his own child to get the sword back. Any question of commitment was gone now. They had finished their work and transferred her to a private room a few doors down. "Well doc?" Keith asked. "We were able to heal all the damage after a shit load of resistance" the small man said standing on the tray. He staggered and Keith caught him with his hand. "Apologies. A great deal of arcane went into saving her" he muttered. "So, she's okay?" Keith asked hopeful. "During the post op, I noticed she didn't respond to any requests. She didn't ask for food or water or rest" he said. "Rina is a unique case Doctor" Susan said. "I'm aware of her split personality. I read her file. This is...different" he said. "Keith, a moment" Joseph said pulling aside.

Susan heard them mutter. "We won't know for certain until we see her" Keith said louder. "Just be aware" Joseph warned. The sun had risen as Keith slept with his head near Rina. When she stirred, he awoke. "Hey. How are you feeling?" he asked. She didn't answer. "Water? Bathroom?" he asked. Again nothing. "Do you know where you are?" he asked. "In the convalescence room of the mansion" she replied. Keith was hopeful about that. But as he asked other questions, a disturbing pattern emerged. Not one she answered involving a question of need, want, or preference. Like a robot she answered the most logical ones. Joseph’s fear was confirmed. "Do you remember the events of your mission?" he asked. She nodded. "Tell me" he said. Rina went over all she saw methodically and with no emotion. There was a knock on the door before Susan entered. She found Keith utterly dejected and Rina staring straight ahead. "Look who's awake!" Susan said smiling. "Don't bother. That's not Rina. Her soul is dead. Markus killed it literally" he said getting up. He tripped over his chair and she caught him. She has rarely seen his eyes so filled with contempt. "I'll be back. I need to retrieve her living will" he muttered.

Keith returned a half hour later and sat back in the chair. Susan has shrunken herself and cuddled the girl. "It's rare I have to go over these things. Most of the time you either come back alright or just dead" he said softly. "But we do those in case were braindead. She's not braindead" she said. "Might as well be. I've seen this before once with Aspen. Couldn't make a decision on her own. No will or desire. No emotion, not even love. Just a... meat puppet" he said voice cracking. She looked at him. "It's worse than death Susan" he said. "But you helped Aspen. Maybe we can..."

"Didn’t you hear me? Markus KILLED her soul. It's gone. If you believe in heaven or hell, she doesn't even get that. Oblivion. Her will states that in the case of brain death, she's to be terminated" he said quietly. Susan broke into sobs cradling her. Keith sat there unmoving. "She has no family, so I don't know if there's anyone to call" he said. "She has us" she said. "Yeah, yeah she does" he said standing up. He sat on the bed next to them. "It's my responsibility as her commander. You don't have to be in the room" he said. "F...fuck that. I'll stay" she said. Keith pulled her away from Susan. "Rina. You did great work. You told me what I needed to know. Do you understand?" he asked. She nodded. "Your information is going to save lives. On behalf of everyone, thank you. Now close your eyes for me” he said softly as he looked at the girl in his palm. Keith used his fingers and gripped her head. With a quick twist, he snapped her neck. Rina...was gone. Keith placed her back on the bed with a shaking hand and Susan sobbed loudly next to her. He took a few steps to the wall and began punching it over and over.

His strength had put holes in the wall as she punched. His thumbs broke, knuckles bleeding. "STOP IT! Please..." Susan begged. She grew herself and rushed to him and held his injured hands. "She told me what she saw. He has a legion of mages. More than we can handle. It came at a high price didn't it?" Keith said with a slight grin. He pushed her away. "Emergency meeting. Assemble all the top staff in the briefing room. Nobody under the rank of lieutenant" he said before leaving the room.

An hour had passed before Keith entered the room. His hands were still swollen indicating he had not spent much time healing them. Everyone was whispering as word had leaked out about Rina coming back barely alive and how she had returned. "Commander on deck!" Susan yelled as Keith sat down at their level. "I called this meeting to address a serious problem. At 2:33 this morning, one of our agents assigned to gather Intel on our enemy returned. Before dying of complications, she imparted to me what she saw. 1000 class C and D mages borrower size. Around 50 class B and C mages of human size. Not including some possible class S mages, surviving ZODIAC members, and Markus himself" he said. Susan as well as the rest were shocked. "We...we can't possibly defeat such a force without the Etherion child" one said. "The Etherion child is with them! She could wipe us out in seconds!" someone else said. "There has been no confirmation that my daughter is willing to destroy her own people. As far as we know she only wishes to release the Etherion council" a captain said. "Same difference in the end!" another shouted. Keith stopped Susan from berating him. "My daughter just needs to see the horror of what she's undertaking. Once she sees what can come of it, she will resign" Keith said. Murmurs in the room. "Soon, I will be leaving on a mission of my own. A classified mission that only commander Durmont and my wife will know about. In the meantime, I want you all to see exactly what our combat strength is. I want facts and figures people, not guesses. Captain Yale?" he said. A young borrower woman turned to stand before the giant. "Sir yes sir!" she said saluting. "What's our numbers in the academy?" he asked.

"117 fully enrolled. 31 ready to graduate next month" she replied. "Consider them all activated. Even the green as grass grunts" he said. The woman looked astounded. "Y... yes sir" she said. "Dismissed" he said. Susan watched them all leave the room before talking to him. "What's this mission?" she asked. "I'm going to the Mogwai homeland to offer an alliance" he said. "Have you lost your fuckin' mind?! They'll kill you on sight!" she yelled. "Unlikely. They're worried about Hope" he replied. "And when you tell them she's with Markus what then?" she asked. "Remind them how moody a teenage girl can be misguided or not" he said. "I'm going" she said. "No, you are not. You're needed here to prepare our forces" he said. "I'm 100 times more powerful them you Keith! I'm better suited magically and by experience!" she said. "I know which is why you're staying. You and Claire are our biggest hitters. Can't take the risk of losing you" he said. "Is that your professional opinion?" she asked quietly. "Professional and personal" he replied. She sat beside him and held his hands healing them. "Your wife is going to kill you" she said to him. "You smell like gingerbread" he muttered.

"I ate my daughter's house" she chuckled. He went to pull away and she held his fast. "You have to let go" he said. She did and cupped her face in her hands. He could hear her crying. Keith left her and walked back to his room.

"What is it you're doing?" Lawan asked him as he sat on the floor and began scribbling arcane after arcane on notes. "Preparing to go on a mission" he replied. Lawan floated down from the bed still carrying their suckling son. She sat down in front of the giant. "What mission?" she asked wary. "I'm going to the Mogwai homeland to parlay for an alliance" he replied not looking at her. "I would grab you by your throat if I want holding Justin" she said coldly. "It's necessary. An agent came back from spying on Markus. His forces outnumber us by three times not to mention even the lowest can sling magics like a Mogwai or yaksha grunt. You think we can prevail?" he asked. "Which doesn't explain why you are going" she said.  "Susan and Claire are needed here. Markus punched right through our wards and barriers like it was nothing to return my agent. You weren't there. He shredded her soul and left her a husk. I put her out of her misery" he said quietly. Lawan said nothing as he kept scribbling one after another arcane. "You are their commander. You can’t out yourself..."

"Leaders lead by example. They take charge and lead from the front. You of ALL people know that" he said. "The yaksha can send soldiers like last time" she said. "We both know the last battle left the yaksha dangerously low on forces. Can they spare 700 troops?" he asked. She shook her head. "And her lies my point. If we marshal both yaksha and Mogwai we might, keyword might, have a chance" he said. There was silence between them. "They respect authority and they fear Hope. I'm the best choice" he explained. "Will you at least make time to spend with your family before you go?" she asked. "Of course I will honey. In the meantime, I need to write as many arcane as possible" he said. Lawan left him to his work as she took turns caring for their children. Two hours had passed as Keith nursed a sore wrist. "How many did you write?!" she asked seeing the floor littered with notes. "200 I think" he replied. "You can't possibly use them all" she said. "Watch this" he said making his sword appear. With a thought, the arcane arrays on the paper floated into the air and one by one was sucked into the sword.  "It can absorb magic energy and spells so I can cast them on the fly. Pretty cool right?" he said grinning. She wasn't smiling.     

Keith sat on the bed and shrank down. He held his daughter Kannika in his lap. The baby girl cooed and touched his face. "Pretty little eyes" he chuckled. He caressed her check. "You look so much like mommy. Yes, you do" he chuckled as he tickled her. Kannika giggled and squirmed in his arms. "She smells so much like you" he said to Lawan. "Justin is like you. So smart and curious" she said laying him in their crib.  He handed her to Lawan and out her down as well for their nap. She sat on the bed and grew to human size. "Shine my nails. Do it naked" she said. Keith chuckled as he took off his clothes. The giantess placed a bottle of enamel before him and watched quietly as he began his work.

As he polished her toenails, he noticed her feet getting sweatier by the passing minute. The giantess was hiding it well, but she was profoundly frightened. "Remember that vision you had?" he asked as he finished on her pinky toe. "How could I forget. Susan killed you" she said. "Exactly. That means I have to come back alive to die by her hand. So don't worry about me" he said. "That's...a morbid way of looking at it" she said. "Your feet are sweating. Pupil dilatation. You're terrified" he said. She took the brush and bottle from him and pinned him under her left sole. "I hate it when you read my body" she said. "But what a good read it is" he grinned. She rolled him around with her foot until he tapped out on her toes. "You win this round goddess" he smiled. "I'm always good for a rematch little man" she sneered. She held him to her nipple and squeezed out a drop of milk. Keith greedily drank it. "Are you up for sex?" she asked. "Normally I'd jump at the chance to fuck you, but I need to save my stamina" he said. Lawan frowned. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you" he said.

"Okay. Go ahead" she said. "The signet told me a lot about you but there's one thing it told me you never did. Why didn't you say you said a sister" he said. Lawan nearly dropped him. "I... I don't have a sister Keith. I'm an only child" she said. "I'm telling you that you do. Her name is Nyx which is odd as that isn't Thai" he said. She narrowed his eyes. "Lawan I'm not fucking with you. You got an older sister" he said. Lawan saw he wasn't joking at all. "Couldn't it have lied?" she asked. "It doesn't do lies dear. You ask it a question and as long as someone knows the answer it gives it to you. That's its power" he said. She seemed greatly disturbed by it all. "A mystery we can solve together" he said patting her hand. Keith hopped off her hand and grew back. She watched him silently as he put his clothing on. "How soon can I expect you back?" she asked. "Don't know. Hopefully no longer than a day but this is a big thing. We have a cease fire with them not a peace treaty" he replied. "If you do not return, I will rain down unholy vengeance upon them" she said. "Make sure you find a good babysitter first" he said. Lawan laughed at him but grew quiet. She got off the bed. Lawan embraced him and kissed him deeply. Her heartbeat rapidly and her breath mixed with his. Once breaking the kiss for air, Keith caught her as her knees gave out.

Keith placed her in the bed. "I'll be back" he said softly. She looked up at him with eyes so sorrowful it hurt his soul to leave her like that. "Do...do what you have to do" she said quietly. Keith left the room ignoring her crying. He returned to Control where Susan and Joseph awaited. "You sure about these coordinates boss?" a woman asked. "It's there. Hope confirmed it just days after the battle and they haven't relocated" he replied. "You're walking into the lion's den Keith" Susan said. "Then like the biblical story I'll have to play the part of Daniel" he said smiling. He weakly smiled at him. "How did your wife take it?" she asked. "The same way you are. I can feel you Susan. We're still connected" he whispered to her. Ever since Susan shared a piece of her soul, Keith could sense her strongest emotions. He motioned for Joseph to begin the translocation process. "Boss? Come...come back safe" the woman said from her tiny chair. "I will Chelsea" he said. She looked shocked. "What? Thought I didn't know your name? I memorized all your names. Family doesn't forget family" he said as she stepped towards the portal. They watched as he walked through. "Is he like that to all the girls?" Chelsea asked very quietly. "Those he cares about. And with that big heart, he cares about a lot of people" Susan replied. Chelsea had moved to the colony just two months before and found it weird so many girls lusted after one man. Now, now she could see his appeal. A father, brother, friend, lover, and leader. And he had taken it upon himself to risk his life to save them all.              

Keith stood still where he was taking everything in. It was extremely similar to the lost Mogwai city he and Lawan discovered earlier that year. "Warmer than expected" he muttered unzipping his coat. Flashes all around him as female Mogwai soldiers grew to human size surrounding him. "Easy. I didn't come looking for a fight" he said holding his hands up.  A small woman walked casually to his giant feet. "Interesting. You come unannounced by high their magic, brandishing a magic sword, stays in giant form, and the leader of a hated enemy and say you didn't come for a fight" she said. "We both know if I meant to do harm, we would not be having a conversation now" he said. "Then for what purpose you come?" she asked. "To seek an alliance" he replied. The soldiers looked at each other. "Peace negotiations? Why now after four months of silence?" she asked. "Maybe we can speak in private?" he asked. "Shrink yourself as a gesture of good faith" she said. Keith looked at the soldiers who had glowing hands ready to strike. "If on your honor I am not to be harmed" he said. "...agreed as long as you do not provoke us” she replied. Keith shrank himself to her size and walked towards her. The girl looked to be 19 and wore a dark blue dress, flats on her feet and her hair in a ponytail. "Easy boy. I can feel power from her. Do not take her beauty as weakness" Oberon whispered. The woman waved her hand at the giantesses around them and bid one to stay. "Follow me" she said.

As Keith followed her, he took note of the citizens. Those that did the dirty work, garbage collection, street sweeping, cleaning windows seemed to bow as others passed by. Their clothes poorer in nature. The others dressed in clean modern attire, but he found it odd as he saw no poor looking children at all. "State sponsored care?" he wondered. Stranger things got as he kept walking down the Main Street. Estates and mansions were fantastic but segregated. The less fancy housing looked similar like copied. He once remarked that the mogwai way of life was like North Korea. He had no idea how right he was. "Memorizing all you see to add to your files?" the woman asked. "Actually, we got a good deal of intelligence on you over the last few months. Is it true your leadership body committed suicide?" he asked. The woman flinched. "After your cowardly trap shrank them to the size of ants, it was the only choice they had to alleviate the shame. I myself was spared as I was on assignment at the time" she replied. "You sent soldiers to obliterate a city full of innocent people. If my attack was cowardly, it was brought upon by your people's dishonor" he said softly. Keith knew that would sting the woman. Honor was everything to a Mogwai.

"But I did not come to discuss the past. Nor bring death to your people so you can relax" he said. "Who said I was not relaxed? Did I not agree to parlay?" she asked. "Yes, but your giantess guard behind us is terrified of me" he said. The woman stopped at looked up. The soldier stood at attention. "I assure you she's nearly shitting herself. Her bare feet are sweating more than normal. A telltale sign of fear" he said touching his nose. The woman looked at the giantess' feet. Being human size, she could not wear shoes as to mar the street. Angrily, she dismissed the giantess. "This way. We are almost there" she said. Keith followed her through a gated entrance into a meticulous estate. Servants rushed to the main entrance as their mistress had returned. Their eyes suddenly locked onto Keith. "He is a guest. Fetch us some tea" she said gracefully as she took off her flats. Keith took off his shoes and his sword and two servants took their shoes away as they entered. The woman bid him to enter the main hall and sit. "We have not been formally introduced. I'm Keith" he said. "...I am Fang Xiao Long" she replied. "Which family point? North, south, ...

"West" she said. Keith nodded. "I met the one from the North. Xaimei. She commanded a phoenix" he said. "I know. Also, I know she died in battle" Fang said as she changed behind a curtain. "She died well with honor of that means anything" he said. "It does. Thank you" Fang said reappearing in an old style of dress and sat down across from him. "Now. Why ask for an alliance now?" she asked. "Have you ever heard of an organization called ZODIAC?" he asked. Fang tensed up. "We have had dealings. None of them ended well" she replied. "Same thing on our end. We've killed over half their leaders but now they have what they want" he said. Your people killed leaders of ZODIAC?! Why do you insult me with lies?  he sneered. "It's true" he said sliding his phone to her. On the screen was a picture of the Eye of Bast and the Signet of Tantalus in his hands. "Please...continue" she whispered as a servant brought tea and cups. "Their leader Markus seeks to release ancient Etherion users from a special kind of prison. Now he has the tools and my very own daughter to do it" he said. Fang cocked an eyebrow. "He has your daughter? She's not among you anymore?" she asked. "...yes" he replied. Keith knew giving that out was a dangerous thing.  

"Even with the addition of an extremely powerful Mage in our ranks recently, it's not enough to stop what he has on command" he said. "Explain" she said. Keith explained Susan, what he had learned about Markus' army, and ultimately what his goal was. "I should've had more tea made" she muttered pouring the last. "That's all you have to say?" he asked. "Other than you're a damn fool for coming here? If magical beings are to become the rulers of Earth under him, what's to stop us from joining his ranks?" she chuckled. "Let's not kid ourselves here. As much as you like enslaving humans, you ultimately want them exterminated in China. Every last one in this country as revenge for driving you out from your homeland centuries ago.  That won't fit into his plans. His goal is not to exterminate but enslave. To keep humans as pets and plaything not kill them. What do you think he'll do when you try to kill 1.3 billion of them?" he asked. "There are over 6 billion..."

"He's cultivating humans descended from Lemurians. Those with power. And I'm betting there's more than a few in that 1.3 billion. Ans that's not even your worst problem. As I said, those with Lemurian blood and magic get top spot in his new world and those that don't are slaves. That's means you. Well, maybe it won't be so bad. He might leave the yaksha alone seeing how peace loving they are but your kind? Naw, he'll wipe you out of existence within a week just to make sure. You thought you had to fear my daughter? Imagine 13 just like her and far more ruthless" he said coldly. There was silence between them. Keith rubbed his eyes. "You may rest in the guest room. I have to discuss this with others" she said. Keith nodded and followed a servant to a room. He laid down on the bed and sighed. "Well I'm still alive" he muttered.

He sent off text messages to Lawan and Susan assuring he was alright. After blowing up his phone for 20 minutes he finally relaxed. Keith closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. He awoke some time later hearing clicks from his phone. He turned his head to see pictures and emails opening and closing seemingly by themselves. But as his eyes focused, he could see a very tiny person was standing on the screen. With speed, his fingers plucked whomever it was up, and his free hand picked up his phone. His email was open in one app with the word zodiac in the search box. His text app open with a similar search. Keith turned his attention to his fingers and squinted. "Seems Fang sent a little spy to search my phone" he said. His voice booming at the person, a female he guessed. She wasn't struggling in his grip and stared at the titan. "How does your people treat spies? I'd imagine if you were in my shoes, you'd crush them into paste between your fingers and simply drop them down your throat" he said coldly. "You're lucky I'm not you" he said concentrating. The spy grew between his fingers until he stopped it when she was a few inches bigger. More manageable yet harmless. He relaxed and let her fall into his open palm. Covered in black fabric, the 17-year-old girl said not a word to him. Keith could tell she was afraid as her fingers and toes kept clinching. He looked back at his phone. 12:34 a.m. Beijing time. "I'm guessing you unlocked my phone by looking at my thumbprints" he said smiling. He extended his finger to her and she flinched. "I won't harm you, but I do expect some answers" he said petting her hair. Keith saw he wasn't going to get anywhere with her and left the room with her in tow.

"Where's Fang?" he asked a servant. "This mistress is indisposed. Please return to your room sir" the older woman replied. Keith ignored her and followed her scent in the house. It led him to a training hall where a young man waited outside with a towel. He tended up and barred his way. Keith shoved him aside and three the door open. "I asked not to be...I see" Fang said relaxing her stance. Standing barefoot, clad in a white shirt and black leggings, stood Fang. "It's this how you show hospitality? By spying on me while I sleep?" he asked showing the girl. Fang scowled at her and Keith got his first reaction from her as she cowered in his palm. "I know she was acting on your orders" he said. Fang made a gesture and grew the girl to their size. She waved her to leave. The girl scampered out of the hall. "What did you expect? An enemy coming to us about a coming war and needing our help? We were to take you at your word and possible photoshopped pictures?" she asked walking away and picking up a stave. She twirled it around showing off her martial arts. Keith grabbed another and stood in front of her.

"And if we did join your fight? Your kind would drag us down and we'd end up cannon fodder" she said coldly. Keith swung the stave and she ducked. Using momentum and ducked down cracking her in the shin making her stagger to the floor. "I'll have you know my people have gotten stronger since this summer. Fang was not happy. She attacked him slowly at first as if playing with him but soon found herself being parried away. She slammed her stave to the floor and jump kicked. Keith blocked using his forearm and grabbed her big toe twisting it. The pain made her fall off balance. She angrily threw the stave away and Keith did the same. Fang was astounded to see not only he holding his own but actually using familiar combat forms. She stopped to catch her breath and Keith pivoted his right leg and raised his left arm. "Crane blocking tiger" she muttered. "Wife taught me" he said. She raised her hand to stop the match. "I apologize for underestimating you" she said. "Not your fault. Everyone looks down on borrowers, but we got our own advantages even if we can't use magic"

She looked at him curious. "Our eyesight and hearing are better than yours. All I had to do is watch your muscles flex and listen for your heartbeat to increase to know when you'd attack" he explained. She sighed and nodded. "The truth is I believe you, but the branch families are skeptical. ZODIAC has kept their peace for many years" she said. "And they need further convincing" he said. She nodded. "ZODIAC has bought

 shares in China's ZTE squeezing us out. We've sent agents to ZTE to investigate at the sudden want in our largest mobile telecommunications company but not one has returned. If you find out the reasons why..."

"Then they owe me a favor" he finished. Again, she nodded. "Start with their office in Hong Kong. I'll send an agent to accompany you" she said. "As long as that girl is the one that comes with me" he said. "You must be...she can do no magic other than size magic. She's a mute. There are far better" she said. "She didn't bat an eye as I held her trapped between my fingers. All I need is a good fighter and someone who knows to keep a low profile. That's my condition" he said. Fang left the hall followed by Keith. She wiped the sweat from her face and walked right up to the girl kneeling on the floor in the main hall. "Banshen. You are to accompany this male on his mission. See to all his needs and defend him. Do not fail me" she warned. Banshen looked shocked but obeyed by nodding. 20 minutes later, they were on a private jet to Hong Kong.

"That looks cute on you" Keith said pointing to her pink sweater and white coat. She didn't say anything. "So, it's true you're mute?" he asked. She nodded. "First time on a plane?" he asked. She shook her head. Keith found her to be very withdrawn. "I'm Keith" he said extending his hand. She didn't move. "Shake" he said. She extended her hand and he shook it. "I'm not the big bad evil your people make me out to be Banshen" he said. She stared out of the window and closed her eyes. Keith followed suit and took a quick nap. The plane landed as he yawned. 3 hours of sleep but he took what he could. Banshen was already waiting at the door for him. "Where's your stuff?" he asked. She pointed to her pocket. "Ah, same deal" he said grinning. She nodded and exited the plane. A private car pulled up and both got in. He found it odd as they weren't heading to the economic district. "Where are we going?" he asked. Banshen typed on a phone. "Safe house? I guess we could freshen up" he said. They were dropped off at an apartment building. Nothing fancy at all and unassuming until you reached the door. Keith could sense a barrier. Banshen touched glowing arcane and the door unlocked.

She kicked off her shoes and bid Keith to use the bathroom as she sat on the sofa. Shrugging, Keith went to take a shower. "Saved you some hot water" he said as he came out. To his surprise, the girl was naked. She quickly bent down and took his cock out. Before he could object, she started sucking it. "Fuck...no. No, Banshen" he said pulling back. She pointed to herself and nodded. "No that's not it. I know she said to see to my needs but that doesn't mean you have suck my dick or fuck me" he said. She looked confused. "Just...go take a shower" he sighed. When she emerged, she sat down on the bed quietly. She looked at him and their eyes met. She suddenly shrank down in front of him and spread her legs. Keith shook his head. The girl used magic to switch the situation completely and now he was staring right at her giant shaved pussy. "That's not going to change my mind. It's not a size thing" he said. She restored their sizes. She typed on her phone. "No, I do find you attractive. It's just I don't fuck girls unless I feel something for them. And the same should go for you" he said. She hung her head. "You...you don't understand any of that do you?" he asked.      

She didn't answer as she stared at her toes. "Come on. We're on the clock" he said petting her hair. Banshen stood up and opened a closet. Inside were black stealth suits and a variety of weapons. She quickly put her’s on and chose a straight short sword. Keith took more time as not being accustomed to wearing such a thing. She helped him into it and zipped the back. Keith could smell her pheromones. She weakly smiled at him as he turned to look. "Damn thing is tight huh. You can see the bulge" he said. Banshen grinned slyly. "What's so funny? I can see your nipples you know" he said. The girl blushed and coughed as she checked her sword. Keith enlarged his and checked it. Banshen was mesmerized by it. She went to touch it. "NO! Don't...don't touch it. It's extremely dangerous. It could crack a diamond like a peanut shell. Not to mention it absorbs magic" he said. Banshen backed away. "If we're ready we should head out" he said. She nodded and led him out of the apartment. "Shouldn't we conceal ourselves? We look like broke ass ninjas" he asked. She shook her head and led him to the rooftop. There he saw a bird coop and she opened the cage. She placed a pigeon on the ground. She smiled at him as she shrank them both. It was then Keith noticed the bird actually had a saddle on its back. "You must be joking" he said. She shook her head as she climbed onto it. She yanked Keith on and she had him hold her waist. From a tiny pouch, she waved a strange scented dust near its beak. The bird cooed and suddenly took to the air. Keith screamed as they climbed higher and higher.

Banshen tapped his cheek and he opened his eyes. "Fuck!" he said seeing them flying over Hong Kong a thousand feet in the air. He held her tighter and she exhaled hard. "Oops. Sorry" he muttered easing up. It was surreal to travel in such a way. An inch-tall flying on the back of a homing pigeon. Not to mention he was holding onto a girl that earlier that year would've been trying to kill his friends. An updraft caught them, and Keith tensed but Banshen hunkered down as the bird glided and dove. The bird made a hard right and headed to a gated two-story house. It promptly landed on the roof. Banshen had the bird smell another type of dust and it flew back the way they came. "So how do we...oh" Keith said as she went and fumbled with a brick in the chimney stack. "This house is really old. Probably why a house is smack right in a city with one of the highest real estate prices in the world" he said. She typed on her phone. "Victorian era. Built after the boxer rebellion? You're pretty smart" he said. The girl blushed and shrugged. She wedged the false brick aside and had them slide down a rubber insulated wire.

It was clear this way of entering was set up for tiny people some time ago. "I thought we were going right to their headquarters" he said after landing in a surprisingly clean fireplace pit. She typed again. "So, your inside man lives here and doesn't go out much. Must be some guy to afford this" he said. She pointed to herself and gesture money. "Oh. You pay him off" Keith said as they stepped out onto the floor. Keith stopped her pointing to his ears. He could hear creaking floorboards. A giant man walked through the living room to the kitchen. "Grow us back. If other went missing, we need to be ready" he said. Banshen agreed and restored their size. The girl creeped quietly up to the man who poured a glass of alcohol. Close enough, she grabbed him from behind and pulled him to the floor. The muffled man shrank in her grip until she had a good grasp of him in her right hand. Confidant, she walked to his couch and sat down dropping him on his antique coffee table. "Oh god not another one" he squeaked. "Yes and no" Keith said walking into view. "You're not a mogwai" he muttered. "No, I'm not and I find it interesting you didn’t start in Chinese. Why?" Keith asked sitting down. The man didn't answer.

Banshen bent forward and pinned him down on the table with a finger. With her free hand she began tearing off his clothing until he was left naked. "I suggest you answer our questions. You answered in English before you saw me. Why?" Keith asked. He looked terrified but still didn't answer. Banshen looked to the side to see a small bowl of cashews. She picked one up and placed it next to the man. She made a gesture. "Wha...what's that mean?" he asked. "Means she's shoving that up your ass if you refuse to talk...for starters. I'm betting you don't wanna be raped by a nut...forgive me a legume" Keith chuckled. "Please...I can't. They'll kill me and my son" he begged. Keith stood up and walked over to the bookcase. On it was a picture of him and a boy around 8 years old. "This him?" Keith asked. The man nodded. "Where is he now?" Keith asked. "In his room" the man replied. "Just you and him here?" Keith asked. "For now. They will return. They will know if I talked. They will find me if I run. They...they killed the others who came" he replied. "I suggest you start from the beginning" Keith said sitting back down. The man went to explain that the Mogwai uses him to program exploits into the firmware updates for ZTE. From there they can hack any ZTE phone they wanted but two weeks ago his son came home from school with a young man. A western man. Naturally the father freaked out and the man pushed his way into the house. He ordered the father to create a firmware update. The father refused and threaten to call the police. When he went for the phone, the man chuckled telling him that would be a very bad idea. He turned around to see his son shrunk and held captive in his fist. He threatened to crush the life out of him if he didn't agree. The father agreed.

To keep appearances, he wiped the boy's memory and sent him upstairs but warned not to tell a soul about their agreement or else. A Mogwai came not long after about an end of the year update of their own and the man refused. Before he could say anything, the Mogwai was gone but the next day he found a tiny body cut to pieces on his kitchen counter. It was the mogwai from the day before. A reminder to keep his mouth shut. Another came days later, and a similar fate came upon her. And then a third one and this one was burnt to a crisp. The man was losing his sanity finding and disposing of them every other day before his son came home from school. His story was interrupted by the sound of cracking floorboards and footsteps. "Daddy. Who are they?" the boy asked in Chinese. Banshen went immediately to shrink him until Keith stopped her. "Friends" the father replied. The boy got closer. Keith caught his scent. Soap, slightly sweaty feet, and testosterone. Keith found the latter strange. And as he got even closer, he noticed something completely off. Keith stood up. "I'm Keith" he said. The boy flinched for a very brief moment. Enough to confirm a suspicion. So fast none registered it at first, Keith grew his sword and stabbed the boy where he stood. He pulled it back and flicked it free of blood. "NOOOO! I answered your questions!" the father screamed as he watched the boy fall to the floor bleeding. "That's not your son" Keith said. His sword glowed as it absorbed the illusion spell. To the father's and Banshen's astonishment, the boy was not a boy but a young western man. "He's...he's the man that came home with my son" he muttered. "He took his place to keep tabs on you. Probably soon after that day" Keith said bending down.

"Where's my son?!" the man yelled. The young man grinned before dying. "Goddammit. The wound wasn't even that bad. Must've killed himself somehow" Keith muttered. "And the likelihood of my son being found if he's alive" the man said. Keith motioned for Banshen to step aside. "Grow him back. The way he is now he won't say shit. Not even the threat of death will get him to talk" Keith said. Banshen looked at the sobbing man. She reluctantly agreed and restored his size. "I doubt he's dead. They're probably keeping him alive somewhere in case they need him further" Keith said. The man looked at him. "If you help us, we will try...keyword try to find him" he said. The man nodded and disappeared upstairs. He returned with some clothes on and booted up his PC. "I have to log into the program engine and load the script. This will take a bit of time" he explained. "Do it. We'll be upstairs looking around for a clue or something" Keith said walking upstairs. Keith and Banshen searched the boy's room. Nothing odd on his laptop. His phone looked clean. Banshen sat on his bed. "Rest. I'll shrink down and take a different perspective" he said. Keith shrank down and began exploring the room. Banshen watched in amusement as the small man crawled on top of bookcases, a desk, a tv stand, underneath the bed, and eventually emerging from a closet. He sat down near her feet and sighed.   

"Not good. That other guy's scent is all over the room, but the kid's is weak. Found a pair of dirty socks with his scent but it's days old. The boy hasn't been here in over a week I'm betting. Fits with his dad's story. Banshen picked him up and placed him next to her on the bed. She typed out something. "I don't have a clue what to tell him. Looks like a sweet kid too. Smart and studious by the looks of those textbooks on his desk. Loves his dad a lot. Supported by him emotionally judging by those three Kung Fu trophies on the bookcase. Was I kidding him by saying he was still alive?" Keith asked the giantess. Banshen typed on her phone. "If it was me, I wouldn't kill the boy. Too valuable a hostage" it read. "He could be anywhere by now" Keith groaned. He unshrank himself. "Let's tell the dad" he muttered walking out.

"We found no leads on your son. All I can see is he hasn't been here in over a week" Keith said to him.  "I promised his mother before she died, I would care for him even at the cost of my life. This...all of this is for him" the man said softly. Banshen pointed to the computer screen. "The project they had you working on" Keith said looking at script. "There and loaded. Just a few more lines of code and it will be done" he said. "And it's a firmware update? Same security flaws?" he asked. "Actually no. In fact, it's a packet" he said. "Packet?" Keith asked. What they had me do indicates it's supposed to be part of another set of code. It's not even the complete update" he said. "That makes no damn sense. Why would they tell you to make an incomplete update? Why parse it out instead of you doing the whole thing?" Keith asked. The man shook his head silently. "I've stopped caring. My son is gone God knows where and it's because of people like you" he said coldly at Banshen.

"Yeah you. They had to have found out about me by your kind. It's not enough you toy with our lives but to bring a foreign evil as well? Curse you and all your ilk!" he said literally spitting at her feet. She watched the man break down sobbing as he clutched his son's picture. Banshen looked down and away.  He was everything to me. He would've been a far better man that could ever be. Smarter than me, he excelled in everything he tried his hand in. He was even supposed to attend a Kung Fu championship next month. He already won a few" the man said upset. "I saw the three trophies in his room. I'm not going to give up looking" Keith said patting his shoulder. "...three? He only won two" the man said. "Well I saw three in his room" Keith told him. "Impossible. I've gone to all his matches and he's only won two" the man said to him. "It couldn't be" Keith muttered. "Couldn't be what?" the man asked. "You son might've been here the whole time" Keith said heading back upstairs. Banshen and the father followed.

"Here they are" Keith said placing them on the desk. "Yes, I know these two but not this one" the father said. Keith took a hard look at it. "Strange. The others have dust on them but not this one. Like brand new and heavier. Banshen tapped on his shoulder and showed him her phone. He read it and looked at the trophy. "Shit your right! The others have a figure in the same kicking stance but not this one. Uniform is missing too. Banshen put it on the floor. I want everyone to step back" he said. Banshen did as Keith shrank himself. He took out his sword. "What are you doing?!" the father said frightened. "About to free your son if I'm right. Now be quiet. This shit isn’t easy" Keith replied. Keith concentrated his will into the sword. Such a delicate process wouldn't have been possible with his old sword Rune Breaker, but this wasn't his old sword. Crafted with the finest magical silver and hammered, folded, and quenched dozens of times by the most experienced man to ever walk the Earth, the new, vastly more powerful, Rune Glory could sense the desire of her master. The blade glowed as it turned an ethereal strange smoke like form. Keith swung it down swiftly and it seemed as if the blade cut clean down through it. He stepped back.

In seconds, the figure on the trophy shined brilliantly and when it faded a small tiny boy fell into Keith’s arms. Keith grew back immediately and placed the boy on the desk. "My son. Is he..."

"Alive. Very weak but alive" Keith said not looking away. Keith checked the boy over. He was breathing. His giant finger felt his little heart beating abet weakly. His fingernails tickled his tiny bare feet and Keith smiled as his teeny little toes curled. "No neurological damage" Keith sighed. "Please restore his size. I beg you" the man pleaded. "Not yet. His body went through a trauma at the molecular level. Doing so now could be dangerous. In a few hours after he stabilized we can" Keith said. The father caressed his son's hair weeping. Keith and Banshen gave him some time alone. "Why do such a thing to a child?" he asked. "It's brilliant in a disturbing way. He had to keep your son hostage so shrinking him was a no brainer. But he would have to worry about a tiny boy escaping or getting killed in an accident. Cages wouldn't be the best bet, so he transmuted the boy into brass and hid him in plain sight as a trophy" Keith replied looking at the sleeping four-inch child. "Your son was transmuted in a fighting stance. Means he was ready to beat that guy's ass. You should be proud to have such a brave son" Keith told him. "I am. He has his mother's heart" the father said.

Banshen tapped his shoulder. "I know. They can come right back. Mr. Lu, I need you to finish their demand. Send it off" Keith said. Then man nodded. "My son..." he muttered. "Will be cared for by my friend. I need you to get to it" he said. The man looks at her coldly. "I swear no harm will come to him" Keith said. "Forgive my skepticism but I have heard what Mogwai do to cute or handsome human males. Including children" he said coldly. Banshen, who had shrunk herself down and climbed onto the desk looked up at the giant. It was clear that she was deeply hurt by the comment. Keith watched the man leave the room. "Don't pay him no mind. I know..."

She shook her head. She sent a text to Keith. "I deserve that and much worse. I will care for the boy. See to the father" it read. Keith left her alone and went downstairs. She held the boy's hand and stroked his hair. She had done horrible things in her life. Some just to pass the time, some being ordered to do so, and others to see to her frustration. She had never given thought to those she crushed under her feet, tortured with her ass, or simply eaten alive. And yes, some were as young as the boy in her care. But being with someone that treated her as a person instead of a weapon made her rethink things. And it brought guilt. If he made her feel this way in just a few hours, how would she feel being around him for much longer?

The father typed away adding script to the program code. An hour passed, two hours, three. "Done. All I have to do is send it to the server" he said. Keith nodded and Mr. Lu sent it off. "Now what?" he asked. Keith checked his phone. "Now we unshrunk your kid and you two pack your bags" Keith replied.  Keith followed him upstairs and saw the man check on his son. He cocked an eyebrow to see the Mogwai hadn’t moved and was stroking his shrunken son's forehead. "Any change?" Keith asked her. She smiled and made a snoring sound. "Good, that's good. His dad sent off the update" he said. She stared at him wide eyed. "I know it's risky, but these people wouldn't have stopped for anything. It would've just got worse. This way they get what they want but I memorized the IP address of the server farm where it went. I can back trace their connection when they go to verify it. I'll then be able to see what they're up to" he explained. Banshen nodded and went back to watching the boy. "You look after him like a mother. Do you have kids?" he asked. She paused and texted him. "...I did once. Not anymore" she replied. Keith wondered what that meant. She was 17 so her child had to be extremely young. Whatever answer to his question must've been a painful one for her and he left it alone.

Keith watched quietly as the father packed clothes for his son then turned to look at him. "Can you undo it now?" he asked. "Sure. It's been long enough" Keith replied picked the boy up and placing him on his bed. Using the sword in its shrunken form, Keith delicately pricked the boy's finger. It was far easier and safer than trying an ethereal cut. The boy slowly grew as Rune Glory absorbed the shrinking spell cast upon him. Back to normal size, his father wasted no time cuddling him. "D... daddy?" the boy asked opening his eyes. The father nodded. "The westerner! He's...he was here" the boy said looking around. He saw Keith and cowered in his father's arms. "It's okay. They're friends" Mr. Lu said. "Your English is very good" Keith said. "Daddy makes me practice a lot" the boy said. "How do you feel? Do you remember anything?" Keith asked. "The strange westerner was glowing and my room got really big. Then...then I was in darkness for a long time all alone. But before I woke up, I felt a warm hand on my hand, and I heard singing. A pretty song by a girl" he replied. Banshen hopped off the desk and grew to human size. She patted his head. "It was you wasn't it? This hand and you singing to me" he said. Banshen weakly smiled.

"You should go now. Don't use credit cards. Cash only" Keith said. "Already took all the cash I had from my safe. Get dressed son" the man said. "Where are we going? Why do we have to go?" the boy asked. "Someplace far away. Bad men like the westerner you saw before want to hurt us" the man said quietly. Keith and Banshen watched quietly as they entered a taxi 20 minutes later. The man paused and turned around. "Thank you" he said softly. Keith waved bye as he and his son entered the taxi. "We should get going too" he said. Banshen nodded and threw some dust on the ground. Moments later a pigeon flew down to the ground. "How?" Keith asked. She made a circle motion with her hand. "He was in a holding pattern? Haha...okay. Got it" Keith chuckled as they hopped onto the bird. Hey, flew back to the safehouse. "Don't know about you but I could use another shower. I smell like fireplace and pigeon" he said shedding his clothes. Finishing his shower, Banshen took her turn quietly. He didn't know her well, but he could see something was on her mind.

She came out in just a towel and bent over to take a bottled water out of the mini fridge. She handed it to Keith and got another for herself. "He said you were singing. Are you really mute?" he asked. She looked frightened to answer. Keith pulled her to sit next to them. "What happens here stays here" he said softly. She looked at her toes. "You're not mute, are you?" he asked. She looked into his eyes. "N..no" she stammered. "Then why don't you speak?" he asked. "Speak...n... not...well" she replied. "English or in general?" he asked. "All" she replied. "Mogwai...don't...let us live" she replied. "Why would they hurt one of their...oh. Oh, I get it now" he said nodding. "Your name. I translated your name earlier. Banshen means halfling in Chinese. You're only half Mogwai. I'm betting the other half is human. They don't allow children with physical or mental issues to live" he said. She looked terrified and bowed on the bed. He could hear her sniffling and shaking. "And it was safer to pretend you couldn't speak" he finished. "Banshen. Look at me. I'm not going to rat you out. Now raise your head" he said. She did and he felt so sorry for her. "Do you want to come back with me? You can live freely. No missions, no fearing for your life" he asked. She was so shocked she sat up.

She touched his cheek and wept as she nodded. "Okay" he said. Her hands went down and pulled his cock out. She immediately went to sucking it. "I said you don't have to do that" he groaned. She pushed his hands away as he went to stop her. Keith saw in her body she wanted this. It's wasn't out of obligation. Her pretty feet swaying back and forth as she bobbed up and down his dick. Her tongue tickling his head. Keith groaned as he shot his seed into her mouth. She got up surprised. "I'm so sorry. I should've warned you" he said. She shook her head as she sloshed his cum in her mouth. She swallowed it and smiled. "S... sweet" she said. Her hands roamed all over his body as she studied him. She tossed her robe aside and held out her hand. Keith shrank before her as she got closer. At five inches, he was slightly bigger than usual, but it was clear she planned it that way. She held him in both hands smiling warmly. She kissed his face and then all over his body.

"Okay...that...oh shit...that tickles" he said as she licked his ass. She said him on her tongue and pulled it in. Half of him hung out of her mouth as she sucked on him. His bare feet touching her back teeth as she moaned. Suddenly, she pulled him out and now slick with spit, pushed him into her pussy feet first. Banshen was gentle pushing him in and out. He never went in more than shoulder deep. She took her time and was methodical. Worried she would hurt or scare him or just wanting this moment to last, he didn't know. But as he feet and legs touched her walls, he felt traces of scarring. Banshen had been brutally raped and more than once to do that. And with a whimper she came. Keith grew himself back and cleaned himself. She looked happy laying on the bed looking at him. Keith returned to the bed soon after. "Plane...ready...hour". she said. "Then we have a few more minutes of fun" he grinned as he sat down.

She looked at his hard cock and saw him looking at her pussy. She looked worried. "I know you've been hurt done there before. I can be as gentle as you need me to" he said. She was embarrassed that he knew she'd been raped. She turned away in shame. She felt him take hold of her ankle and brought her foot to his face. She was shocked seeing him suck her toes. "No... dirty" she whimpered. "Nothing is dirty about you" he said letting go of her foot. He slowly pushed himself inside her. "Wrong...I'm dirty. Bad...evil. Killed people. Good people. Children!" she cried. She felt him pull back. She was certain he would reject her but then she felt him push right back in. "Because you were told to. Ordered to. Raised to think and feel that it was the way of things. Forgiveness starts from within. It's the only way you can move forward" he said speeding up a little. She embraced him and sat in his lap. Keith gently bounced her up and down on his shaft until he felt a tightness. Banshen whimpered pitifully as she came. Her pussy milked his cock for seed which it gave freely. "They...won't let me...leave" she muttered. "I will think of a way, but you have to trust me" he said. She nodded silently.

On the flight back, she wanted to sit at his side but knew they were being watched. They couldn't show any affection or friendship. Keith could see she was worried. That she didn't want to go back to a life of servitude and torturing and killing people. Someone like her would kill themselves before going back to that. Keith had to think of a plan and quick.

Three hours later...

Keith and Banshen entered Fang's estate. They made their way to the main house and entered. There Fang sat reading a book and cracking her toes without a care in the world. "Back so soon? That’s either a good or very bad thing. Which is it?" she asked. "ZODIAC did indeed get to your contact. They killed the handlers you sent" he replied. "For what purpose?" she asked. "They needed him to write part of a firmware code. Why I don't know. To avoid a messy and possibly public fight, we had him complete and send the code off" he said. She narrowed her eyes and loudly slapped her book shut. "And our contact?" she asked. "Escaped into the wind. Where he went, we do not know" he replied. Fang got up from her chair and walked past him to Banshen. "Is what he said true?" she asked her. Banshen nodded. Fang shrank the girl where she stood. She placed her bare foot on her. Keith tensed up. "I can understand him but not you. You should have secured the contact by whatever means. You failed me. You failed the Mogwai" she said pushing her giant sole on the two-inch girl. "If I may interject. I didn't come back empty handed" he said. Fang released her foot on her.

"I have the IP address of the server farm the code was uploaded to. With it, your people can hack it at their leisure. All of ZTE's secrets are yours. Shareholders, product development, emails of the board members. You can make billions off of it or blackmail to your hearts content" he said. Keith quickly scribbled down the address. "Take this to your council" he said. Fang slipped her shoes on. "I shall. Banshen you are on house arrest. Servant. Take her to the cage" she said coldly. A middle-aged woman plucked the tiny girl from the floor and carried her away. "Make yourself at home" Fang told him as she departed. Keith sat nervously in the living room. He had prevented her from being crushed like a bug under her feet, but she wasn't safe by no means. And he couldn't risk attending to her right then. Fang finally came back two hours later. She looked tired and sweaty. She roughly kicked off her shoes and poured herself some tea. "You look exhausted" Keith said. "A bunch of squabbling egotists will do that. It was a close vote. 7 to 6 in favor of helping you. I was the tiebreaker" she said to him.

"Thanks. I really mean that" he said. Keith got on his knees and bowed. The woman smiled and pushed her sweaty foot on his head. "Do not thank me so quickly. You will get only 75 of our soldiers and they come from the 9th legion. Low level casters with discipline issues" she said Keith held her foot and kissed her smelly sole. "I'll take what I can get. A pleasure to meet a woman who can see the forest and not just the trees" he said smiling. "Flattery will get you everywhere with me" she smiled putting her teacup down. "Now I must attend to my failure of a soldier" she said. "And pray tell what is to become of her?" Keith asked. "This is her third fuckup on a mission. She has proven to be too much a hinderance and not an asset" she replied walking down the hall. Keith followed her into a room where a small cage sat while quietly popping a pill taken from his pocket. "Banshen, due to your incompetence, you let a valued asset escape us. This was your third great failure and you brought dishonor to my house. At dawn you will be executed. Spend tonight in meditation and pray for Buddha to grant mercy on your soul" she said coldly. Banshen hung her head and Keith could hear her whimpering. "If I may. She was under my command. I will not protest the judgement in honor of your traditions, but I ask I may carry out the execution" Keith said.  Fang eyed him for a moment. Banshen stared at the giant with shocked wide eyes. "Very well. You can do as you wish at dawn..."

"I rather it be now as I'm on the clock" he said. Fang sighed. "Okay. It would prove better in the eyes of the council she died quickly anyway. You may proceed" she said. Keith popped the top off the cage and used his fingernails to pluck Banshen up. She didn't squirm but stared at him helplessly and broken hearted. He opened his mouth and dangled her over it. He tried to tune out her sobbing and sudden squeal as she was dropped inside. Keith had to swallow her. At her size she could easily drown in his saliva. He felt her scream as she was swallowed alive. Another proof that she wasn't mute. "Sweet and sour" he chuckled. Fang laughed at patted his back. "You are not the same man from the summer" she said. "Good or bad thing?" Keith asked. "Depends and we shall see" she said. "I must be on my way" he said. "Of course. You shall have our soldiers on the 29th. Until then" she said bowing. "Until then. Joseph. I'm ready to return!" he yelled. Fang wondered who he was talking to and then was shocked to see a portal form before him. "You didn't tell me you had a Mage of this power" she said. "Joseph is powerful but I wouldn't want to be him. What good is power when you can't even heal your own heart?" Keith said before stepping through.

Keith emerged in the control room. He pushed Susan aside and bent down as he thrust his finger into the back of his throat. It took a few tries, but he puked up Banshen. He grew himself and snatched a bottle of water nearby. He splashed her and she coughed. "Easy. Just hold still" he said. "Undo the spell on her Susan" he said. Confused and full of questions, she reluctantly did. Banshen grew to human sized. Shivering and barely clothed she looked at him. "I needed your reaction to be genuine" he said. She slapped him before hugging him crying. "I'm just glad the antacid I popped earlier delayed digestion.  "Chelsea. If you can please escort her to medical and get her some dry warm clothing" he said. The borrower girl rushed to the giantess. "This way please" she said. Keith nodded for her to go. After she left, Susan looked at him. "Bet she was a nice fuck" she snorted.

"She was a warrior slave seeking asylum" he said. "So, is that a yes that you fucked her?" she asked annoyed. "The girl you're jealous of was brutally raped so badly the scars inside her pussy looked like a fucking road map. Not to mention she was scheduled to be executed at dawn. Hence me smuggling her out in my stomach. Still jealous?" he asked irritated. Keith stumbled on his feet and she caught him. "You pulse is erratic" she said. "Little bits of sleep and time zone lag is fucking with me. The mission was a success. We got 75 Mogwai coming to help us on the 29th" he said. "That's only two days away" Susan said. "I know. Cutting it close. Joseph when exactly is the Alignment?" Keith asked. "December 31st at 10:14 pm local time" he replied. "Two days to get them coordinated. No pressure" Keith muttered. "This isn't in our favor" Susan muttered.

"We're borrowers. When has the odds ever been in our favor?" Keith asked as he left the room. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon, he crashed onto his bed. Lawan, who sat quietly on the windowsill staring off out of the window was overjoyed to see his return but saw the utter exhaustion on him. She crawled onto the bed and to his face. "See? Nothing bad happened to me" he chuckled. She trembled touching his giant lips. "When you awaken you will suck my toes" she said. "Yes ma'am" he muttered. "Drink my milk and wash my pussy with your tongue" she said. "Yes ma'am" he muttered. "And after orgasming in your mouth multiple times, you will cuddle me as I cry like a child and thank Buddha for your safe return" she muttered as her voice broke.  "Yes ma'am" he said softly. Keith drifted off to sleep as Lawan lay naked near his mouth. His warm breath keeping her warm.

"And that one?" Susan asked. "A bear" Ruby replied. "What about that one?" Susan asked pointing to a cloud in the sky. "A bunny rabbit" Ruby replied. "It does doesn't it?" Susan asked as she petted the small girl nestled on her sweater covered stomach. "You look very happy" Tim said looking at his giantess daughter. "I am happy. My daddy is with me and rubbing my toes. My daughter is laying on my tummy guessing clouds with me. A year ago, none of those would've been possible. Not even gazing at clouds" she replied. "I know the feeling. This time last year I was sitting alone drinking and staring at our family photo" Tim said as his hands pushed and prodded the ball of her left foot. Just wearing her shoes and socks for 15 minutes had left her feet very sweaty. Susan had warned him this would occur as she went through her stages of pregnancy. But what was giant sweaty feet to a man who gained a daughter and granddaughter? Tim wouldn't have cared if her feet smelled like spoiled cheese. It was her feet. A daughter he had mourned for an entire decade. The man was sure she had been killed by a human or worse. Being a preacher, he had hope she was alive and unharmed but a man, a father he feared the worst. And with such despair, he resigned himself to die alone and hoped to see them all in heaven when the final day came. As he rubbed the space between her toes, he praised God that his prayer was more an answered. However, he still worried about what was coming.

"Speaking of bunny rabbits. Did you know your mother tried to tame one like it was a horse?" he asked Ruby. "Really?" Ruby asked. "It's true. When she was nine, I looked after a pet rabbit for a family going on summer vacation. Well, you mom there fell in love with the thing. Feeding it, combing its fur, playing with its ears. And she would climb on top of it and ride it. Now it was one of those tamed ones so it hop around much. Then came time for the family to get their bunny back. Whooo… did your mom hate that" Tim chuckled. "Not funny. I loved Mr. Floppy" Susan pouted. "Yeah and what did you do? You went out on your own behind the church to get your own Mr. Floppy. And when you found a wild rabbit you tried riding him" he said. "Yeah that didn't work out very well" Susan sighed. "An understatement. Damn thing bucked you off and I broke your ankle. We were super pissed when we found you" Tim said. "I remember daddy Teagan and mom hugging me tightly. You were yelling" she said. "Can you blame me? It was copperhead season and you were stranded in high grass 300 feet away. Took us all day to find you. We were so terrified you had been eaten" he said.

"I remember you pulling my shorts and panties down and spanking me with your finger" she said softly. "And what happened afterwards?" he asked. "You bandaged my ankle using tweezers, gauze, and a magnifying glass. And then...then you cried" she muttered. Tim stopped rubbing her foot and walked over to her exposed ankle. "I should've learned my lesson then that our time could be fleeting" he said rubbing his hand on her ankle. Susan plucked him up and placed him next to Ruby. "None of that now. Let's enjoy the moment" she said. All three stared at the sky for a little while until Ruby spoke. "Grandpa? No... nevermind" she said. "What's wrong?" he asked cuddling her. "Don't worry about it. It's a borrower thing anyway" she said. "I'm learning to accept borrower traditions. What's on your mind?" he asked. Ruby looked too embarrassed to answer. "Honey? Is it related to how you feel?" Susan asked. "...yeah" she muttered. "I'm confused" Tim said. "Ruby is at an age where her body is beginning to tell her to have babies. As such, she needs stimulation to alleviate sexual tensions" she replied. Ruby was blushing like her namesake. Tim looked at her worried. "I know I said I was open to things but..."

"I don't need sex. Just...intimacy. Tenderness" Ruby muttered. "Uh...okay..." Tim stammered. He moved to her feet and pulled off her boots and socks. He quietly massaged her feet for her. "You're getting good at that. See that adorable smile?" Susan grinned. Tim relaxed seeing no harm in it and chuckled looking at his granddaughter grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "Grandpa is really good isn't her?" Susan asked. "I'd feel better if he sucked my toes" Ruby muttered. "Take it slow honey" Susan said. Ruby sighed and settled on foot rubs. "Dad you need to sign the papers. You can't keep putting it off" Susan said. "I know sweetie. I know. Guess that is what some parents of soldiers go through" he said. Susan nodded. "What papers?" Ruby asked. Susan bit her lip. It wasn't going to be a pleasant topic. "Well, as you know I'll be heading into battle on New Year's Eve. As such I have to make certain preparations. Namely, I had to update my will" she replied. "What for?" Ruby asked wary. "In the advent of my death, your grandpa..."

"No! Not another fucking word!" Ruby yelled pulling her feet away from Tim and standing up. "Ruby. This discussion has to happen" her giantess mother said sternly. Ruby clapped her hands over her ears. Susan plucked her up by the back of her sweater and brought her to her face. "In the advent of my death, your grandpa is going to be your guardian. He said he's willing to move here so you won’t have to leave your friends and still go to the academy if you still want to. Also, he will be in charge of your trust fund, so you won't have to worry about money" she said. Ruby was so angry, she kicked her nose with her tiny feet. "Did I come at a bad time?" Keith asked walking up to her. "Nothing that can't be worked on this evening" Susan replied looking over to him. YOU! You can order her to stay!" Ruby shouted at the giant. "Ruby Ann Durmont! That is..."

Keith took Ruby from her and sat down. "I will do no such thing" he said calmly. Ruby began struggling between his fingers punching and kicking. She yelled and grunted as the giant looked at her. "I get how you feel I really do. She's carrying my child. Your future brother or sister. As scared as you are, I'm fucking terrified" he said. Ruby stopped struggling. He rested her in his hand. "You want to be an agent, right? Well, being an agent means sometimes you have to be strong for others. Right now, your mom needs you to be strong for her. She's a crybaby sometimes" he whispered to her. "Hello! Good hearing over here" Susan huffed. "It hurts us to see you this way. You mom loves you. Your grandpa there loves you and guess what?" he asked. "...what?" she asked. "I love you" he said. "You...you love me?" she said squinting. "Well I am your uncle? Didn’t your mom tell you I made her my little sister? That makes me your uncle. So be brave for us snuggle bug" he said cuddling her to his nose. Ruby hugged his nose. "Somebody smells frisky" he chuckled. Keith tickled her teeny little ear with his finger. "I'm sorry we're making you grow up so fast" he said kissing her. Keith gave her back to Susan.

"I need you to do me a small favor. I need you to go to the academy and ask if any want to defer while I'm gone" he said. "Going where?" she asked worried. "Nothing dangerous. Taking Lawan and the kids to Miami on family business. "Understood boss" she replied. Keith nodded and bent down kissing her hair. Keith walked off. "And you're carrying his child?" Tim asked. Susan nodded. "I can see why. The more I see him the more I can see the pain he experienced" he said. "How so?" she asked. "There are two kinds of people that have experienced trauma in their young lives turn out to be. One is cruel. The other exceptionally loving. It's clear where he falls" Tim said.

Keith was heading back to his room but decided to stop at Aspen's. "Hey guys. I won't be around today so if you need the car...oh" he said pausing shortly after opening the door and finding Claire and Aspen...busy. Claire was laying on the bed facing the door with her legs spread. Sticking out of her pussy was a shrunken Aspen inserted feet first. "You were uh saying?" Claire asked. Keith heard footsteps behind him and quickly entered the room shutting the door. "I was talking about borrowing the car if you needed it. Guess you two needed some alone time?" he asked. "No shit. Aspen doesn't want to have sex with my parents next door" she replied. "Can... can you blame me?" Aspen stammered. "Shhh...sex toys don't talk" Claire said pushing on her head forcing her inside. Aspen yelped as her head passed her lips. Keith sat on the bed next to her. "I'm glad you two are keeping your spirits up" he said softly. "Just enjoying the moment" Claire shrugged as she scrunched her toes. Keith dug his fingers in and pulled Aspen out. "Thanks! She's just shoved me in without warning!" Aspen huffed. Keith smiled as he brought her to his face. "Wait...wait a minute!" she yelled as he tossed her into his mouth.

Keith pinned her to the roof of his mouth sucked away the sweet Claire juices that clung to her shrunken body. "Fuck your wife tastes delicious" he mumbled.  Claire roughly kissed him and pulled her out of his mouth. Claire grinned as she rolled Aspen around in her mouth. She eventually spat her out for fresh air. "Gentle goddammit!" Aspen yelled. Keith and Claire laughed at her as she wiped the saliva off their bodies. He looked at Aspen. "I'll get her back" he said whispering. "I know you will" she replied. Keith hugged Claire tightly and kissed her cheek. He kissed Aspen on her belly. He stared at them for just a moment and then left. "What was that last part about?" Aspen asked.  "He's memorizing this moment for later. Just...just in case" Claire replied. "In case what?" Aspen asked. Claire didn't answer for she didn't know what the future held.

"You and the kids ready?" Keith asked. "They're clothed and I got the diapers. Were ready" Lawan replied. Joseph knocked on the door and Keith had him come in. "If you're ready I am" he said. Keith nodded as the old man translocated them to Lawan's parents. They stepped through the portal and felt the lukewarm breeze of Miami. They arrived in her mother's backyard to avoid any onlookers and walked to her back door. Lawan rested in his shirt pocket with her babies and shifted. "I'm ready. Knock" she said. Keith knocked. At first there was no answer and then the door slowly opened. "Who is in my...oh! It is you son in law" she said. "Morning Boonsri. May we come in?" he asked. "We?" she asked. He showed her the inside of his pocket and the 40-year-old Asian woman nearly jumped out of her skin. "Lawan?! And is that my grandchildren?!" she yelled" "Hi mom" Lawan said waving up at the giantess. The woman quickly bade them to enter. Keith sat on her sofa as the woman busily prepared tea and cookies. Keith placed Lawan and the kids on the coffee table. 

Keith saw her stagger and rushed to her. "I can do this. Go be with her daughter and grandkids" he said taking the kettle from her. The woman smiled and bowed before going to the living room. The woman let go of her growth spell and shrank to her normal size before hopping on the table. She sighed as she sat down. "You feel okay mom?" Lawan asked. "Just a little winded. Having to keep this spell going can be tiring and running the restaurant at this time of year can be exhausting. That's where your father is now. I have to join him at noon" she replied. "Sorry for coming unannounced" Lawan said. "No worries. I was hoping to see you before the New Year. My word they are growing like bamboo shoots" she said looking at the babies. "It's the borrower in them. They grow and mature slightly faster than us. Hungry little things" she said. "I bet they are. You're not running out of milk are you? I have herbs to promote milk production" she said. "I'm fine" Lawan told her. "Lift your shirt and bra" Boonsri said. "Ma!" Lawan whined. "Do it" the mother said. Lawan put Justin down and took off her shirt and bra. She squeaked as her mother pinched her nipple until a trickle of breastmilk came out. Lawan was mortified as her own mother licked her finger clean. "Should be sweeter at your age. I'll get the herbs" she said. "Mom! Just...just sit" Lawan said. Keith came back with tea.

"And what about you Keith? Staying healthy? Firm erections? How does his semen taste?" she asked Lawan. Lawan was about to shout until Keith spoke. "Still got wood when I see your pretty daughter and my semen is fine thank you" Keith said politely. "Good. A healthy sex life is important. Some size play and fetishism can keep it fresh. Me and her father make sure every Sunday we mate. He has this curious thing about fucking my nipples" she muttered. "Well we alternate depending on the day. I don't fuck her nipples, but I do make sure to suck her toes" Keith chuckled. Lawan wanted to find a hole to crawl into. She loudly coughed. "Oh right. We didn't come just to visit" he said. "Oh?" she asked. "Yes. Recently I came into possession of certain knowledge and we needed to ask you some questions" he said. "Okay...go ahead" she said wary and curious. 

"Why didn't you tell Lawan she had a sister?" Keith asked. The woman tensed up immediately. "She doesn't have a sister" she said. "Yes, she does unless it's by your husband" he said. "She does NOT have a sister!" Boonsri yelled. "Why angry mother? It is only a question" Lawan asked calmly. "I am needed at the restaurant" she said suddenly trying to stand. Lawan grabbed her and forced her back down. "You said you don't have to be there until noon. Why have you not told me about Nyx?" she asked. The woman paled at the mention of that name. "How...how do you know?" she muttered. "How isn't important. Why have you never told me I had a sister is" she replied. "Because it was too painful" the whispered back. "I need to know" Lawan said squeezing her hand. Boonsri nodded to her.

"Nyx was born 8 years before you. I was 14 at the time and madly in love with your father. My life seemed perfect. As Nyx got older it became clear she was gifted when it came to magic. She had mastered growth SOELLS by age five. Crushed a food cart under those feet of hers one day trying it out. It was then the council took note of her.  She took to spells like a duck to water and then one day she did something highly dangerous. She combined spellcraft" she said. "How is that dangerous?" Keith asked. "While there is an advantage to combining spells, it can also be dangerous. Think about what can happen if you mix a water and lightning spell or fire and wind spell" Lawan replied. "Yes. And in Nyx’s case, she combined a clairvoyance spell and her own emerging Farsight ability" Boonsri said. "She had Farsight too?" Lawan asked. "Yes. Obviously, a blood trait as you have it. Now you see why I was so worried when I found out. Or you will shortly. When she combined the two, her mind began taking in not just her future but ANY person's future. As you can imagine it was an awesomely powerful ability to have. The council pushed her to hone it further."

"She pushed so hard something in her mind simply broke. She became stuck looking at futures. So many she couldn’t tell vision from reality. She would just lay in bed talking to those she would see hours, days, even years away. And one day she said something. The name Lawan" she said. "She...she saw me?" Lawan asked. "Apparently so but that was the last time she was coherent. It got worse by the week until she was virtually catatonic. Me and your father decided the best solution was to seal her magic completely hoping cutting it off would stop the visions. It did but there was a catch..."

"It sealed her memories too didn’t it" Keith asked. Boonsri was shocked. "I have a friend that had hers sealed too" he said. "She didn't remember anything. Not us, her home, not even her name. An 8-year-old girl with a mind of a newborn. When the council found it, they demanded we break the seal. We refused. When they tried to take her from us, we did the only thing we could think of. We placed a permanent growth spell on her thanks to my father and delivered her to an orphanage in America. There she seemed like a human with severe mental trauma. Your grandfather argued on our behalf when the council found out and avoided banishment on one condition. We have another child" she said. "They wanted to turn my sister into a weapon and when that failed wanted you to try again with me?" Lawan asked. Her mother didn't answer. "Perfect. Just fucking perfect" Lawan growled. "It wasn't like that. We wanted another child already. It hurt so much to give up her older sister" her mother said. "If it hurt so much then why was it so easy to disown me?!" she yelled. "We had to! You broke a sacred law by killing a human! There was nothing easy about it!" Boonsri yelled. "I'm surprised you didn't push out another child after that. Third times the charm" Lawan said coldly. Her mother slapped her. The children began crying and Lawan handed them to her equally shocked mother. "Lawan wait!" she cried as her tiny daughter hopped off the table and disappeared underneath the basement door.

Boonsri cried as she held her grandkids. "You should've told her long ago" Keith said. "You have no idea the pain and shame that came. You have no place to speak of this" Boonsri said. "You had 17 fucking years to come to terms enough to say something. Don't presume for one second to excuse your cowardice. It wasn't pain or shame that stilled your tongue" he said on another voice. Boonsri was about to say something else but saw a glimmer of energy in his eyes. "Oberon" she said remembering what she had heard of the unique paring. "Keith is too polite to say it but I'm not" he said getting up from his seat. Keith went down to the basement. On the floor was his wife naked practicing martial arts swinging a chopstick she found somewhere there. "You'll catch cold that way" he said sitting down on the floor. "Leave me be" she snarled. "Nope" he said snatching the chopstick from her. "Gibe that back now!" she yelled. Keith grabbed her in his fist. "Put me down! Put me down goddammit!" she screamed pounding on his fingers with her little fists. Her legs and feet kicking the air. Keith gave her a moment. "I'm just a replacement for my sister. You heard her" she sniffled. "And she said she wanted you before all that" Keith said.

Keith held her in his hands and blew hot breath on her as she shivered. "I grew up believing in the justice of the council. Even when they wanted to keep you, I felt...I believed they thought they were doing the best thing. But to want to turn a child into a future predicting weapon. It's evil. How can I be the captain of the guard when I have to work for such people?" she asked. Keith held her tiny feet between his fingers. Her teeny little toes curling on his fingertip. "I can't answer that. Maybe...maybe when all this is over we confront them about this. Maybe dragging it into the light may change some things. They are elected, aren't they?" he asked. "Lifetime appointment" she replied. Keith cringed. "Well, we'll burn that bridge when we get to it" he sighed. Keith took her back upstairs. "Is she..."

"Guest room?" he asked cutting her off. "Down the hall and to the right" she replied. Keith walked to the room and came back 10 minutes later. "She's resting right now" he said sitting down. Keith sipped his now cold tea. Boonsri looked solemn at her grandbabies who had fallen asleep again. "Did you ever try to see Nyx again?" he asked quietly. "Only once after she was adopted by a kind American family living in Buffalo. She seemed very happy and we felt it wasn't good to expose her to the truth. The seal might've unraveled" she replied. Keith pulled out his phone. "She still has her old name?" he asked. "No. They named her Cassandra Horne" she replied. Keith dialed a number. "Control. Look into the Buffalo New York City archives for a Cassandra Horne. Yes, H...O...R...N... E. Tell me what you find" he said ending the call. "You can't really be thinking of seeing her?!" she yelled. "If it was me, I'd want to know my birth parents" he said. "But the seal?!" she yelled again. "I have people that can help control her powers far better than you and your father. "It could cause her to..."

"Stop making excuses!" Keith yelled. Keith rubbed his eyes. "This is monumentally important to Lawan. The prospect of family is more important now than ever seeing what's coming in a few days" he said. "What's coming?" she asked. Keith sat back and explained the situation from Markus, the ZODIAC, the Great Alignment, and then his foreseen death. "You have taken her prediction very well" she said. "If it comes it comes. I just want to take some with me" he said. "You sound very different from the last time we spoke" she said. "I have seen much death since then. Taken lives too. Many lives and some were innocent. Boonsri looked at him incensed. "I don't expect a yaksha of your generation to understand. The world is changing out there. Your old ways won't save the world" he said. "Our ways have benefitted the world longer than your species has existed" she said coldly. "And did they help when it came time to put prejudices aside and let Mogwai live among you when your homeland faced destruction? Oh? You didn't know about that? Maybe if you leave your sheltered human life behind and visited the homeland maybe you'd see what I'm talking about. Just an idea" he said.

His phone rang. Keith answered. "Yeah. I see. Yeah that's good. Really? You sure? Thanks. Good job guys" he said ending the call. "You'd be happy to know your older daughter is still in Buffalo and works as an EMT. Oddly though she's been involved in some...strange incidents" he said. "S... strange?" she asked. "Gunshot victims surviving when they shouldn’t. Heart attack victims being revived when defibrillators couldn't do it. She even helped to avoid a major car pileup on a snowy highway last year. Something about getting a state trooper to pull a tractor trailer over for bad brakes. Give you one guess how she's pulling those miracles off" he said. "Her powers. But they're sealed!" Boonsri said. "Apparently it's wearing off. Susan went through something similar. It might be fate I found out about her" he said standing up. "Where are you going?" she asked. "Telling Lawan what I know" he replied.

Boonsri was very quiet when Lawan returned with him. Keith placed her on the table so she could put her bra and shirt back on. "Look after the kids while we're gone" she muttered. "Yes daughter. Lawan...I never meant to hurt you" she said. Lawan looked at her. "As much as I want to berate you for your choices, I think the shame you feel is good enough. Keith, if you can?" she said. "Joseph. I need a translocation to 2151 Timber Road Buffalo New York" he said. Boonsri watched her giantess daughter leave without looking back. "Aat is going to shit bricks when he finds out about all this" she muttered.

"Holy shit it's cold!" Lawan said shaking. "Yeah...13 degrees easy. Christ look at all the snow" Keith said looking around as they stood on the scraped sidewalk in front of Cassandra's home. "Th... think she's home?" she said through chattering teeth. "Car is here but her walkway wasn't scraped.  Good foot of snow" he said wading through it. Keith rang the doorbell as he hugged Lawan tightly for warmth. No answer. Keith rang it again. "I can hear movement" he said. He pounded on the door and finally it opened. "Look. I'm not interested in Jehovah, Mormon, life insurance, or whatever the hell you’re...where the hell is your coats?" Cassandra asked. Lawan was lost looking at her. "I know Asians are rare up here, but I know you seen one before looking in a mirror" she said. "Cassandra...Horne?" she asked. "Yeah...Who's asking?" she answered. "Can... can we come in? It's highly important" Keith asked. "How about no. Don't know you two from Adam" she said. She sucked her teeth and went to close the door. Keith caught it. Cassandra tried closing it, but she was no match for his borrower strength. "Let go or I'm calling the cops" she said. "We can explain the strange things happening to you" he said. She let go of the door. "Does your hands tingle when you touch the injured? That thing with the tractor trailer. You saw it like in a vision, didn't you?" he asked. She looked worried. "Have you ever heard of the word yaksha?" he asked. She looked at him frightened. "Please. We mean no harm. We have answers to questions you haven't even asked yourself" he said. "Like what?" she asked. "Who your real parents are" he replied. Cassandra let them in cautiously.

"Thank Buddha. I lost the feeling in my toes" Lawan said warming herself next to the fireplace. Keith saw Cassandra pick up a kitchen knife. "Just in case" she said. "Fair enough" he said sitting down. "Well?" she asked. "I'm your little sister" Lawan said softly. Cassandra looked at her. "Horseshit" she muttered. "Why?" Keith asked. She had no answer. "Look at her closely" he said. Cassandra sat on the floor next to the girl who had taken her shoes and socks off to warm her bare feet next to the fire. "Same ears. Nose, that speck of hazel in the eyes. Bet even her toes are the same" he said. Cassandra took a sock off. "Called it. Second toe is longer than the first" he chuckled. "All these years I've wondered. But how do I know..."

"Look at her. She's begging with her soul for you to believe. You can't fake that" he said. Cassandra touched her cheek and Lawan began sobbing. So emotional her growth spell broke and she shrank. Cassandra screamed and scrambled backwards. "It's okay! It's okay" Keith said. "Okay!? She...she fucking shrank! People don't shrink!"  she yelled. "Your people can" he said. "Wha..." she said. "We are called yaksha. We as in me, you, and our parents" Lawan said. "That word...it makes my head hurt" she muttered. Keith helped her to her sofa. Lawan crawled onto the armrest. "Want to hold me?" Lawan asked. "I might hurt you" she replied. "I trust you sis" Lawan said. Cassandra placed her in her hand. "My god. I can feel your warmth. Your little feet on my skin" she said. "Never held a tiny person before? Not even a borrower?" Keith asked. "No. Not once" she replied. "How do you change size like?" she asked. "The same way you can heal people and knew to stop that a truck. With magic" Lawan replied.

"Magic? Now that's fantasy shit. Like Disney and fairytales" she said. "Set me down on the cushion" Lawan said. Cassandra did and Lawan held her hand out. With a simple spell, she shrank her older sister. Cassandra whimpered immediately. She looked at Keith and began crying seeing the giant. "Don't be afraid. My husband would never hurt you. He's very loving" Lawan said holding her hands. "Husband?" she asked. "Yes. We have two children. Your niece and nephew and here's the cool thing. He's really a borrower" Lawan chuckled. She stared at the giant. "Long story" Keith grinned. "This is too much at one time" Cassandra said. "We understand" Keith said. "I thought I was losing my mind. Dreams where I was surrounded by tiny Asian people. Things that haven't occurred yet and did. Nights I would open my eyes and found myself in a giant room on top of a giant bed. So, what was that?" Cassandra asked. "Your abilities and memories sealed away by our mother" Lawan replied.

"When did these things begin happening in your life?" Keith asked. "Just after an accident I was in. Me and my partner was speeding to call, and we were plowed into by a log truck. Smashed our ambulance like a beer can. Partner was dead on impact. I was bleeding out with a broken gurney brace stuck in my thigh. Femoral artery slashed open. I was going to be dead in minutes. Then I felt this strange tingle. I felt strong and yanked it out. Put pressure on the wound and waited. All that time I felt almost no pain and my hand had this static electricity glow about it. Figured I was hallucinating from blood loss and shock. Doctors said it was a miracle I didn't die" she replied. "Wasn't a miracle. You used what is called fortification to stabilize yourself" Lawan said. "And that's when the dreams and stuff happened?" Keith asked. "A few weeks later" she replied. "Similar to Susan. A life-threatening injury caused her instincts to weaken the seal" Keith said.

"Bathroom?" Lawan asked. "Down the hall second door to the left" Cassandra replied. Lawan grew herself and left them alone. "Incredible" she muttered. "Oh that's the least of what you all can do. You can shoot ice, lightning, and wind and stuff " Keith said. Cassandra stood up and began thrusting out her hands. She looked puzzled until she lost her footing. Keith caught her before she hit the floor. "Careful" he said. "Thanks. Umm...why are you doing that?" she asked as his finger caressed her hair. "Sorry. Force of habit" he replied. Cassandra smirked at the blushing giant. "I uh...see no pictures. No husband or kids?" he asked. "Work got in the way and uhm..."

"Heightened libido?" he asked. It was her turn to blush. "It's very common in small races. The yaksha are very open about sex and nudity" he said. "How?" she asked. "Public sex is common. We train nude and practice sex as a way to train stamina. They don't have hang-ups about sexual thoughts. They say what's on their mind" he smiled. "You know a good deal about them" she said. "I married one and trained with them" he said. "Trained?" she asked. "Think naked little warrior monks" he chuckled. "If it's so nice there then why did my parents drop me off here?" she asked. "Because you were too powerful. Our elders wanted to use your gifts as a weapon. Mom said she sealed your powers and made you like humans to protect you" Lawan said returning. She sat down left to Keith and noticed her in his hand now. "I see you two got closer" she said. "He just saved me from falling off the couch" she said quickly. "I'm teasing. However, it's my turn to hold you" she said plucking her from Keith. She squealed like a kid as she petted her shrunken sister. "Sorry but this is so wonderful to me" she said. "I should still be weirded out, but this feels...natural" Cassandra said touching the giantess' fingernail. "I still have questions" she said. "I'll give you two some time alone" Keith said. They watched him borrow a coat and shovel and went outside. "Didn't even ask" Cassandra said. "He's a borrower. They don't" Lawan laughed. As Keith shoveled snow outside, the two women spoke. Lawan told her of their family. Their homeland. Magic. Keith came back in and didn't see them. Their scent led him to the bathroom. "Oh, there you two are. Done with the driveway and walkway" he said. Lawan was soaking in the tub and the still shrunk Cassandra soaked in the sink. She shrieked. "Sorry" he said. "Oh lighten up" Lawan told her. Cassandra uncovered herself nervously. "You're extremely beautiful. No need to cover yourself. In fact, sit on the porcelain And I'll wash your back and hair" Keith said.

Cassandra sat with her back turned to him. Her heart pounding in her chest. Keith soaped his fingers and she made a squeak as his finger touched her back. She was sure a giant his size would hurt her for sure, but she barely felt pressure. His giant finger going up then down. "Pretty damn good, isn't he?" Lawan snickered. "Y... yes" Cassandra stammered. A gentle trickle of water washed the suds off her back. She felt her long hair between his fingers as he slicked it with shampoo. She began to relax as the giant cleaned her hair with the gentleness of a spring breeze. "Hmm" Keith muttered. "What is it?" Cassandra said softly. "It would be impolite to ask" he said. "Oh? After seeing me naked this is what makes you squeamish?" she chuckled. "Well, I get you said work got in the way but no boyfriends?" he asked. "I attracted the wrong people" she replied. Lawan and Keith was puzzled. "Asian fetish" she explained. "That's a stupid reason to date someone" Keith said. "So, you'd date a girl with ugly feet?" Lawan asked.  "He as a foot fetish?" Cassandra asked. "A really big one" Lawan snickered. "I'll have you know I would. Remember Nala?" he asked. "One of my students. What about her?" Lawan asked wary. "Stubby toes but she had a heart of gold" he said. "Is that why you kept chasing her for training?" Lawan asked annoyed. "Ugly feet but that smile and tightness" he grinned. He glanced at Lawan who was not amused. "Gotcha! Haha. I spent extra time with her because she was afraid nobody would remember her if she died" he said. "She's wasn't alone nor forgotten when the time came" Lawan said softly. "No, she wasn't" Keith replied. He took a small cloth and handed it to Casandra. "You can dry yourself off with this" he said before leaving the bathroom. "I'm missing something?" Cassandra asked. Lawan began to step out of the tub.

"Magic isn't just fun and games. There’s the world you know and the magic world. On one side are people like us that defend freedom, justice, and equality. And on the other side are those who would see the weaker ones killed or enslaved. Last summer me and Keith fought a pitched battle for the future of humanity. We won but at a high price. A lot of people we loved lost their lives. Keith had to bury them. Some were empty boxes are their bodies..."

"Why him?" Cassandra asked. "He doesn't look it but he's one of the most brilliant men on the planet. It's partly why he was left to lead the peacekeepers" Lawan replied. "He looked hurt" Cassandra said looking at her giantess little sister drying off. "His greatest strength is also his biggest weakness. He loves everyone. When he loses someone, it takes it very hard" Lawan said. Lawan carried her to her bedroom. "That bath worked wonders getting rid of the chills" Lawan said plopping on the bed. Cassandra bounced slightly tumbling. "It's so much to take in" she muttered. "You don't have to be alone ever again" Lawan said laying on her stomach. He pinned Cassandra down with her fingers and blew a raspberry on her little tummy. "That's tickles dammit!" Cassandra laughed. She was kicking her cheeks until Lawan seized her feet between her lips. Her giant taste buds tickling her little soles. "You want me to pee myself?!" Cassandra yelled. Lawan let go. Lawan caressed her cheek and shed tears. "I have a sister. A real sister" she sniffled. "So do I and a niece and nephew" Cassandra said back.

Lawan looked to the door. "If you’re worried about him, we can go. We can always have girl time later" Cassandra said. Lawan picked her up and carried her back to the living room. On the floor, Keith sat in his borrower size before the fire. Naked with his legs crossed, he was deep in meditation. "What's he doing?" Cassandra whispered. "Meditating like I taught him" Lawan replied. "Naked?" Cassandra asked. "It's easier. He must still be troubled" she replied. "About what I said earlier?" Cassandra asked. "No, it's about other things" Lawan replied. "I can hear you" Keith said. Lawan came closer and placed Cassandra on the sofa before shrinking down to sit next to him. "Uh. Help?" Cassandra asked. Lawan nodded and undid the shrinking spell on her. Naked as well, Cassandra went into the kitchen to make coffee. Both tiny people sat motionless as the giantess returned with a cup of joe and sat next to them. Keith fidgeted off and on for a few minutes and sighed. "It's not easy to push out those feelings" he said. "You're not expected to master it the first time. Getting this far is an achievement" she said. "Feelings?" Cassandra asked. "Bloodlust" Keith replied softly. "With magic?" Cassandra asked. "Magic was involved yes" he replied.  "I've seen the stuff people did to borrowers online. If you can shrink people then..."   

"You can crush, rape, or eat anyone you want" he replied. "Have you ever done that using magic?" she asked timidly. Lawan peeked at Keith. "Not raping. Never raping. And would want to say never the innocent but recently..." he muttered. "Innocent people?" she asked. Keith turned to face the giantess. Her dark pubic hairs slightly shining in the light. "Not wholly innocent. They were cannibals but not of their own free will. It's a long story. Needless to say, they had something I needed and instead of giving it to me when I asked, they tried to turn me into dinner" he replied. "Sounds like they had it coming" Cassandra asked. "Did the old man I kicked into the air had it coming? Did the grieving mother at my feet forced to watch me swallow her young daughter alive have it coming? Or the young man who defended his home from the foreign giant crushed to paste under my shoe have it coming?" he asked. Cassandra flinched back. "Without all of that, you'd never know about your family or your true self. What they gave me led us to you" he said. Cassandra was silent for a moment.

"And that's what's bothering you, so you need to mediate?" she asked quietly. "No, I came to terms with what I did with help. I meditate to block out the feelings and memories. No, block is the wrong word. Borrowers don't easily forget things. We have what is called hyper awareness. Even now I'm aware of things you aren't" he said. "Like...like what?" she asked. "My wife is worried your questions trouble me. They don't. Your heartbeat is slightly elevated. Your pheromones are more pronounced. Your feet are sweating again. Your labia is flushed. Ice pellets are hitting the windows. The fireplace is burning oak wood. I perceive a lot of things and I remember a lot more. The look on your sister's face when I came inside her for the first time. The smell of her hair in the breeze. The smell of her feet when she works out. The birth of my first child. The happiness in your eyes when you found out you had a sister" he said. "Those sound like precious memories to you" she said. "I focus on those in meditation to quell the bad ones. Me about to jump off the Boston Bridge when I was a homeless kid. Being raped by a human when I was 14. Seeing my parents buried alive when I was 12. The smoking corpse of my big sister" he muttered. "Oh my god" Cassandra whispered crying. Keith walked to the giantess and rubbed his hand across her lime green painted toenail. "It's not about the pain. No, it's about the joy in life. Every spell, every arcane, martial arts move, gun, or sword pales in the face of taking what is good in your life and making it your own. It's how we stand back up after life knocking us down is the magic" he told her looking into her eyes. Lawan came up behind and pushed him down. Without a word, she slipped his cock inside her. "I'll leave you two alone" Cassandra said. "Why? You're hornier than your sister. It's no shame in that. It's in your blood" Keith groaned as Lawan bounced up and down his shaft.

Cassandra was nervous and embarrassed though years of human living, but she couldn't deny the need for sexual stimulation. She was a yaksha after all and they craved sensuality at times. "R... really?" Cassandra asked. "It's how you bond. Similar to my kind too. Stop thinking like a human. You're more than that. So much more" Keith replied as she caressed his wife's tits. Cassandra lowered a shaking finger towards Lawan. Her fingertip rubbing her bare back up and down as her tiny sister fucked her brother in law. Lawan laid on Keith fucking him faster. Cassandra’s finger rubbed Lawan's ass now and Lawan looked up at the giantess giggling. And when Lawan gasped, Cassandra gently pushed her down making sure Keith came inside her. She didn't give either a moment to rest. She pulled them off one another and brought them to her face. Lawan was still panting as Cassandra kissed her. Her kisses went lower and she tasted her milk. Her tongue lapped up the leaking milk from her nipples before cleaning her tiny pussy. "Cassandra. What do you want to do with us?" Lawan asked softly. Cassandra placed her before her cunt. "If...if you want to" she mumbled. "You're so adorable when you're shy" Lawan giggled. Lawan used her hands to rub her folds making the giantess tremble.

"Your pussy tastes amazing" Lawan moaned as she licked and nibbled on her lips. The giantess made a squeak as Lawan squeezed her clit. Keith laughed at her. She turned her attention to him. She roughly kissed him suddenly nearly sucking his head between her lips. Keith gasped for air when she was done. Her fingertip grazed his tiny little balls and his cock jumped. She found holding him different than her sister. A man, a small handsome man in her control. She sucked his prick between her lips and Keith groaned as he settled in for a blowjob. Cassandra had done blowjobs before. She had done many things for certain men, but she was never in control. In high school a boy made her suck him off behind the gym bleachers. On her knees she serviced him. A young man fucked her from behind one drunken night. Another sucked her toes while she slept. All these events put her off of men and relationships which really upset her. She was a yaksha that wanted sex. But not one of them took her feelings, wants, and desires into effect. Now she was in control and she would have his seed and not let go until she did.

And as she sucked harder and harder, Keith winced in pain. Cassandra caught herself. She used her finger to caress his chest and gently brought him to cum. Her eyes went wide tasting his semen. She had tasted semen before but never so sweet. She reminded herself that he wasn't human. She looked at Keith for a moment and then plucked her sister from her cunt. She held them both in her hands. "Do...do you love me?" she asked. "You're my big sister. Yeah I love you" Lawan said. "Same here sister in law. Love comes with the territory" Keith said smiling. Cassandra gasped and closed her eyes. "You okay? You were close to cumming, but I didn't have time to finish" Lawan said. "I just did" she said showing them the wet carpet. "Did you cum just from..."

"That's how lonely I was" Cassandra said. Lawan hopped out of her grasp and grew herself. She kissed her sister and held her from behind. "Those days are over" she whispered in her ear. Cassandra nodded after wiping a tear from her eye. "So how did his cum taste? Bet it was good" Lawan snickered. Cassandra blushed. "Borrowers have wonderful stamina you know. They can fuck you till you can't stand. I forgot how many times I just nodded off with his dick in me and they know EVERY erogenous zone. Kidding aside, you might have way better luck with one. The right one will love you till they die. Live just for you. Worship you as their goddess. A partnership that transcends the flesh" Lawan said taking Keith from her and placing him on the floor. "And what of yaksha? Shouldn't I be with our kind? No offense" Cassandra said. "That's...complicated. We already know they saw you as something else than a little girl. If you did return, it might encourage them to forcibly recruit you" Keith said quietly. Keith canceled his shrinking spell growing him back. He quietly put his clothes back on as his words rattled Cassandra. "Keith. About the council" Lawan said. "I won't let them lay a finger on your sister" he said.

"The homeland sounds less cool by the moment" Cassandra said. "You have every right to return. We just have to do it on our terms. Speaking of yaksha, your parents have to be losing their shit by this point. It's been 6 hours" he said. "Wait. Can I come with you?" Cassandra asked. "You want to meet mom and dad?" Lawan asked. "Wouldn't you?" Cassandra asked. Lawan quietly nodded. Keith waited patiently as the two women cleaned up their appearance. "Is that sweater channel?" Lawan asked. "It's the best thing I own. I want to make a good appearance" Cassandra said as she put on her leather boots. "Sis, it's our parents not the Pope" Lawan said. "And if they think I'm a disappointment?" Cassandra asked worried. "I'll eat them" Keith replied putting down his coffee. Cassandra laughed a little.  "Who's joking?" Keith asked. "Behave" Lawan said. "I will when they will. Joseph. Miami please" Keith said. A portal formed in front of them making Cassandra jump. "The hell is that?!" she asked. "Instantaneous travel by way of making a wormhole. Magically it's called translocation. Nothing to fear from it" Keith said stepping through. Lawan took her sisters hand and guided her through.

"Holy shit. It actually brought us to Miami?" Cassandra asked looking around. "Unless Buffalo has palm trees I'd say so" Lawan snickered. "Ladies" Keith said standing at the front door. Cassandra was terrified but Lawan squeezed her hand and smiled. Keith knocked. Aat, their father damn near tore toe door off its hinges opening it. "Hey dad" Lawan said pushing past him. His eyes never leaving the woman with them. Boonsri sat quietly watching over her grand babies until familiar giant and giantesses entered her home. Lawan had Cassandra sit on the sofa. "Are...are you...my daughter?" Boonsri asked shaking. "Yes...yeah I am" Cassandra said. She was shocked at first as the small middle-aged woman scrambled into her lap and up to her shoulder. Cassandra turned to look at her. Tiny hands touched her cheek. Boonsri's hands glowed for a moment as she closed her eyes. She pulled back gasping. "It's you...it's really you!" the mother yelled weeping. Cassandra did the only thing she could think of. She cuddled the woman and cried herself. Aat sat down close to them. The man hung his head and wept softly. Lawan shrank down to see to her kids and Keith joined her.

"You must have thousands of questions. Like what you are, why we gave you up" Aat said. "Actually, they told me a great deal" Cassandra said pointing to Lawan and Keith. "And you just accepted what they had to say in just six hours?!" Aat asked astounded. "You'd be surprised to what people will want to believe if it explains away things that are making them go insane" Keith said to them. "Wha...what are you saying?" Boonsri asked. "It's what we expected. The seal you placed on her cracked. She was using some of her magic subconsciously. She was even shrinking in her sleep. It's a damn good thing we found her when she did. If the seal broke in public, it could've been a disaster" Keith replied. The woman hopped back onto the table and bent down on all fours. "I'm humbly apologize for earlier" she said softly. "Apology accepted. I don't know about you guys but I'm starving for some good Thai food" he smiled. "I know of a place" Aat chuckled.

30 minutes later, all of them sat in a private booth at the family restaurant. "A shame the children can't be human sized" Boonsri said looking at Lawan nurse her granddaughter. "Can't be helped. Their bodies are too fragile to withstand the strain. Another six months and they should be fine" Keith said. A woman came by and a tiny woman hopped onto the table. "Oh! Mr. and Mrs. Phan. I thought you went home already" the young woman said. The woman had long brown hair tied in a bun, wore a red dress and had flats on her feet. She looked to be 19. "We had to go home as our daughters and son in law came into town" Boonsri replied. She looked at the giant and giantesses before her and then saw Lawan. "It's so good to meet you! Your parents really helped me out with this job and my family" she said rushing to shake Lawan's hand. "Pleasure to meet you..."

"Carol" the woman finished. "Carol. Let's start off with some bubble tea and we can decide from there" Aat said. "Right away! GARY!" the girl yelled. A young man picked her up and carried her off. "That was very weird. Not one question about a tiny Asian girl in front of her?" Lawan asked. "Carol is a unique case. Last year, she was trying to help my husband find some pepper and lost her footing on the shelf. She would've fell to her death in a pot of boiling soup if Aat hadn't used wind magic to catch her" she said. "That's right. We pride ourselves on exotic cuisine, but borrower soup is not on the menu" Aat chuckled. "So, she learned about magic" Lawan said. "That she did. She swore on her and her families lives to keep our secret" Boonsri said. "She's a hardworking girl. Wouldn't even take time off for her pregnancy" he said. "She's grateful we let her family live in the room upstairs" Boonsri said. "Still I worry though. She works 50 hours a week wearing that stupid anklet" he said.

"Anklet?" Keith asked. "Having a borrower as a hostess is a pleasant thing but we worry that some nasty customer may stuff her in their pocket or purse. She wears a small device stores use to stop shoplifters. We already caught one person" Aat said softly. "I can only imagine the fears that go through her mind. I was small for only a few hours and everything made me jump" Cassandra said. "So you've been shrunk I see. Well you're in good company. Nobody is going to kidnap or eat you here" Aat chuckled. "They've been extremely kind and explained things to me. Thank god I'm not going crazy or a slut" Cassandra said twittering her thumbs. "So you have no children?" Boonsri asked. "Being an EMT gets in the way and guys I did attract weren't the best. Most just saw me as a fetish" she replied. "Nothing wrong with getting your feet worshipped dear but I do understand the problem when that's all they see. I almost didn't marry your father because I thought he only cared about fucking" Boonsri said. "I wasn't that bad" Aat said.

"You put in more time in stamina training than any other student. No less than three girls would leave the hall with your seed leaking out of them" she said. "Because I wanted to be the best. I'm competitive. A trait I passed on if you haven't noticed. No matter how many girls I fucked you knew my eyes were on you" he said. "I can get why she would be irritated dad" Lawan said. "She's not telling the whole story. Your mother played a cruel joke on me right at graduation. We were practicing fortification magic by eating one another. Well it was my turn to swallow her. So after she glowed indicating the spell worked, I swallowed her. A minute passes by and I can feel her moving around. No big deal. Then she screams over a magical link that the spell failed and stomach acids are burning her. I immediately go to throw her up. Nothing. She's still screaming, and I keep trying but only bile comes up. Then...she stops moving. I freak out and ran to the kitchen grabbing a knife. Just before I cut my stomach open, I see her standing on the floor looking up at me"

"So...you threw her up and didn't notice?" Keith asked. "No, I never swallowed her to begin with. She made a damn illusion and I swallowed that. When she canceled it, it felt like she went unconscious in my stomach" Aat said. "Yeah, they can be...realistic" Keith said as Lawan blushed. "I understood then how much he cared for me" Boonsri said as the waiter returned with the tea. "Four Pho with beef" Aat said softly. The waiter nodded. Cassandra had been quiet most of the time taking in everything. A family, her real family talking around dinner. And a sobering thought occurred to her. What would she say to her adopted family? Could she keep this from them? They loved her and it didn't sit right not to tell her but the talk of magic? That she wasn't human? How would they react? The question bothered her. Her worries were interrupted by the waiter returning with the food. "Carol. Rest. You look exhausted" Aat said taking the girl off the waiter's shoulder. Carol nodded and sat down sighing. Carol slipped off her flats and rubbed her tiny bare feet. "Christmas season really brung in the customers. Nick is still tallying up the numbers" Carol said to the giantess above her. "Remind your husband to rest as well. Receipts can wait. Tired husband makes for a poor sex partner" Boonsri said. Keith spooned up some soup for his wife. She looked puzzled as to how to eat with the kids. "If you want, I can hold them. Just sneak off and do your thing" Carol whispered to her. "But they're do for another feeding soon" Lawan said. "Leave that to me" Carol said pulling her dress down to her waist leaving her breasts bare. Keith shrugged to Lawan. She handed the babies to Carol and she slipped out to the back to grow.

"Magic is so cool" Carol grinned at the now giantess Lawan. "You're good" Keith said looking at her. "Practice. Technically this is my fourth child gave birth to. I... I only have two in my care" she said quietly. "Then where the other..."

"Farm. Breeding farm" Carol said. "Oh god I'm so sorry" Cassandra said mortified. "It's okay. It's something I've come to terms with. Nick was my last breeding mate when the law got passed. We decided to stick together when I found out I was pregnant with my third" she said. "Thank god that law was passed" Cassandra said. "Imagine my surprise to see so many humans friendly to borrowers. Like this man here" Carol said pointing to Keith. "Hmm?" Keith asked. "I know you. You came here last summer and made that woman who ran the halfway house fix shit up" she said. "You were there?" Keith asked. She nodded. Keith smiled to himself and continued eating. Lawan finished first to let Carol rest and returned to the table in her normal size. Cassandra listened to Carol as she told her stories about living in Disneyland as a kid. Stories as simple as hunting for fallen popcorn seemed like a mythical quest as Carol described it. Carol became so comfortable around Cassandra she rested in her hand. The giantess found herself petting the girl and caught herself.

"Not at all. Can you get my feet though?" Carol asked after Cassandra asked if petting her was bothering the girl. Cassandra chuckled and took on of her little feet between her fingers and rubbed. She was startled as the girl moaned. "It's that's good?" Cassandra asked. "A borrower’s feet are very sensitive. Even more so if she gave birth not long ago. If you really want to help her out suck on her feet" Keith said grinning. Cassandra shrugged and sucked Carol's feet into her mouth. The borrower sighed contently as the giantess licked and sucked the swollen stress off her tiny feet. After a few minutes, Cassandra stopped. "Why...why did you stop?" Carol asked. "You turned all red" the giantess replied. "Oh, I forgot to mention borrower females get intimately stimulated if you do that" Keith chuckled. "Oh damn. And you're married on top of that" Cassandra said embarrassed. "Pfft. We're open. Papa Aat licks my pussy when I'm over stressed and mama Boonsri rubbed my belly and licks my feet all the time. Nothing to be worried over" Carol said. "It's healthy. Are you eating those herbs I gave you?" Boonsri asked. "Yep. The kids and my husband can't get enough of my milk. That reminds me, Nick said not to worry about the sprain. It's better now" she said. "Oh good. I was worried my pussy clenched his body too tightly and seriously hurt him" Boonsri said. Cassandra felt the odd one out as they spoke of extramarital sex as if it was nothing.

"She's blushing. You'll learn that sex talk isn't a big a deal" Lawan said. "There's a lot I want to learn which is why I want this seal to be removed" Cassandra said. Everybody stopped eating. "Honey that's not a good idea" Boonsri said. "And I agree with your mother for once. You don't know what you're asking" Keith said. "Isn't it keeping me from my full potential? From who I really am?" Cassandra said putting Carol down. "It's not that simple child. Those seals were put in place for good reason" Aat said. Cassandra looked at everyone and saw nobody really approving of her request. "Oh come on! Sis, didn't you and Keith say you had a friend that had a seal removed from her? Didn't she turn out alright?" she asked. "Susan's case is different from yours. She spent nearly half her life surrounded by magic. She grew up apart from human society. And even then, she had extreme difficulty adjusting to her powers. It wasn't pretty Cassandra" Keith said. "I'm not saying it won't be hard! I'm saying I'm ready!" she yelled. Customers looked at their table. "We should continue this at home" Boonsri said. They left their restaurant shortly after.

Nobody said a word on the ride back and as soon as they entered the house, Cassandra started back up. "This is who I am" she said coldly. "Yesterday you were certain you were human and now so suddenly you're ready for this?" Boonsri said. "You say you're ready? Hmm. Are you ready for the power rush that comes with magic? Susan nearly ate people she loved. The guilt alone made her want to die. And the locked away memories. Cassandra, you familiar with how painful repressed memories can be?" Keith asked. Cassandra barely nodded. "Imagine that times 1000. It damn near tore her mind apart. And from what your mother told me, your power had left you catatonic and shitting in a diaper. You really want to risk all that?" Keith asked. "How would you feel if one day you found out you were something else. That the truth, the whole truth was locked away. Wouldn't you want to know what you really are?" she asked. "Honestly? I probably would" he said. Aat and Boonsri shrank Cassandra and themselves and sat on the sofa. Aat rubbed her hair while her mother held her hand.   

"This is not a good thing child. We can help ease you in but breaking the seal is taboo. We want it to be easy and not traumatizing" Boonsri said. Cassandra yanked her hand away. "Traumatizing? You know what was traumatizing for me? Being passed over by people because they think you're retarded...sorry "special needs" because you can't remember shit. Looking at other kids reading Harry Potter while you try to learn your ABC’s. Traumatizing as in being a 14-year-old girl who wants to fuck every cute boy in class but being told by your adopted Catholic parents you're going to hell if you have premarital sex? Oh wait. How about having to give away my cat I owned for 9 years because I keep having dreams it will eat me in my sleep because I KEEP FUCKING SHRINKING!" Cassandra screamed. "You and you are the last people to lecture me on trauma" she said coldly. Boonsri hopped onto the floor and ran to the back porch. Aat sighed and hung his head. Keith pointed to them as he got up. Lawan nodded and made her way to them as the giant walked to the back porch.

"Why don't you guys get it?" Cassandra asked crying. "We do. We really do but we're more aware of the dangers than you are. Here" Lawan said handing Justin to her. The teeny little boy gazed up at his aunt and smiled. "You're holding him by the waist but not by his arms. Why?" Lawan asked. "He could get hurt" Cassandra replied. "It's not certain and you're not a mother so how do you know so easily?" Lawan asked. "Because I'm an EMT. Natal care is mandatory" she replied almost annoyed. "So you have extra knowledge and experience I don't" Lawan said. Cassandra was quiet. "I wished to spare this from you, but I see that you should see it" Aat said. He touched her forehead and used a spell to share two memories. The first one was her sitting in a bathtub as a child rambling. Her father cleaning her with a cloth. He tickled her feet to get a giggle from her but all he got was a reflex. Aat cried softly as he finished cloth bathing her. And the last one was the night she was given up at the orphanage. Cold rain poured outside as Aat knocked on the door. Cassandra stood there unmoving as they left her. A woman guided her in and looked around outside but saw nobody. Her parents had shrunk themselves and hid among the shrubbery. "No, we can't just let them take her. They can't...I can't...I CAN'T JUST LEAVE MY BABY BEHIND!" Boonsri shrieked. She ran for the door barefoot, her sandals taken by the mud. Aat tackled her. "She's better off with them. The council would never leave her alone. They would search for us" he said. "My baby...my baby..." she muttered. Boonsri was so traumatized she pissed herself. Aat had to carry her away from the orphanage.

Cassandra gasped as the connection was broken.

"I've never seen Christmas lights in palm trees before" Keith said sitting in the swinging patio chair. Boonsri sat on the concrete with her face buried in her propped-up knees. "This must please you seeing me this way" she said. "What are you talking about?" Keith asked. "You enjoy throwing my mistakes in my face. Take pleasure in telling how wrong I am" she said. "You got me pegged wrong. We have our differences, but I don't delight in seeing you in pain. Off the concrete. It's cold" he said plucking the woman up. He cupped her in his hands and blew warm breath on her shivering body. He rubbed his fingers together and warmed her little feet between them. "With all that is said, she hates me" she muttered. He looked at her toes curled on his fingertip. She really was Lawan's mother. Same feet. "No, she's angry and hurt. She's lashing out because she doesn't know what else to do. As fast as she took to the truth, emotionally she's still sorting things out" he said. She looked up at the giant holding her and saw a sadness in his eyes. "You talk from experience?" she asked.

"Hope has the body of a 15-year-old girl but her mind is less mature. It frustrated her to be told things and still not understand. Why she can't have children yet. Why she can't leave the colony on extended periods. Why...why she can't use magic to fix the world" he said. "How did it work?" Boonsri asked. "...it didn't. My child is out there right now helping an immortal madman take over the world. So, you think you got problems?" he chuckled. His fingers caressed her long hair. "I had the best of intentions" she said. "That's how it always starts. Look, it won't be easy to fix this, but you owe it to her to try. You and your husband" he said. "I’ll...I'll try" she muttered. Keith brought her to his face. He gave the shrunken mother in law a gentle kiss. "It's takes a lot of courage to try" he said. "I was wrong. You and my daughter deserve one another" he said softly. "Admitting when you're wrong takes courage too...mother" he said. Boonsri chuckled softly.

Keith returned to the living room and placed Boonsri on the sofa next to Cassandra. "I didn’t know. Dad showed me the night you gave me up. I... I felt it. It was like a part of me..."

"Died. Died painfully" Boonsri finished. Boonsri held her close and let her cry into her shoulder. Lawan smiled up at her giant husband. "About the seal, our parents have legitimate concerns but mom, dad, she's right when she says it's her life" Lawan said. Everyone was quiet. Cass...we're asking you to think on it. Think really hard because if we do it, there's no going back" she warned. "That's a reasonable request, right?" Keith asked. Cassandra nodded. Lawan yawned. "We should be heading back" Keith said. "So soon? It's only 9:05" Cassandra asked. "Eastern time but we're on London time. It's 2:05 am for us" Lawan said. "You need a lift back to Buffalo?" Keith asked. "No, I took vacation the other day. Besides, I have catching up to do. Keith, I can't thank you enough" she said. "No thank you. Looking at you I know my wife will still have a smoking hot body 8 years from now" he laughed. Lawan blushed. Keith asked Joseph to translocate them back home. They watched as they passed through the portal. "I haven't even known them for a day and I already miss them terribly" Cassandra said.

Keith finished talking to control for any developments. There weren't any. He made his way to his bedroom where Lawan and his kids already were. They were fast asleep. Lawan with her leg sticking out from the tucked in sheet snoring. Keith smiled and used his finger to nudge her leg back under the covers. She had every right to be exhausted. Taking care of the kids plus netting her long-lost sister. His thoughts drifted back to Hope remembering the conversation he had with Boonsri. Keith left the room and went to the kitchen for a beer. There he found Alyssa drinking warm milk. "Can't sleep?" he asked as he opened the fridge. "Rose let slip what's really going on" she replied. "I see" he said popping the top off a Heineken and sitting down. "Is that what's really coming? A battle for who controls the world?" she asked. "More like who won't" he replied. "And if this Markus guy wins?" she asked. Keith found no reason to lie to her. "Then humans like you become playthings, food, or simply well treated slaves" he replied. Alyssa nearly dropped her glass. "How...how can you be so calm saying that?" she asked upset.

Keith took the glass of milk from her and sat it on the table. He used his stored-up magic to shrink her where she sat. He placed the bewildered on the table. "I want you to look at things from a borrower perspective for a moment. You're on a table, how do you get down?" he asked. She looked over the side. "Can't jump down" she said. "No, even a borrower would break her legs" he said. She looked stumped. See how the tablecloth goes down a bit close to the chair. "I can climb down and swing!" she said. Keith casted a spell. "What was that glow?" she asked. "Fortification spell. You're as strong and as durable as a borrower for a little while. Keith carefully watched as she climbed down and swung onto the chair. "Good job! Now climb down to the floor" he said. She eventually did. He carried her outside and kept her warm with his hands. "Now I want you to imagine that you live in a hole in that tree way out there near the main road. You got lost and now have to make your way back" he said. "You're not going to make me walk that are you?" she asked worried. "Hell no. You wouldn't get 100 ft. before mice attacked you. But borrowers don't have the luxury of choosing. This world is stacked against them. So how do you change that?" he asked.

"Dunno. If I was three inches tall all the time, I guess this would be a daily thing" she said. "Exactly, this would be reality for you. You asked me how I can say such things so easily. It's because it's reality. Worrying and pretending it's not there won't change what's coming. Those mice out there aren't going to go away because you're worried.  Hawks in the sky won't decide you're not dinner because you put it out of your mind" he said before closing the door. He put her back on the table and finished his beer. "But people are going to die either way. People you know" she said. "Yes, it's going to a hard to accept that loss, but the thing is freedom isn't free. It's bought with blood, sweat, tears, and lives. Borrowers are free because of sacrifices made. Cute African American girls like you aren't slaves because people fought and died for you to be free even all the way to the 20th century" he said as he took her little hands between her fingertips. "These hands can shape destiny. These adorable bare feet are going to take you places. I know because I have a good eye when it comes to potential. People like them. The ones that are going to fight will make sure you get your chance to change the world. Don't fear for them. There's nothing wrong about worrying but don't fear the sacrifices they make. They wouldn't want it" he said letting go of her feet.      

"I'm willing to send you back to your parents’ tomorrow in light of what's going on" he said. "But they'll have questions like who paid for the ticket" she said. "Do you think it matters in the long run?" he asked. "I can't leave Rose. Not now. Not like this" she said. "Then take her with you" he said. "And what about those questions? A rich friend being a ticket is one thing. A three-inch girl tagging along with me? Borrowers got it good but not rich college good" she said. "Are they good people?" he asked. She nodded. "Then tell the truth. It's so down to the wire that secrets could be meaningless" he said softly. "About your daughter. I'm sure you did everything you could by her. I can tell you're a good person" she said. Keith unshrank her. "But I still wonder" he said. She got off the table and stood on the floor. "I think that if nothing had happened, you'd still wonder. I'm not a parent but I know how it feels to wonder if you're doing your best. I have a kid brother who I... neglected as I studied to get my scholarship. It was hard, shameful, and guilty but I plan to get a degree and a kickass job so I can pay for his education one day. But there are times that I wonder if it will even out. You named her Hope for a reason. Maybe you should remember What it was. Goodnight Keith" she said. Keith kissed her forehead. "Goodnight Alyssa" Keith said softly.

Keith returned to his room and undressed. He had taught Alyssa what it meant to accept hardships but in turn she reminded him the reason he named his daughter Hope. The promise of a better world. His world, Aspen's, Claire's, everyone's. And promises are tied to one important thing he had forgotten...faith. Faith that everything would turn out okay. He laid down in bed and snuggled in. "It's about time you came to bed" Lawan muttered. "Thought you were asleep" he said. "You shook the bed" she muttered. "I don't spend enough time with my kids. There's Elena's and then Hikari's" he said. "You're doing what you can. You have kids on three continents" she said looking at him. "I'm yours tomorrow afternoon. I'll be your slave" he said. Lawan chuckled. "I'm serious. Shove me up your pussy, ass whatever. Milk me fucking dry if you want. Just..."

"Keith, it's okay" she said seeing him shake. She knew him better than anyone. As brave a face he put in, deep down he was terrified of what was coming. Lawan was too. As he fell asleep not long after, the vision of him being turned to dust hadn’t left her mind. She fell asleep certain to make tomorrow afternoon one that would leave no regrets.          

Keith stretched moments after waking up. The time was 8:08 am and he would have unusual guests at 9. He had a little bit of time to have a bit of fun at Lawan's expense before starting off. He took the covers off her exposing her small pajama clad body to him. She looked so delectable and perfect just lying there asleep. He breathed her scent. Youthful estrogen and breastmilk. The tiny woman had given him two children for which he was grateful but felt he could do more by her. They had been apart for months until recently. He had promised to be her slave this afternoon as instinctively sex was how borrowers bonded the most. He could sense in her tone of voice that devotion wasn't necessary to her. Just some time alone but Keith decided why not have both. He bent down and rested his chin on the bed inches from her body. Her bare soles almost as long as his fingernail. Pale like fresh cut wood and soft, very soft. Keith wondered how she kept her feet so smooth seeing how much pounding they took as she practiced every morning after breakfast. Her feet barely had a scent as she showered before bed. A tender kiss for her tootsies.

Her legs were strong, just over an inch from ankle to thigh. Her legs muscles were more pronounced than his from constant training, but his borrower muscles were denser and got more bang for the buck. Didn't mean she could kick his ass though. More than once she put those leg muscles to use holding him firm until her pussy finished milking him for seed. A gentle touch along her left leg. He unbuttoned her top exposing her breasts. He would get to those in due time but something tastier was waiting for him. Keith used his fingernails to pull her panties off. The tip of his nose smelled her cunt. Sweet, musky, fertile. If it wasn't for her contraception spell, she would pregnant right now, but both quickly agreed that two kids by her was enough for now. Lawan shaved down there which was unusual for her kind. A pubic bush meant good health to a yaksha female, but she found that western men tended to prefer smooth girls as men "don't want to go down on a tumbleweed". Keith gently licked her pussy causing her to moan in her sleep. He could taste her juices on her tongue.

Her smooth tummy had no stretch marks from birthing two kids. Keith chuckled as he remembered one time running on her belly and getting his foot stuck in her belly button. Lawan found it so funny she stood up and had her shrunken husband dangling by his foot from her belly like a living belly charm. Keith rubbed her belly with his fingertip as he knew it felt good to her. More than a few times a grumpy pregnant Lawan was soothed with belly rubs when sucking her toes wasn't enough. Lawan sighed in her sleep and spread her legs. Her breasts had gotten bigger again after having their second child. She was nearly a d cup human scale and it did give her issues. Back hurt sometimes and they would get swollen with milk if the babies weren't hungry very much. Keith made sure to be gentle with them when intimate. He pursed his lips around them both and gave two gentle sucks. A small stream of milk coated his tongue before letting go making sure the kids had their own breakfast. Lawan began to stir. Keith laid beside her and rubbed her belly. "Good morning goddess" he said as she opened her eyes. She felt herself virtually naked but sighed contently as his finger massaged her stomach. "Good morning slave" she chuckled after yawning.

She felt her breasts and pussy wet. "My slave has been taking advantage of his mistress" she grinned. "Your fault lying there so defenseless" he chuckled before kissing her. "Take me to the bathroom slave" she smiled. Keith took her to the bathroom and held her over the toilet. Sure, they had toilets her size but being held and having him hold her legs open to pee felt more...naughty. She blushed as he wiped her clean and took her back to bed. "Your next command?" he asked. "Breakfast in bed and heat up a bowl of water. I think I shall bathe while I eat today" she grinned. Keith left the room and returned with a tray, a bit of food and the bowl. She eased her way into the hot water and relaxed. Her giant husband dutifully tore off bits of toast, bacon, and egg feeding it to her. Once finished, she soaked and sipped coffee. "They're supposed to be here soon right?" she asked. "In 30 minutes.  Most of the prep is done" he replied. "Prep all you want but these are Mogwai were talking about. This time last year you were things to them not people. They won't take well to change" she said. "Then I feel sorry for them as Susan is going to be overseeing them" he said smiling. "There's going to be trouble" she muttered. "Not your problem. The only problem you got right now is what hole you want me cumming in... mistress" he said. "So many choices" she said grinning.

Keith dried her carefully with tissue. Every crack, nook, and cranny dried by his touch. The babies had begun to stir and Lawan sighed. "Breakfast time for them. I need to meet with Susan before they arrive anyway. I'll be back" he winked.

Keith stood at the living room window sipping espresso. He heard Susan walk up behind him. "Nervous" he asked looking at her tapping foot. Susan was dressed in uniform. "As nervous as a cat in a room of rocking chairs" she replied with her southern drawl. "You should be heading this up. You're the boss" she said. "Nope. I got personal business today and you have more field command experience than me" he said. His phone buzzed and he put his espresso down. Susan picked it up to sip. "Jesus! Would you like some coffee to go with your caffeine?" she asked recoiling from the drink.  "They're turning off the main road" he said putting his phone away. He sniffed the air. "You doing okay? I can smell your pregnancy stronger today" he said. "Daddy was nice enough to suck my toes this morning. Ruby can't wait to have a sibling" she chuckled. Keith smiled. "Doting big sister" he grinned. "Could you have dinner with us tonight?" she asked. Keith nodded silently. Susan held his hand. "Here they come" she muttered seeing black vans coming up to the front entrance. Keith opened the door to greet them. 

"Xiao Long reporting as ordered" a young woman of maybe 20 said saluting him. Behind her were four men human size like her holding strange chests. "At ease. And your troops?" Keith asked. She nodded to the men with cases. "If we may?" she said. Keith nodded. The men sat the cases down and opened them. Inside was 25 Mogwai their normal small size sitting strapped in chairs in each case. Uniformed and armed, they exited the cases and formed ranks. "I present the 9th Legion plus 25 combat medics" she said. "It's an honor to have you join us" Susan said bowing. "...likewise. If you permit, we wish to report to your military facility to begin acclimation and briefing" Xiao said stiffly. "In time. First we shall have you settled in and instructed in the facilities and locations your people can use for their needs" Susan said. "Agreed. Lead the way" she said. "Forgive me but I have other engagements that require my attention" Keith said. "You will not be present?" Xiao asked with slight disdain. "You are in more capable hands with her. She holds the rank of field commander" Keith said. Xiao looked surprised. "Very well" she said bowing slightly. Keith sighed and left them. "Right this way please" Susan said.

Susan led the woman and her troops right to the entrance of the colony. "Please remove your boots. Our streets are built for that sort of thing" she said. Xiao being respectful removed her boots. Susan's very good sense of smell could smell her feet but more importantly, the pheromones of anxiety. Xiao wasn't as cool as she was playing it as.  It was surreal for everyone as two giantesses walked through the street. One well known and trusted, the other one of many that tried to kill them all just four months ago. Not to mention the 100 behind her who no doubt had claimed a few borrowers lives themselves. For perspective, it's was like inviting the same Red Army that raped Berlin into town to fight Nazis. Common enemy but still the devil you know. People stayed off the streets as Susan had issued a warning that they were coming. Not everyone though was inclined to stay indoors. A very small Apple struck Xiao in the eyebrow making her flinch. She stopped dead in her tracks. Susan stopped. "Go home! Go home you murderers!" a small boy shouted at the Asian giantess. He hurled another apple at her.

Xiao opened her mouth and easily swallowed the tiny fruit. Her socked toes wriggling as if she was eager to crush the preteen boy under her feet. She bent down. Susan got ready to intervene. "You lose someone kid?" she asked. "...my father. He died protecting our home from people like you" he spat. "And I lost my older brother and younger sister here. We all have hard feelings being here, but we do what we must do. That's the mark of a soldier" she said very quietly. The boy's mother grabbed him. She glared at the giantess as Xiao stood back up. "Shall we continue?" she asked. Susan nodded barely. Susan led them all to the barracks at the academy. Any personnel that were there were staying with family or their normal homes by the time they arrived. With a gesture, the soldiers settled in. "This won't end well" Xiao said in mandarin. "You didn't kill the boy so that’s a start" Susan said to her. Xiao looked at her. "We didn't know you spoke mandarin" she said. "There's a great deal you don't know about us. All agents of THORN are required to speak the four core languages. English, Spanish, German, and mandarin. High ranking ones like me learn Japanese, Latin, Portuguese as well" Susan said.    

"We heard that your company has discipline issues but so far I haven't seen anything" she said. Xiao cracked her neck. The 9th Legion is considered a joke. Lacking courage, honor, and strength. It only exists to serve the mandatory service requirements" she replied. "So, your people sent you to fulfill a debt of honor at no real cost to them?" Susan asked. "Indeed" she replied. "I've worked with far worse. Does your files say how I came to be a soldier?" she asked. "Only that you became commander just recently after serving as bodyguard" Xiao replied. Susan was surprised she knew that much. "In the beginning I was just a blind defenseless child. Couldn't hold a sword, couldn't walk or climb without worrying about bumping into shit. Easy prey. Then one day I decided I wanted to serve the woman that saved me. I took the sharpened senses I had and made them work for me" she said. "How?" Xiao asked. Susan closed her eyes. "Try to hit me. Seriously" Susan said. "It would be a dishonor to attack a weak..."    

Susan easily swept Xiao's leg making the giantess fall. Her troops settling in scrambled to the windows.  "I see" Xiao said standing up. Susan honed her senses and felt Xiao use a straight punch. Susan sidestepped grabbing her arm and flipping her. Xiao angrily went to kick her leg and Sudan made a small hop. She landed with one foot on top of Xiao's head and pushed making her fall forward. Susan cocked her head to the right. "Enough. They're watching" Susan said. Xiao looked to the right to see faces in the windows. Both stood facing one another and bowed. Susan held out her hand and Xiao shook it. "Highly impressive. And just by listening?" she asked. "No, my sense of smell and the vibrations under my feet helped. The point to all this is even the lowest of us can achieve great things if we try. Especially for you as I'm betting this was not your choice of service" she said. Xiao hung her head slightly. "Take heart. Your soldiers love you. I could hear them cheering for you" she said grinning. Xiao looked at the barracks. She walked over to them. "If you're done then assemble outside" she said loudly. In a few minutes all 100 stood out in the quad.

"In 15 minutes, the first rotation of THORN soldiers will be arriving. Those that are 2nd lieutenants are to help acclimate with your new friends. 1st lieutenants will be coming with me and Captain Long to the briefing" Susan said. They looked at one another. "Obey the order" Xiao said sternly. "By all due respect, it is...unseemly for a borrower to give orders to their better" a young man replied. "You know the penalty for disobeying an order?" Xiao asked as she raised her foot. The soldiers around him moved out of the way leaving him exposed. "It is a dishonor to take orders from a borrower!" he said. Susan stopped her from crushing the man. Susan bent down on her knees. "So because I’m a borrower I’m inferior?" she asked. The small man glared at her. She could see similar glares from others. "You right-handed or southpaw?" she asked suddenly. "Right-handed but what does..."

"Lowering temperate inside target. Focuses on water. Level one Lemurian ice magic. Frozen tomb" she muttered. The young man screamed as his right hand was instantly encased in a layer of ice. "What you all just saw was a very ancient magic spell. Needless to say, I'm no ordinary borrower. A mistake that poor fuck is paying for. The effect can be done with arcane which our soldiers already know. Make no mistake, we are far from being weak. Now, so you submit to my authority or do you need to lose that hand before you learn your lesson?" she asked him. "I... yield!" he yelled. Susan dispelled the ice and with a simple healing spell reversed the frostbite in seconds. They were in awe of her control especially Xiao. Not long after, 125 borrower soldiers arrived commanded by three captains. "What have you got me into Susan?" one asked. "I already broken one in. The rest should fall in line" Susan told her. "If they disobey, feel free to execute them" Xiao told her. The young Captain chuckled. "Why she laughing?" Xiao asked. The captain stopped laughing. "Okay then. Everyone listen up. I want you to separate yourselves into groups. Each group will consist of your best magic attribute. Earth, wind, water, fire, lighting, and so on" she ordered. They broke ranks and bumped into one another. "Thanks ever so much Susan" the woman said. "Anytime Joan" Susan smirked as she led Xiao and the lieutenants to the briefing rooms.

"Please take your seats. THORN has already been briefed so they won't join us" Susan said as she sat down and held a PowerPoint remote. "This is our primary threat. Target name is Markus, but he has been known by other names in the past. On our scale he's ranked Class S Mage however that's only because we have no rank beyond that. He's one of the most powerful mages in the world" she said. "How powerful are we talking about?" someone asked. "He's achieved a form of immortality nobody else has" she replied. Someone chuckled. "That's it?" he laughed. "We cut off his head and he retracted it like it was nothing. Still think it's funny?" Susan asked. The young man was silent. "He commands the same kind of magic I do except his has been honed by 20,000 years of experience. You heard right. He may look 25 but he's thousands of years old. His primary objective is to bring back an ancient council who all of them used the power of Etherion" she said. They whispered among themselves. Even Xiao was taken aback.

"With all due respect, we were utterly beaten by one user, how can we stand against many...unless" someone said. "Hope joined them. She's off the table" Susan said. The tension rose in the room. "Markus can only bring them here under certain conditions that occur New Year's Eve. We stop that and we got a fighting chance" she said. "How...how much help does that man have?" Xiao asked. "1000 confirmed mages" she replied. They spoke among themselves. "Silence! Mogwai do not whine about the inequities of life!" Xiao yelled. "We do have a plan in the works. Our biggest hitters are going to engage Markus point blank while Keith takes care of his daughter. Without either, his plan fails. Once done, we swiftly evacuate and deploy the boson bomb" she said. "Boson bomb?" Xiao asked. "Yeah...ahem. It's a bomb Keith built during the fall in case your nation invaded. On detonation, it flashes anything within a 1000 ft. radius with boson particles shrinking the target permanently. You uh...witnessed this on a much smaller scale back during the summer" Susan replied. The fact they built a tactical WMD to be used on them didn't sit well.

"...continue with the briefing" Xiao muttered. "About 50 of them are human sized, the rest our size. However, all are potentially going to grow to deal with us. How many can grow to human size among you?" Susan asked. "Two thirds for a short time. They lack...skill" Xiao replied. "Better than some. With that in mind, we will hand out the growth arcane. Memorize it. It requires stamina like normal magic but it's less intense. Be careful though, it's more fragile than a real spell" she said. "My superiors mentioned ZODIAC" Xiao said. "Markus is their leader. We took out half of their membership but they're still out there and each one holds a class S artifact. They'll most likely field as combat support" Susan replied. "And who deals with them? If they're support that mean they won't be on the front line" one asked. "I'll be sending our best agents to take them out. Our best bet is to dogpile them one by one" she said. There was silence. "If nothing else, return to the academy. Break will commence at noon" Susan said. They stood up, saluted, and left leaving Xiao and her alone.

"You built a weapon like that and kept it from us while asking for our help?" Xiao asked highly annoyed. "And the good idea of telling you would be where?" Susan replied. "We may not be the most kind but even we never thought of using such weapons on civilians!" she shouted. "No, you just tortured, raped, ate, and did away with them one at a time. Or have you forgot your people invaded our home?" she asked. "I have not forgotten. I lost siblings in that conflict" Xiao hissed. "And we lost innocent civilians. The death toll was over 500. We lost 37 children when one of your soldiers flattened a school. Be extremely grateful Keith chose a non-lethal weapon. Weeks after the battle, Hope wanted to turn your homeland into a sea of lava just to make sure you never threatened us again. He talked her out of it. So, before you wag your finger or suck your teeth at us, remember, you brought war to our doorstep and showed your kind mercy...twice. Now are there any other issues you want to discuss with me?" Susan asked. "...not at this time" she replied. Susan nodded and left the room gesturing her to follow.

"This room we call Control. Only those with security clearance is allowed in but Keith gave you full access in the spirit of cooperation" Susan said. Susan sat on the floor and gestured for Xiao to join her. Xiao felt slightly embarrassed about her outburst now. Susan rubbed the pregnant belly of one of the operators who was reclining on a computer mouse exhausted. "Monica, when's the last time you got some rest?" Susan asked. "Yesterday afternoon" she replied letting the giantess pet her. She glanced at Xiao and nearly jumped. "Congratulations on your child" Xiao said bowing. Monica just stared. "This is Xiao, the Mogwai commander of our guests" Susan said. Monica nodded. Susan went to rub her little legs. "Any activity on the server?" she asked. "Small bursts of junk data to test upload/downloads. Standard procedure for servers. They're called load tests" Monica replied. Susan rubbed her tiny feet. "Sat tracking?" Susan asked. "Nothing crazy. Rina's intel checked out. A lot of very small buildings and movement" she sighed. "You have your own satellites?" Xiao asked. "Borrowed. We have the codes for a military sat for phones and we use civilian satellites when we can. That plus bot AI's crawl the webs for keywords" Susan replied. "Very impressive. Can... can it monitor us?" she asked. "...yes" Susan replied. Xiao was quiet.

Susan could sense something was wrong with Monica. "Feel free to browse" Susan said picking Monica up and going to the next room they used as a break room. "Hi" Xiao said to the young man looking at the second monitor. "Uh...hi" he replied to the Asian giantess hovering over him. Xiao looked over the data and noticed the young man hadn’t looked away from her. "It unnerves you to be this close to a Mogwai?" she asked. "No, not many Asian girls where I'm from" he muttered. "And where are you from little one?" she asked tapping and clicking. "Lincoln Nebraska" he replied. She nodded. "This feed here. I can't see what it's from" she said. He got out from his seat and moved closer to the keyboard just inches from her socked feet. She saw him glance at her feet. "Apologies, they're quite dirty now" she said as she removed them. "I know your kind has a good sense of smell. I hope the smell isn’t too strong" she said. "No, it's fine. If you hit control R you can see the source of the feed" he said moving around her big toe. "I see. Thank you" she said. The young man reclined slightly on her toe. "We've been tracking web cams from Jakarta but saw nothing new" he said. "Might be good. His forces have not increased. That tickles by the way" she said looking at his hand rubbing her toe. "Shit! I'm sorry I wasn't thinking. That was highly rude" he said embarrassed.  "I don't mind. You're not the first to take notice of my feet" she said smiling.

She glanced at the young man obviously embarrassed. "What is your name?" she asked. "T... Tommy" he stammered. "Are you mated with anyone Tommy?" she asked. "Actually no" he replied softly. She picked him up suddenly. The way she stared at him froze him in place as her finger felt his body. "Is there a physical abnormality? Infertility? Curved penis?" she asked. "Wha...no! My penis is fine!" he yelled. He blushed as he caught what he said. "Then why are not you not mated? You are a good sexual specimen as I can tell" she said. He didn't answer. "Ah. Family issues perhaps. I understand. It's the same with me" she said putting him down. "No, I just devoted most of my time to service. What do you mean family issues?" he asked. "In our society, talent and skill is just as important as honor. Skill and talents are often passed down from parent to child. The more powerful members are nobility. For this reason, it is common for siblings or cousins to marry to keep the bloodlines pure. For others, those of low skill and talent, we are undesirable for breeding. Even though I am of age, I have had no offers of marriage. I have only gotten this far in rank being the plaything of my first commander" she said softly.

Tommy could see the hidden pain in her eyes. "I'm sorry" he said. "It does not matter. I've grown used to being sucked on and even eaten. It is the way of things. I do not want sympathy" she said coldly.

"Want? More like need. There is more to a person that what they can or cannot do. Me? I suck ass in hand to hand combat, so I totally flunked being an agent. It was humiliating for me, but I didn't let others define my worth. I tried my hand at other things and found out I'm good with computers. Next thing I know I'm in the intelligence division. I'm sorry how people have treated you Xiao" he said. "You're interesting. A Mogwai does not cry often" she said wiping tears away. Tommy rubbed her toenail. "Borrower, Mogwai, it doesn't matter. We all have feelings and deserve to be happy" he said. "When'd do you have free time next?" she asked. "My shift is over at 1600. Why?" he asked. "I wish to fuck you. Your kind does ask first correct?" she asked. "Uh...yeah" he replied. "Then do you agree? I assure you my pussy is still tight, and I will be gentle" she said. "O... okay" he replied astounded. Xiao smiled and went back to reading data.

Meanwhile next door...

"You know full well that the final week is most important. You should be resting" Susan told her. "I'm aware of that ma’am. But I have responsibilities here" she said. "Your responsibilities is to give birth to a healthy baby. Look, your breasts are so swollen with milk. When was the last time they were drained?" she asked. "Five days" Monica muttered. Susan shook her head. "Raise your arms. Do not give me that look" she warned. Monica raised her arms and Susan pulled off her sweater. Monica winced as Susan used her finger to move her tits. "See? That painful and you just sat on it. When was the last time you got your toes sucked, pussy licked?" Susan asked. "Awhile" she muttered. "Dammit Monica. You know full well that sexual stimulation during pregnancy can ward off hormone imbalances. Especially when it's your first kid. Why hasn't your husband taken care of it? Under the family medical leave provision, cadets are allowed to stay with their mate if they're pregnant" she asked. "As soon as word got out about what we're doing, he chose to stay at the academy to complete as much training as he could" Monica replied. Susan groaned in frustration.

"Relax in my palm" she said. "But...but you’re my commander!" she stammered. "Officer Tennyson! You are not leaving this room under your milk is drained, your body sucked on, and you have a healthy orgasm! Understood?!" Susan yelled. The tiny girl nodded. Susan sucked the girl's breasts between her lips and gently sucked. Monica cried out in pain. "It's wouldn't hurt if you milked them like you supposed to. Now bear with it" Susan said taking a moment to pause. Monica bit her lip as the giantess sucked her tits. Her breasts were painfully swollen, so the suction wasn't pleasant. Susan tasted a flood of sweet borrower breastmilk on her tongue. Seconds passed and Monica began to relax as the pain wore off. Susan petted the top of her head to soothe the girl. Minutes passed before Susan let go. "Feels way better doesn't it?" she asked. Monica nodded. Susan put the girl in her mouth feet first locking her lips just below her breasts. She gently sucked on the girl making sure the tip of her tongue grazed her sensitive cunt.

Susan wasn't entirely shocked that Monica neglected herself. Borrowers all over the colony felt the stress. One of the things Susan got on a weekly basis was the population count. On average, 20 to 25 borrowers were born a week. This week however was 52. Borrower women were so stressed they were going into labor early. It concerned her greatly. Susan had garnered a great deal of respect from women and it was not taken lightly. Like the quivering, moaning 3-inch teenager in her mouth, Susan cared for them beyond run of the mill friendship. As Keith put it, they were all one family. And as the girl came in her mouth and her sweet delicious twitching little body hung from her lips, she felt a connection to her. A precious life full of promise, a life within that held their future. Susan put her hand on her tummy feeling the small baby bump. She would contribute to that future with her own child in the coming weeks...if she survived. Susan took Monica out of her mouth and cleaned her saliva off her. Susan quietly watched her get dressed. "Monica. Go home and get some sleep. We can do without for a few hours" she said. "But with the Mogwai in town..."

"I have enough to worry about. Go home. Sleep. That's an order" she said. Monica sighed and hung her head. "I may be your commanding officer but that doesn't mean I don't love you and loving someone means you have to give the hard treatment now and then" Susan told her. Monica looked up at the giantess. "Yes ma'am" she said nodding. Susan followed her leaving the room. They parted in the hallway as Susan went back to Control. "Tommy. Monica went home to rest" she said. "Thank god. I told her she needed sleep and she bit my head off" he said. "You care for the girl Tommy?" Xiao asked. Susan cocked an eyebrow hearing slight jealousy in her tone. "We've been working together for months. Being around someone you get used to them you know?" he replied. "No, I wouldn't. We are not allowed attachments" Xiao replied. "Is that why you asked me to...you know" he asked. "I asked because I want to sexually dominate a nice man. I... what’s the damn English word for not wanting to be hurt emotionally?" she asked in mandarin. "Cared for is what you're trying to say" Susan said. "Yes...I want to have my emotional needs met" she replied. There was an awkward silence. "Forget I asked Tommy" she muttered. "No, if you want sex, intimacy, and comfort, then I'm game. You don't have to keep you heart closed around us" he said. "He's right Xiao. You can be a girl here and not just a female soldier" Susan said patting her shoulder. "Susan...can...can we check on our troops please?" she stammered. "Yeah sure" Susan replied. The Asian giantess looked at Tommy with deep saddened eyes but gave him a slight smile.

Xiao was quiet during the walk back. The sound of her bare soles slapping the street the only sound that came from her. "This wasn't what you expected at all was it?" Susan asked her. "It would've been easier if I was scorned" she replied. "If that's what you wanted then why speak to that child earlier?" Susan asked. Xiao paused. "I don't like being feared by children. It bothers me" she replied softly. As she said that, a man rolling a cart of vegetables lost control and rolled backwards. Xiao easily caught it by using her big toe. "Why do you say it like it's shameful?" Susan asked as the Asian giantess nudged the cart back to the borrower. "Sparing a child once caused me great dishonor. I was given a simple mission. Secure mining rights to a mine in central Africa. It was a job above my station but my commanded decided to do me a favor. When talks fell through, I was given the order to kill his oldest son. He was a quiet, respectful 13-year-old boy. An African child who learned multiple languages so he could inherit his father's company one day. And as I held his shrunken body in my mouth, I looked at the faces of his younger siblings. Prostrating, sobbing at my giant bare feet, begging to spare his young life" Xiao said looking at her giant wriggling toes. "I spared him. I spared them all and helped them flee to Canada. The mission was a failure and when my commander found out...I was punished. I had dishonored him and myself with failure and caused a multibillion-dollar loss. Normally I would be put to death and I wish they had. What they had in store for me you would not wish on your worst enemy" she said. There was a dark hatred in her eyes as she finished. Susan wisely decided not to ask what they had done. Abruptly, Xiao began walking again.

 "Joan?" Susan asked looking at the woman shaking her head. "They can barely cast spells at all. Their hand to hand is good but spellcraft? Even the best of them are class C" she replied. "And the combat medics?" Susan asked. "Silver lining. They're decent enough and some can grow to human size, but a bunch of doctors won't win this fight" she replied. "It's their blood. They come from lower houses like me" Xiao said. "By blood you mean human blood then yes. Each one carries some human blood. You can smell it if you concentrate enough" Joan said. Xiao sighed and nodded. "You knew?" Susan asked. "It's a dirty secret but over half of our population has at least a drop of human blood in them. My grandmother was human" Xiao replied. "What now?" Joan asked. "Mix the teams. We can even out the issues...hopefully. Assign a medic to each team. Start sparring and drilling" Susan replied. "Divide formations! You will be assigned yearns based on your abilities. Sparring and team training will begin shortly. If I find anyone purposely hurting your partner beyond practice, I will make them lick my asshole from the inside! Will you obey?!" Xiao shouted. "Obedience brings victory!" they shouted. "And what is victory?!" Xiao yelled. "VICTORY IS LIFE!"* they yelled in unison. "That woman scares me" Joan muttered. "She's a complicated woman" Susan told her.

(Authors note: If anyone can tell me where this phrase came from without using google, you win 100 nerd points)

Keith felt his heart racing. He knew it would be trouble if he was caught. His illusions failed him one by one. His back was against the dresser leg as he panted catching his breath. "You knew this was coming Keith. No use hiding from me" Lawan said softly. He glanced around the dresser leg to see the giantess on all fours looking under the chair. She was so aroused she dripped her juices on the floor. One illusion left in him and he sent it out running. To his shock it was snatched up by giant lips and slurped up. Then a loud gulp. What Keith had saw was Lawan's own illusion. She was on top of the dresser balancing her weight. She pounced onto the floor. A powerful wind dragged him out sprawling him directly in front of her. She sat with her legs behind her, her pussy arched forward and her eyes locked right on him. "The game is over. You're out of decoys and my prize awaits" she said grabbing him. There was a wild look in her eyes as she watched him struggle. Her heart beat faster and faster, milk trickled out of her nipples. The giantess wasn't his wife, but a sexual predator and he was delicious prey.

She dangled him upside down and shoved her tongue up his ass. Keith grit his teeth and held out until she stopped. She brought him to her face, and she sniffed his crotch. "Mine. All mine" she growled as she lifted his legs to lick his balls. What began with standard foot licking had turned into a sexual beast looking to satisfy her hunger. Her finger felt his little heart beating faster as drool seeped from her mouth. Her finger glowed brightly, and Keith barely caught his rapid breath as he felt her cast a fortification spell on him. A very strong one. She placed him on the bed. "You want to worship me? I don't want that" she said lowering herself onto his body. Only his head poked out from underneath her massive cunt. He could feel her pulsing wet sex on his body pushing down. "I want to be the center of your fucking universe" she growled deeply. A single tear fell from her right eye. "Lawan" he muttered. "Quiet. You feel that don't you? The place your babies came out wants to swallow you alive. And there's nothing you can do...about it" she said grinding on him. He took gulps of air as her cunt moved over his body back and forth.

And then she paused. Her finger went from the back pushing on his ass as he slipped right in. Keith felt her fingers gripping his ankles as she rapidly pushed him in and out. If not for the fortification spell, he would be black and blue puking by now. And then he went all the way in. Faint light from behind and a loud slap with her hands over her pussy trapping him. He could breathe but he felt her walls sucking him in deeper and tightening up. Her fluids entombed him and then with a quake like shudder, she came. He felt gravity pull him backwards and he slipped out right on the bed where she was kneeling up. Lawan was panting and sweating above him. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she bent down to his level. He went to speak again, and her giant finger stopped him. He felt his little feet pass her lips and slowly sucked him into her mouth. She sucked so hard his ears popped. Her juices and his sweat on her palate made him too tempting. Lawan did something she always wanted to do to him. She ate him alive.

He had been eaten by others before during training but never her. Not her. She was too frightened in case something went horribly wrong. But two days from now destiny would call for him. This was the last chance to indulge her last fantasy. The first to feel what it was like to be eaten by him, and now the tables turned. The father of her children, her soulmate, the one that defined her existence, sitting in her belly like food. Such a thought made the giantess cum again. She lay on her back sprawled out petting her stomach. She felt him moving, crawling up. And within a minute, she opened her mouth to let the winded morsel escape. Keith tumbled onto her tummy and she giggled. He smiled at the giantess and went to soak in the water bowl on the nightstand. They kept it around as it was easier than showering again and again. "What time is it?" he asked. "12:45" she replied. Keith climbed out of the bowl and back on the bed. "Shrink back down" he said. She did and opened her legs. "Not yet" he said holding her. "I think you need this a little more right now" he muttered. He didn't have to ask her. He knew what was on her mind as she grinded him earlier.

He laid with her watching Christmas shows that lingered on tv. Truthfully, it didn't matter what was on tv for her. As long as she could feel him. By 3:00, she was talking about anything. Keith sucked her little toes one by one listening to her talk about living in San Francisco as a kid. By 3:30, his cock was again buried to the hilt in her cunt slowly fucking her as they shared memories magically. Lawan used every bit of her strength not to cry. The tiny couple fucking sharing their warmth and love was too important to interrupt with tears. She felt him spray his seed within her and yet she held him tight not letting go. Keith laid back with her on top letting her long black hair. And then 4:00 came. "I have to go. I planned to see Claire, Luke, and the others" he said softly. Lawan simply nodded knowing how important it was to him. She watched him leave painfully.

Keith knocked on the door and Rebecca answered. "Keith! Wasn't expecting you today" she said holding her infant son. "Yeah, I came to see everyone because..." he trailed off. Rebecca bid him to enter. Thomas wasn't at home but spied his son on the living room floor playing with blocks. Keith sat down. "Hey buddy. It's daddy" he said. The infant crawled to him and into his lap. Father and son sniffed one another to remember scent. "You're getting bigger. You drinking mommy dry?" he laughed. "Damn right he is" Claire said entering the room. She sat next to him. Keith caressed his son's chubby cheeks deep in thought. He giggled as Keith's fingers tickled his neck. He looked at his little fingers curled around his. His little toes curled in amusement as his father paid attention to him. He looked at Claire crying. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" he said breaking down. "For what?" she asked. "I've been so wrapped up in other things I haven't been around. He's my son, I should be around more" he said softly. Luke went to touch his wet cheek. "We know how hard you work. You're there when you're needed most. Look at him, he knows you love him. Isn't that the important thing?" she asked. Keith looked at her.

"Did you know mommy used to hate daddy?" he asked him. The boy cooed. "Hated me so much because she thought I was taking mommy Aspen away. She even wanted me kicked out of the house" he said. "Don't tell him that!" Claire yelled. Keith chuckled. "But little did she know that daddy loved mommy very much. Even though she didn't like him, at least he felt someone cared about his existence. And when mommy was in big trouble the day you were born, he felt losing her would break his fragile heart. Daddy loves mommy and wants to make sure she will be okay if he's not around anymore" he said. Claire took Luke from him and placed him on the floor. She looked at her mother who nodded before pulling him into her old room. She sat down on the bed and shrank herself taking him by surprise. She sat down in front of the giant. "How many arrangements did you make?" she asked softly. "A lot. I have letters for each one of you. Even the kids" he replied. "When Aspen gets back from shopping you should talk to her" she muttered. "I plan to but that's not why you shrank is it?" he said. "Play with me. Play with me like when I was pregnant. Like that night" she said softly. Keith gently pulled off her clothes starting with her sneakers. One by one he set her clothing aside until she was naked before him.

He held her in his hands. Keith smelled her little feet and while a little sweaty, were not as sweaty as when she was with child. His fingers rubbed her bare soles and legs. He traced circles on her tummy. Her breasts leaked milk. She was so soft to the touch. Claire was not as needy and sensitive now, but it was a thing of intimacy for her. Aspen was not as gentle as he. His touch was like warm blankets on her skin. Soft, comforting, relaxing. Keith brought her to his lips and sucked her little pussy. She caressed his nose and dug her bare feet into his cheeks. The tip of his tongue grazed her cunt making the bug sized girl shiver. Susan let out a squeak as she came. "Come in Aspen" he said softly. Keith had sensed her for the last few seconds behind the door. He sat in the dim light holding her wife quietly as she sat next to him. He went to give Claire to her, but she refused. He sat there gently petting Claire's naked little body. "In the last year I had to do some hard things. Stepping away from you, finding my own destiny, burying people too young to die, preparing to fight my own kid. The hardest thing though is to prepare a world that might not have me in it" he muttered. "Don't...don't say that" Aspen said. "Aspen, my beautiful caring human Aspen. What's coming is coming. Not talking about it won't make the problem disappear. I'm okay with it. I've come to terms about it. I've lived a full life" he said smiling. "Bullshit! You're barely 20! How can that be a full life?!" Aspen yelled. "Podcasts, solving mysteries, giving you children, changing the world, saving the world. I look into your eyes and I see the moment I came inside you. These hands held mine when I screamed myself awake from a nightmare just weeks after I moved in with you. You never even asked what it was, but you held my shaking hand. Your toes. Well you know how I am. And of course this troublesome little bug here" he said smiling at Claire who was listening. "She knows how deeply I care about her. You caught me sucking her pussy after all" he chuckled.

"I've seen things. Been given things. Learned things more than any borrower alive. I at the point in my life when I have more good things than bad things in it. And both of you sexy girls helped me get there in your own ways. Now do you understand?" he asked. Aspen held him tightly quietly sobbing into his chest. When she was finally done, all three went back to the living room. They talked about old times as each one played with Luke. Mostly though Keith held the boy until he needed a nap. He stood over his crib for a moment before leaving the nursery. "You know I could use some of that love you gave Claire" Aspen winked.  Keith picked her up making her laugh and carried her to the bedroom. As soon as she hit the bed, she stripped off her clothing. Keith sat naked on the bed and used arcane to shrink down. "Keith. I want you to fill me up not worship me" she said. "You're worth both" he said as he approached her feet. She didn't clench her toes even though his touch tickled. His hand feeling the spaces between them.

Aspen always did have a unique scent to her feet. Like sweaty popcorn but a hint of made her...well her. Not shocking really. Scent is genetically linked. Hope's feet smelled similar in that regard. Her blue toenails shined in the light. Keith remembered seeing her feet for the first time that rainy night he showed up on her doorstep. Perfect, just like her. He rubbed her feet for the first time on her 21st birthday as she was tired from dancing. She fell asleep next to him. Keith was sorely tempted to suck her toes that evening and would’ve if she was a borrower, but humans have different standards. Shortly after inventing the shrinker device, he painted her giant toes for laughs. The same night he carried her shrunken body to her room making sure to unshrink her before the deadline. She was so delicate in his hands. Keith walked to her pussy.

His first time seeing it was finding her pushing Claire in and out of it drunkenly on Valentine's Day the first year he was there. Her scent, sweat, pussy, and healthy fertile woman made him jerk off in the bathroom. He felt guilty over that. Then the time she lost her soul and Claire stimulated her. And then of course the night he impregnated her. Keith licked, rubbed, and massaged her giant cunt making the lovable giantess moan. She got wet and Keith canceled the shrink spell. He pushed his way into her and began to fuck her slowly. His eyes never left hers, even when he brought her feet to his chest and sucked her cute toes, they never left her gaze. Her eyes, Keith had never looked so deeply into them before and found something curious. There were flecks of hazel in the right one. He chuckled. "Learn something new every day" he told her. Keith didn't know she had heterochromia. A genetic quirk that made her all the more unique. Keith kissed her deeply. His tongue touching hers, touching her teeth. Their saliva mixing until he came up for air. And as he tensed up feeling Aspen cum, he waited till her pussy stopped milking him and then he began again. He didn’t know how he did it, but he held off cumming in her three times and when he couldn't hold it anymore, pulled out and came on her tummy.

Aspen was almost irritated he didn't shoot inside her but a sadness in his eyes erased that. She had known him long enough to understand the thought in his mind. How could he make another child when he had lost the last one? A child that was very much alive and doing god knows what? It was the uncertainty that hurt the most. Keith and Aspen was silent as they got dressed. He stared at the floor. "Who has four thumbs up and loves you very much? This girl!" she shouted. Keith turned to her to see her thumbs, and her big toes sticking up. "Four thumbs..." he muttered. He snickered and then full on laughed. She wanted to see him smile. To hear him laugh. She held his hand as they went back to the living room. "Staying for dinner son?" Thomas said as he hung up his coat. Keith saw the time was almost 7. "No thanks. I got dinner plans already" he replied. Keith hugged Aspen and Claire tightly before kissing them. With a gentle smile, he left. They ate dinner quietly until Claire slammed her fork down and left the room. Magical energy poured off her. Aspen had seen this before when her emotions were too high for her to control her powers. To protect others, Claire tended to shrink herself very small, small enough that to even a borrower one could barely see. Aspen knew where she was as soon as she entered the room. A tiny orange point of light on the floor.

Only three inches tall, Aspen was a monolith of a giantess to Claire right then and could see her staring down at her. Claire's pain and rage caused small sparks to shoot off her like static electricity. Aspen let the speck of her wife vent until the tiny point of light floated into her hands. The glow disappeared as Claire grew to a larger more noticeable size. She cuddled the tiny girl like she always did when upset. Claire was naked as her own power burned her clothes clean off, but she was warm as the giantess made sure her skin touched every bit of her. Her scent washing over her as she knew how much it meant to her.

Keith walked silently to Susan's home. Borrowers wishing him a happy new year and returned the favor halfheartedly as seeing 2019 was ambitious wishing. But he did have some hope as he noticed a few Mogwai eating at a restaurant and not causing trouble. He was curious as how the partnership was working. Then two heavy thuds behind him and the smell of feet. He turned to see Xiao. "I was invited for dinner" she said shrinking down. "That's nice" Keith said going to knock on the door. "Come on in son" Tim said opening the door for them. "Hey guys! It's almost ready. Just have to get the biscuits" Susan said from the kitchen. "You seem to be well sir" Keith said. "I'm better now that I have my daughter back. And you young lady?" Tim asked. "Xiao Long of the 9th Legion" she replied. "So like a soldier?" Ruby said entering the room and tapping on the giant phone in the living room. "Exactly like one" she replied. "So have you killed people?" Ruby asked turning to look at her. "Ruby Durmont! That's inappropriate" Susan said putting biscuits on a plate. "I do not mind answering. Yes, I have killed" Xiao replied. "Ahem. Shall we sit down?" Tim asked. They all sat down as the food was ready. Tim blessed it and while Susan and Keith closed their eyes and prayed, Ruby and Xiao did not.

"You didn't close your eyes" Ruby said. "Neither did you" Xiao said grinning. "So, Susan says you're a Mogwai and that its unusual for you to be helping us" Tim said passing the potatoes. "Indeed. Our people see your kind as...vermin. But we have that view of most races" she replied. "Well, you see things differently today right?" Susan asked. "I did have vigorous sex with the one called Tommy. He was attentive to my desires" she replied. Tim coughed. "How so?" Ruby asked. Susan eyed her daughter. "Him licking my feet was not to impressive. Many men and women have done so. Mostly before they died but Tommy knew how to stimulate my g spot" she replied. Susan cringed. "Well borrowers do understand how women tick. The pleasure centers of the body mind you" Keith said eating his steak. Tim was uncomfortable. "Guys please. Not in front of dad" Susan said. "Don't mind me. I'm just a human prude" he chuckled. "Human? So Susan is half human?" Xiao asked. "More like one third" he replied. "Interesting. I've heard that borrowers are feisty things as they reach sexual maturity. Is this true?" she asked. "Well, we were separated when she was 12 so I don't know" he replied. "And Ruby here. How is she your daughter giving her age?" Xiao asked. "Adopted" Susan replied. "Forgive the questions. I'm fascinated by other cultures. A rarity among my kind" she said.

"So you didn't get horny when you were a teen?" Ruby flatly asked. "I did have the drive for sex if that's what you're asking but during my teen years...there was no passion, sensuality, or compassion. My superiors never showed that" she replied. "Hmm...guess I'm lucky. Mom has been very understanding on my feelings" Ruby said. Susan nodded with a slight smile. "She even put me in her pussy when I asked" Ruby said eating potatoes. Keith and Tim coughed. Susan let out a sigh. "Very good for her. My mother never bothered to see to my feelings. She was very cold. I liked this human boy once and when she found out she was furious. She made me eat him" Xiao said. They all stared at her. "That's horrible. My god child" Tim said. "It was the drive to enter service. Just to get away from her" she said. "What's it like to eat someone?" Ruby asked. "Power. Absolute power. The feeling of swallowing a living person with wants, desires, feelings, and dreams, and ending it all with your stomach. It can be intoxicating as long as you don't look at them too hard. I've eaten quite a few in my time. Young, old, man, woman, and child. Children younger than you. But even the hardest soldier will find a day that ending lives loses meaning" she replied.

Susan looked at Ruby who had gone silent. "So how's the training?" Keith asked changing the subject. "Magic is woefully inadequate but their hand to hand is doable. We spent the rest of the day drilling in arcane" Susan replied. "Excellent! And how's discipline? I was told you guys have issues" Keith asked. "There were some problems, but they got the message" Xiao replied. "That easily? Not even a hint of bloodshed and animosity?" Keith asked astounded. "If I may? When they refer to discipline issues, they mean winning. Obedience brings victory and victory is life isn't it Xiao?" Susan asked. The Asian woman nodded. "So they relate defeat with a failure of discipline?" Keith asked. Xiao nodded again. "A cruel concept for those untalented. My brother and sister died just blocks from this home. They gave their everything to the homeland and yet..." Xiao abruptly stopped. "When this is over, I can offer asylum to atone who wishes to leave such a life" Keith told her. "A Mogwai defecting? Impossible" she muttered. "One has already done so. Think it over" he said. Xiao stopped eating as such an idea never entered her mind.

"Susan. If you're done eating, could you walk with me?" Keith asked. "Go on ahead. I bet your phone has Pictionary" Tim said smiling. Keith motioned she wouldn't need shoes or socks as they headed to the door. "Is this game fun?" Xiao asked. "Been awhile but yes" Tim said downloading it from the App Store. "What do we get if I’m victorious?" she asked sitting on the couch. "Uhh...congrats?" Tim asked. "Weak. If I win you shall clean the filth from my feet" she said sternly with a grin. "And if grandpa wins?" Ruby asked. "I shall suck his cock and drink his semen. A fair bargain" Xiao replied. "Oh dear" Tim muttered. "And if I win?" Ruby asked. "Grandpa sucks on me!" Ruby said grinning. "A dubious bargain as he might enjoy it but nonetheless. The wagers have been made. Begin this Pictionary!" Xiao shouted.

Keith held her hand behind him as the giant and giantess strolled through the city. Not many were on the street at this time. Most were at home finishing dinner, relaxing after a hard day, or doing homework if they were children. The festive lights still lit and twinkled all over the city. Susan wished she had her socks on. The street felt so weird under her bare soles. Sections heated and not, the seams of the thin concrete panels. She pushed her over sensitive soles out of her mind as he kept walking and walking. He would pause and smile at things as he made a clockwise walk around the colony. A young boy around 7 years old stood on his balcony in just pajamas. Susan stopped. "Shouldn't you be in where's it's warmer? Your cute little feet must be cold" she said bending down. "I wanted to see the lights" he said. Keith plucked him right up and put him in the giantess' hand. Susan stood back up. "Wow!" the boy said seeing the city from a new perspective. Susan curled her finger to give him better leverage as his little bare feet slipped on her skin.

She found herself petting the back of the inch and a half child. She smiled at the awe the boy had for something she took for granted. The irony was this time last year she could see nothing...nothing at all. "Okay kiddo. Back to your cozy bed" Susan said. "Aww! But I want to see more!" the boy shouted at the giantess. "No. Good boys go to bed at bedtime. Bad boys get eaten" she said licking her lips. "Don't eat me! I'll go to bed!" he yelled. She bent forward and the boy flinched until he felt a gentle kiss on his face. "Good" she said smiling. She placed him back in his room and tucked him into bed. "Can I see the lights tomorrow?" he asked. "Yes, but go to bed" Susan replied. "Okay Mrs. Durmont. Nite nite" he said closing his eyes. Susan was shocked. "What? You think I'm the only one kids look up to here?" Keith said explaining how he knew her name. Keith brought her to town square and kissed her deeply as he held her close. Susan had her head down and shook. "Suzie?" he asked. She glared at him. "Stop. Stop this. You think I don't know what all this is? This is your way of saying goodbye. Even this final tour of the colony is fucked up" she spat.

"Actually, it's part of an old naval tradition. A captain touring his ship before battle" he said. "A hopeless battle! I ain't some Georgia hick! I know shit too!" she yelled. People nearby in their homes could hear the giantess yelling and went to the windows. Two giant pair of feet on the street. The one with painted toes fidgeting and curling from anger. The other flat and unmoving. Those with balconies saw the giantess crying and gripping the shoulders of the giant. "Not necessarily. Captain Horatio Nelson toured his ship before the Battle of Trafalgar" Keith said. "And he died there Keith. I've seen the statue in London too" she said softly. "...the battle was still won" he replied. She looked at him in a way that gave him pause. "Everyone! You know the battle were facing on New Year's Eve but there's something you don't know! Keith is fated to die in it!" she shouted. Slowly, the little borrowers left their homes and surrounded then. Dozens, then over a hundred. Half of them in night clothes. They looked at the giant struck. "Is...is this true?" a young woman asked.

"...yes" Keith replied softly. Keith was not prepared for what happened next. Children began crying. Women sobbing. Even some young men shed tears. "Sign me up!" a young man shouted stepping forward. And another, another, and others. Keith got on his knees.  "No, I won't lead you to your deaths. I won't have that on my conscience" he said. Still others stepped forward. When children stepped forward, Keith had reached his breaking point. "I SAID ENOUGH! Just...just stop it" he muttered letting tears fall to the street. "You want to help me? Then have children! Lots of fucking kids! Keep our species from falling into the night. Sell your wares, go to school, fall in love, and have lots of kids. Look at you, why would you even step forward?" Keith asked looking at a young woman heavy with child. "I wouldn't even be alive today if it wasn't for you. How can I just sit around and do nothing?" she replied. "Where's your husband?" Keith asked. A young man standing beside her nodded. "You love her?" he asked. He nodded. "Do right by her, provide, everything a mate should do and then some?" he asked. Again, he nodded. "And you?" he asked his wife. She nodded. "Then you paid your debt and then some. Step back!" Keith should angry.

"Even if...even if this changed anything, do you truly think I'd want to live with that guilt? Let me meet my destiny with honor and distinction. If you respect, if you love me, you'll give me that much" he told them all. "Destiny is what we make if it lover" a voice said. Keith gasped slightly as none other than Hikari stepped from the crowd. "Hikari? You're here?" he asked. "She didn't come alone" another voice said behind her. "Elena" Keith muttered. "I still owe them for my broken spine. And an imperial princess of Japan always pays her debts" Hikari said bowing. "And don't forget it ain't a party without a singer" Elena said grinning. Keith picked them both up and hugged them to his cheek. Everyone could see the giant shaking. "You know what's coming? They outnumber us two to one and then some" he said. "I like a challenge" Hikari said bowing in his palm. "Just means more can hear my songs" Elena said smirking.

Meanwhile on the other side of the world...

"Thanks for babysitting her" Markus said checking his hair in the mirror. "I'm not used to caring for children" Hope said looking at Tracy. "That much of a handful?" Markus asked. "She wanted to smash buildings under her bare feet. She didn't like it when I told her she couldn't" she replied.  She's just riled up. Once the normality if everything settles in, she will conform" he said. "Dad. Hope wouldn't let me smash stuff" Tracy said hugging him. "Well you can't just Godzilla the place whenever you want. Even pets need a place to sleep" he said ruffling her hair. "At least I got to eat one. He wriggled in my tummy" she said giggling. "She snuck one is more like it" Hope said rolling her eyes. "No harm done. They love to serve us after all. Wait till they clean your feet" Markus said smiling. "Eww!" the young girl squeaked. "And how are you getting along? Heard you found one to dote on and even ate a few. That's different for you" he said. "As you said, they serve us and even then, those that chose to out of free will" she said coldly. In truth, it did weigh on her mind using them as sex toys and snacks but as she saw it, this was her rightful place. To change the world, save it from selfish destructive humans, and there was no going back. "What is all this?" she asked looking at the small sound stage before them.

"I'm going to make an announcement to the entire world. They're going to be put on notice that their time as rulers of the world has come to an end" he replied walking onto the stage. "Is that wise? You're painting a target on yourself before the alignment" she asked. "Exactly. What’s coming tonight must be said beforehand so to prevent the foolish humans form destroying everything. This way, they got someone to blame" he chuckled as people got the cameras angled and the lights focused. "Begin Protocol 1" he said. "Protocol 1 has begun. All OS exploits coming online" a young man said sitting at a terminal. "Protocol 1?" Hope asked. "In order to deliver my message to the most people, we embedded two specific exploits. The first one will override any security measures to display my broadcast. YouTube, Nico Nico, Weibo, Youku, Netflix, Hulu, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, even fucking Pornhub. Every streaming and social media outlet will broadcast my message" he said grinning.

"Exploit saturation has now achieved minimum optimized levels" the young man said. "And the second exploit?" Hope asked worried. "Just watch and listen" he replied. "Broadcasting in three...two...one..."

"Hello world. My name is Markus and I'm here to deliver a long-awaited message. For thousands of years, humans have had control over the earth and during that time they've systemically ruined it. Your petty wars have cultural beauty and extinguished innocent life. Your greed has poisoned the air, our oceans, our land, and even polluted space itself. Your lust for killing has sent thousands of species into the abyss. Even a species that looks like you, talks like you, reasons like you, loves and dreams like you were brought to the edge of extinction. Their blood and so many other species now long dead have cried out for vengeance. I have heard their cries and cannot suffer your species lording over our planet no longer" Markus told them.

"Check out crazy Greenpeace man. Fuck outta here with that!" a man shouted at the Times Square screen. "Another crazy liberal" an older man hissed as he tried closing his Pornhub window to no effect. "Trace this shit" a middle-aged man in the NSA demanded. "Ma. What's extinction?" a very young Chinese girl living in Hong Kong asked. All over the world, humans watched the feed and more than most had reactions that this was the raving of a madman hacker. However, other species were not so dismissive. Borrowers were silent watching. Melody, a 19-year-old borrower girl working in an accounting firm didn't laugh and dismiss him even as her giant coworkers did. The Mogwai watching gave silent nods. The yaksha reserved judgement. And the gremlins cheered.

Markus silently nodded to the young man working his diabolical techno magic to begin Protocol Two. "To show this is no idle rambling of a madman, I have decided to disable every communications satellite in orbit around the planet in five minutes. No more GPS, cellular communications, streaming services, clouds, ...no more internet" he said chuckling.      

"He's full of shit! Nobody can kill the ENTIRE internet!" Susan yelled looking at her phone. "The only way I know to kill satellites is...Control! Any launches in the last 10 minutes?!" Keith yelled after dialing. "Negative! No launch plumes detected by weather sats!" someone responded. "And the server?!" Keith asked. "Increase in traffic load but it's because everyone is streaming the broadcast!" they replied. "DDOS the fucking thing! Kill it!" Keith ordered. "I'm trying! Too much buffer space being allocated!" he yelled. Then there was a ping sound on the phone. "Our phones. That what this was all about. This is why he took control of ZTE. This is why he had Leo strong arm software engineers in Silicon Valley.  The software update he had people writing was to turn our phones into Trojan horses.  My God, and our phones are connected to everything. From military terminals and aircrafts avionics to laptops and smart cars" Keith muttered. "How can a smartphone disable a satellite? Their OS's aren't nowhere near the same. Even I know that" Susan asked. Before Keith could answer...

"Here it comes humanity. The foot that kicks you off your throne. Five...four...three...two...one..." he said just before the feed ended.  Keith refreshed the YouTube app on his phone to find it say "cannot connect to the Internet. Please check your connection". His Wi-Fi signal said no internet. Keith disabled Wi-Fi to find his cellular signal with no bars and no service. Keith looked at Susan. "He did it" he muttered. Around the world, every device, every machine, every piece of technology dependent on a satellite signal disconnected and became useless. Self-driving cars crashed. Hospital records wouldn't load. 911 emergency lines hung on to their landlines until those overloaded. Military sats went dark. Installations like NORAD went to DEFCON 2 as the early warning systems went blind. And worst of all, commercial aircraft, very much dependent on GPS began straying off course...

"KLM 3122! Divert to coordinates...oh Jesus. Divert to uhm...course 130" a traffic control operator at Heathrow yelled. He watched the plane veer. "Drop altitude! Drop to 5500!" he yelled. "Dropping! Dropping...turn turn TURN!" the pilot shouted in German. There was a loud boom. "Warning! Pull up! Pull up!" the automated voice chimed. The traffic controller watched in horror as a plane loaded with hundreds of people fell out of the sky after colliding with a private jet. A small streak of fire in the night sky going to the horizon and then a flash as it exploded hitting the ground. They had been trained to use degree vector systems like in the old days but with the sudden loss of GPS, they scrambled to switch over the system. With the airways cluttered with planes taking people home from Christmas, it was a mathematical certainty there would be accidents.

Tens of thousands died that day due to killing vital communications and navigation systems but it was nothing compared to how many would die the next day...   

Keith fiddled with the antenna as the picture buzzed and snowed. "There" Susan said as the picture cleared up.  It had been nearly 12 hours since Markus disabled every major satellite in orbit. The world was reeling from the attack. People scrambled for news pulling out old rabbit ears antenna (if they still had them) and hooking the up to get airwave local news like Keith had done. "This is BBC news at the 8 o’clock hour. The state of the world is in turmoil as mobile networks, cable, streaming, GPS, and most of the internet went silent last evening. All major powers are on high alert and are trying to trace the source of the worldwide broadcast by the man known simply as Markus. Since the blackout, sporadic reports are coming in that as many as 30,000 people worldwide are dead because of the attack. 17 plane crashes have been confirmed was well as casualties from hospitals. More reports are coming in of suspected deaths linked to the blackout but have yet to be confirmed. Right now, government and civilian sectors are relying on landlines, the Transatlantic line, and faxes to distribute information and commerce. However, financial losses have exceeded $200 billion already and is expected to keep climbing."

"The Ministry of Defense had no comment when asked how the satellite were taken out and when they can be restored. When asked what measures will be taken to apprehend the man responsible, their comment was...steps have been taken. In related news, riots have broken out at banks as panicked Londoners tried to withdraw savings..."

Keith muted the tv. "He did this to undercut any military from getting in his way. I get that but why announce it ahead of time?" Susan asked. "To prevent a war. If he hadn't, the US would've blamed China and North Korea, China the Russians, and Russians NATO. Each side could've armed their nukes worst case" he replied. "And by announcing it the way he did he gave them all a mutual target. Clever" Susan said.  "How'd he disable them anyway?" Alyssa asked standing behind them with Rose on her shoulder. "Control doesn't have a clue. Our microwave antenna can still detect their transmissions so they're not dead. It's just nothing is handshaking properly. It shouldn't be possible" Keith replied. "I can look" Alyssa said. Keith looked at her. "By all means" he muttered. Alyssa placed Rose beside him and left the living room.

Once in control, the ebony giantess sat down behind the small borrowers. "Keith asked me to help" she said. "We've looked into the sats with less security measures. You can see all the coding and data here" Tommy said. "Woof" he huffed. "Yeah. It's a lot" he groaned rubbing his eyes. "Then let's get looking again" she said.

Meanwhile in Indonesia...

"I want to play with more humans!" Tracy yelled. "It's late. You should be getting ready for bed" Hope said. "I don't have a bedtime" Tracy shot back. "That's right. Bedtimes are a human thing. We sleep when we feel like it" Mirror Susan said walking to them. The air was slightly cool in the night breeze as they stood before the human city. The lights lit up the small fabricated homes and streets. "She's young. She needs her rest. Susan who is not Susan" Hope said coldly. "I'll have you know I dropped that name. I prefer to be called Catherine" she said. "Whatever, do not interfere" Hope said taking Tracy by the arm. Susan...no Catherine threw Hope off her feet with a blast of magic fueled force. Hope found her body aching. "My name isn't the only change I went through" Catherine said indicating her increase in power. She saw her still holding Tracy. "Oh. Stand back little one. Queen bee needs to remember she’s not invincible" Catherine said pushing Tracy aside. "I'm going to break every bone in your body and leave you out here all night you sickening masochist" Hope growled as her eyes glowed. Little Tracy could smell the ozone in the air as forces gathered around her. Catherine took off her shirt and flexed her muscles. Hope immediately paused. "You're pregnant" Hope muttered. "Yeah. Cooking up a baby for our master. Don't let that stop you though" she chuckled. Hope astonishingly walked away from her. "If she's so strong why did she leave?" Tracy asked. "Because she's weak willed. Your father has too much faith in her. Enough about her. You want to play with humans, right?" she asked. The young girl nodded. "Then we shall play" Catherine grinned.

Catherine kicked off her flip flops and bid Tracy to do the same. The concrete streets felt cold under their giant feet. With a magical glance, Catherine could see no humans with inborn magical talents therefore they were fair game for anything the giantesses had planned. Catherine sat down and the young girl followed suit. With a loud clap, Catherine summoned hundreds of bug sized worshippers. Tracy wanted to move as dozens went to work on her feet, but Catherine just smiled. "It feels to weird. Uugh...I can feel them between my toes" the young girl said cringing. Using transmutation magic, Catherine created a small bottle of nail polish. "What's your favorite color?" she asked. "Green" Tracy replied. With a tap, the paint turned emerald green. "Magic is so awesome but where's the brush?" she asked. Catherine chose a random human, a teenage girl and grew her to two inches. She scooped her up and passed her to the girl. "You mean...?"

Catherine nodded. Tracy bit her lip mischievously and turned the black long-haired girl upside down. The ten-year-old giantess dabbed her hair and up to her neck in paint. The human dared not complain as she rubbed the stinging paint from her eyes. Catherine watched pleased as Tracy used her living paint brush to paint her toes. "Make sure to trap some as separators" Catherine said. Tracy brought her toes together slightly trapping three or four at a time between her sandy giant toes. Catherine ignored her own worshipers to admire the giantess in training. Catherine stroked her hair which made the girl almost jump. "I won't hurt you" she said. "Sorry" Tracy said. "Don't be. I can sense fear when someone touches you" Catherine said. "Usually when I'm touched it means a slap or a punch" the girl made clear. The girl Tracy had been using had now died as she finished her third toe. Catherine grew another, a middle-aged man this time and the girl went about it again after tossing the paint drowned corpse into the city.

"Are we really going to change the world?" Tracy asked. "Worried because there's so many humans?" Catherine asked grinning. "Yeah. My teacher said there's over 7 billion of them" Tracy replied. Catherine chuckled. "What makes you think they'll be that many come this time January?" Catherine asked. Tracy eyes went wide. "You think they'll just keel over and let us take control without using their nasty little weapons? Examples have to be made you know. 13 of the most powerful mages to walk the earth will obliterate their armies and navies. Their cities will be shrunk. Populations brought to kneel. This city is cute isn’t it?" she asked. Tracy shrugged. "Imagine New York or Los Angeles your plaything. Thousands...no millions cleaning your feet, dying at your whim, and when you get older...they will be used for better more fun things" she said. Tracy looked scared. "You been al ins Hope too much. Her timid attitudes have rubbed off. Look here" Catherine said lowering her bikini line slightly revealing a circular scar. "How...what is that?" Tracy asked.

"A memento from a human. Humans are a hypocrisy of life. They destroy nature in the guise to making life easier. Their lives. Pro-life but look away to the suffering of those already born. Religious...oh how they love to hide behind that. A Christian sold my family into slavery. Stole us right from our church. Sold us to a pet shop to a Christian family who had their "born again" daughter run the place. And one night she got too horny and being a good Christian girl decided it wasn't a sin to rape borrowers. Ate my mother for fun. Raped my father. And when I wouldn't lick her pussy, took a sewing needle and rammed it right here piercing my uterus. It robbed me from having kids. I was 12 years old Tracy. Just two years older than you and already had everything taken from me except my life" she said. "But you're pregnant now" Tracy said. "I used my magic to heal me, but I purposely left the scar. And look what humans did to you. Beat you so thoroughly you cringe and whimper like a puppy when touched. I dare say if you were left there it would've gotten worse and you're old enough to know what I mean by that" Catherine said. Tracy grew very quiet.

"Don't be afraid Tracy. This is what humans should be about" Catherine said plucking one up from between Tracy's toes. "They either grovel, serve, and obey or end up dying like the grime they are" she said coldly before grinding up the man into paste between her fingers. "Your brush died" Catherine said. Tracy looked at the dead human she held and smiled before tossing him away. Catherine gave her another. By the time Tracy had finished, four humans were dead from drowning with over a dozen more injured when she flexed her toes without thinking. "That’s really pretty. You have pretty feet" Catherine said grinning. The girl blushed. Tracy's stomach growled. "Guess I'll head back for a snack" Tracy muttered. "Pfft. Just eat some humans" Catherine said. "Uhh...I guess I can" she muttered. Catherine scooped up over a dozen of them. She had Tracy open her hands. Catherine dropped them into her waiting hands. "They're not even scared" Tracy said. "Of course not. These are properly trained humans. They know their role. And right now, they want to be food for a cute giant girl" Catherine grinned. Tracy was hesitant as the first few fell into her open mouth and then she shoved them all in.

Dozens of tiny lives rested on her palate individually little to no flavor but combined gave a salty yet sweet taste. Her mouth watered instinctively, and some began to drown in her saliva. Tracy began to swallow. A few, then more, and more as she gulped over and over sending the shrunken slaves to die in her belly. Being a ten-year-old girl, her stomach was primed to break down any protein to fuel her growing body. It only took about four minutes for them to be digested enough they were no longer anything resembling humans. Tracy wanted more. Catherine chuckled as the young giantess gathered more and more to be devoured. The more she ate, the slower their lives ended. And with enough, she could feel the masses squirming in her tummy. The girl giggled and sat down. With a hearty belch, she seemed satisfied. Catherine petted her belly making the girl giggle even more. "How...how many did you think I ate?" she asked. "Better part of 200 you little piggy" Catherine chuckled. Tracy gathered just a few more and snorted like a hog before dropping them in her mouth and swallowing.

Tracy sighed and closed her eyes. Catherine saw her doze off and dismissed the survivors (not even a quarter left) to go about their useless lives. As much as she liked sacrifices, she loved to hunt more. She left Tracy where she was and stalked through the city like a predator. Since getting the power to shrink humans, she had become picky about her prey. Older men and women didn't scratch her itch. Young men were desirable for raping and when it came to eating them, she preferred children. She would look into homes spying on what she could see. Males between 13 and 30 went up her giant snatch, a cute girl now and then and to make it enticing, commanded them to fuck as they were trapped inside her. Children in their beds were plucked out and dropped into her mouth. A boy of 8 freefell down her throat A girl Tracy's age sucked on until her body exploded from stress.

Catherine had underplayed how much she truly hated humans. Some could say her cruelty stemmed not from her trauma by them but the fact she recently learned she was one third human herself. Like this world's Susan, Catherine got all her old memories back when her power awakened. She went to see her world's Tim and learned the truth of her origins. But unlike this world, Catherine didn't forgive his act of playing god. She tortured him for two days nonstop, breaking his body and then healing it. His bones pulverized under her smelly feet and then made whole again. His ribs broken as she pushed her ass onto his worn-out body. His ankles shattered as her fingers gripped too tightly as she used him as a dildo. And at the end he didn't curse her, beg, cry, or plead. He just smiled. Catherine ate him and sat in his pastor’s chair feeling him slowly die within her. Some might also say this was the moment that she decided no humans deserved any mercy. Obey and maybe die or rebel and die for sure. She decided that should be their fate. And with Markus she saw her belief coming into fruition.     

Her desires were at their peak. Her belly full of the young of humans. Her pussy tingling with the older attractive ones. And as she passed one home she paused as their occupants stood outside. The family prided itself on being more devoted to their masters and mistresses than others. Always at the ready if one came by. With their home halfway inside the city perimeter, it wasn't as common to have a giant visitor. Now before them stood a blonde titaness and one of the highest at that. The mother, father, and two children, both around 14 or so came forward to clean the grit and blood from the giantess toes. Catherine bent down on her knees to get a closer look at them. The boy was cute, cute enough for her needs. His sister was slightly more homely but not dismissive. Their parents in their mid-30's and not in her strike zone so to speak. However, what she had planned made her pussy ooze her juices onto the street like watery syrup. Pointing to the twins, she grew them to three inches to suit her needs. "Each of you pick up your parents" she commanded. The mini giant and giantess did as told. The daughter held her father, the son his mother.

Catherine event down further showing off her natural flexibility, so her mouth was head level to them. "Feed them to me" she said coldly before opening her mouth wide. The siblings obeyed their goddess and placed their parents on her wet tongue. Her lips snapped shut and she moaned. She couldn't taste them. Not just two puny humans that size but that wasn't the point of it. She swallowed them with a loud gulp. "I can feel them faintly. I'm sensitive enough for that. Will they drown, smother, or be digested alive? I ate quite a few so my acids won't be so strong. So kids, what do you think will happen to mommy and daddy?" she asked with a sadistic grin. The boy looked at her exposed tummy. "Digested probably" he replied. The girl did not answer. Catherine could see in her mind that she was terrified. She was not so devoted as the others. All the better Catherine thought. "Strip and fuck. You my pretty are going to ride his cock" she said smiling.

The boy shed his clothing quickly and his sister not so quickly. He laid on the cold street as his sister straddled him. She made a yelp of pain as his little prick took her virginity. Catherine began to masturbate watching the little humans fuck one another. The squelching sounds of her wet cunt overshadowing the moans and groans of the incestual siblings. Catherine's juices pooled onto the street along with one or two shattered bodies of her victims from earlier. She bent down closer to The Teo and waited for the right moment. The boy's breathing changed his chest grew tight. And with no warning, the goddess bent down seizing the girl's upper body with her lips. Catherine slurped her right off his cock, her legs flailing wildly as primal fear took over. Slowly she was drawn in as her brother watched. Then only her tiny bare soles were exposed between those gigantic lips. Then, they were gone. Catherine could taste the girl easily being bigger than her other prey. The pheromone of fright, pussy, sweat, and the taste of only young teenage flesh can provide. Catherine took a moment to savor this one and then let the screaming lump slip down her throat.

"Your sister was delicious" Catherine moaned licking her lips. "Are you going to eat me too?" the boy asked. "Not with this mouth. Make sure to cum before you die" she said with an eerie tone. She gestured for him to stand. She spread her wet pussy and lowered herself. His head went right in and she positioned her finger beneath his bare ass to push him in without breaking him. Once his was halfway in, her cunt muscles did the rest. With a series of slurps, he was swallowed alive by goddess pussy. Catherine stood up focusing on drawing him in deeper and deeper.

Now it's no secret borrowers are considerably stronger than humans scale for scale. Not just arm or leg strength either. Borrower females have VERY strong vaginal muscles. A biological trait that helps milk a penis for maximum semen collection. In fact, so strong, it's been noted in lab experiments that the females can snap a toothpick with her tiny pussy. In rare cases, even a cotton swab. What that meant here was, the boy inside Catherine was doomed as fuck. She threw caution to the wind and leather pussy milk the very life out of him. A broken bone meant a painful jerk. A painful jerk meant wonderful tingles for the goddess. He was the last of his family as his bones were shattered one by one until he began running out of air. Her juices fell so much (due to gravity) past his vice gripped body, the he began to suffocate not actually drown. And then as his lungs felt like they would explode, he actually came. Asphyxiation made him spurt his puny semen load inside her just moments before succumbing. Catherine felt his death rattle and she came. She nearly fell demolishing houses around her.

It was cathartic that both siblings died almost the exact same time of one another. This sister slipping underneath the searing chemical pool of stomach acids and her brother as a sex toy. Catherine let them lay together in death by pulling out his mangled corpse and eating it. His body landing with a small splash raising up his badly acid burnt so risen of his twin sister. Both sank next to one another.

Catherine has scratched her itch quiet well and returned to the entrance of the city. Tracy still lay there sleeping. She picked up the girl and carried her in her arms back to the main house. "Did she have fun?" Markus asked sipping coffee. "Lots of fun" she replied smiling. "Good. Taurus said there was a little scuffle between you and Hope" he said. "A difference of opinion. Our dear Hope still clings to her daddy's values" she replied. "Even after indulging? Hmm" he muttered. "Don't worry yourself about that" she said looking in the distance. Her borrower eyes could see faint traces of green laser light towards the north beach. "Things have a way of showing you the truth of things" she finished. "Indeed, it does" he said walking off. Catherine carried Tracy to bed and waited outside her door for a few minutes.  

Catherine could hear the front door quietly forced open. The sound of scraping fabric, the squeaking of boots on hardwood floor, the smell of gun oil. They came through the main north entrance as silent as they could be. The laser sights putting green dots on walls and furniture. She waited at the far south wall about 100 ft. forward of them. A rapid double twip sound and then another followed by falling bodies. The two maids on duty no doubt. She could faintly smell blood and brains. One to the chest, another in the head. Catherine could tell they were pros. Markus was upstairs and Hope was still sulking in the upper room. That left just her and Tracy as the smells and sounds got closer. "Clear left. Clear right. Go center" one said very faintly. With a gesture, Catherine began her ploy to take advantage of the intrusion. She planted a suggestion in Tracy's mind to wake up to pee. The girl woke up and walked out of her room right past Catherine and into the hallway. *twip twip*.

"Check fire! Check...dammit" one hissed as they realized they just shot a child. Tracy was dead before she hit the floor.  Her blood pooling on the floor. "INTRUDERS!" Catherine screamed. "Weapons free! Spare target!" one shouted as they rushed to clear the hallway and downstairs. They immediately saw Catherine and opened fire. It was child's play to use a barrier to protect herself. Their 5.56 rounds bounced right off leaving spent rounds with casings. "...impossible. No ballistic" one muttered. Markus rushed downstairs finding the five special ops humans in his home. With a wave of his hand, he sent them flying into furniture and walls. "Markus...they shot her" Catherine said shedding tears. The man looked at her body. Her nightshirt soaked in blood. Her head opened up by a hollow point round. It was not a good sight at all. Then a whimper behind them. Hope had come down and saw the gruesome sight. "See what your precious humans did? They thought nothing of killing a child. NOTHING!" Catherine screamed.  Markus was a loss for words. He looked at the humans who were staggering to their feet. His eyes glowed but before he could do a thing, Hope stepped in.

She blasted them with a shrinking spell. A spell so powerful they shrank to the size of insects in an instant. Hope walked over to them. She couldn't hear them at that size. Normally she could being half borrower but such rage in her heart clouded her senses. Of the five, Three scattered. Hope flattened two of them under her sole with a stomp. And third she wiped him from life literally leaving a small streak of blood. She turned her attention to the other two who had now panicked enough to fire their M1911 pistols at the titanic teen. They were so small the bullets lacked the range to even hit her face. Hope lowered her big toe on the fourth and ground him into a fine paste. His friend could hear his scream and then a crunch. A teenage girl's toe had ended his buddy's life. Not a lucky terrorist, a bomb, or even a nutjob with a gun. A man who was married and had a cute toddler daughter at home waiting for Them to come home. Now nothing but a stain on a floor. Her eyes locked on the last one and she raised her foot. The man could see blotches of blood on her toe and sole. He could even smell it. And his breath got stuck in his Throat as he saw the giantess wearing no panties. He got an erection and began laughing as what he thought was reality had snapped. "Don't. I want answers" Markus growled. Hope used her fingernails to pluck the soldier up and held him firmly. She invaded his mind painfully not caring about the damage being done.     

"SBS. Special Boat Services. The Americans traced your broadcast here and they contacted the UK as they had a submarine not far away. That's where they came from. There's a sub of our coast" Hope said. "Where?" Markus asked. Hope focused again as the man tried with all his might to resist. "Found it" she muttered. "Finish him" Markus growled looking at Tracy. With barely a thought she incinerated the bug sized man until he was nothing but ash. It only took a few seconds. Hope walked to Tracy and bent down. Markus and Catherine stepped back as Hope crackled with magical energy. Her emotional focus now on the opposite side of the spectrum. Hate.

Hope began to repair her lifeless body. Blood vessels made whole, her heart intact again. Rib fixed. The meat and flesh mended and sealed. Hope turned her attention to her head. Markus and Catherine were aghast at how intricate Hope repaired her brain. He had not seen such skill in over a thousand years. Catherine herself realized that Hope dialed back most of her power around others. She thought she had closed some of the distance between their skills, but it was clear that the girl was leagues ahead still. Hope said nothing as flakes of skull came together and solidified. Now came the part that made Them look at her with awe. She raised her hand and a point of white light gathered brightly in her palm. It was Tracy's soul being called back from beyond. Hope slammed it into Tracy's body. Her young toes flexed, twitched. Then with a loud gasp, Tracy was revived. Markus bent down and held her close. It took a moment for Tracy to realize what had happened. Her blood still on the floor was clear proof she didn't survive. The girl let out a screeching sob clinging to her father.

He carried her to the bathroom and washed the blood off her. Catherine and Hope saw him take her to her room. He didn't come out for an hour. In the meantime, Hope had not revived the human maids. A clear line had formed in her mind now. Humans were not to be trusted. Markus walked to her. "Show me" he said. Hope showed the location of the sub to him. "Adet" he said coldly. His artifact, the Eye of the World appeared before him. Just by looking, the portal seemed to open to pure blackness, but she could hear moving water. Markus reached right in. His hand dipped lower and lower under the waves until he felt it.

"What the hell?!" the captain yelled. "No collision warning. Sonar...this can't be right" the operator muttered. The skipper looked at his screen. The silhouette of a giant hand surrounded them all. Then all the crewmen were slammed into their seats or the floor as g forces increased. Markus brought the sub right Through the portal and held it. At the angle it was, dozens of the crew slid backwards into bulkheads. Markus looked coldly at the shrunken vessel. The Vanguard class submarine was once 491 feet long but now it was just under five inches. "You should've stayed away" Markus whispered into the hull. The sonar operator easily heard the giant voice. New alarms went off as Markus forced open their launch bays. With magical force, he removed all 16 nuclear missiles from the ship. Each missile barely an inch long. "Like declawing a cat" he chuckled with wide eyes. "Catherine. A gift for you. I might be busy in the near future. Figure you could use a dildo" he said tossing the sub to her. Markus disappeared back into Tracy's room. Hope barely gave Catherine a glance as she went back upstairs to her own room and shut the door.  

"What was that noise downstairs?" Theo asked the giantess as she sat down. She glanced at him for a moment. "I'm taking you back. This...what this is, is over" she muttered picking him up. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked worried. "You're a human. It's clear now your species is too chaotic to ever be considered trustworthy" she replied walking down the stairs. Hope glanced to see Catherine tossing the now shrunken bodies of the maids into the trash bin. She was dead silent as she made her way to the human city. "I'd never lie to you Hope. Why are you so angry at me?" Theo asked visibly upset now. She entered the city and made her way to his home. "Please! Don't toss me away. Please don't" he begged. "I cannot be with humans Theo. Not in the way we had. You are...inferior" she said shaking slightly opening her hand a little. "So... I’m no use to you anymore?" he asked softly. "...no" she whispered. What came next Hope would not forget. Theo jumped headfirst off her hand and hit smack dab onto the roof of his house. His body landed with barely a sound on the street. Of course, his mother came outside wondering what the hell hit her house.

"Why...why would you..." Hope muttered crying. "Tsk...forgiveness goddess as he obviously offended you" his mother said. Passerby's saw to Theo's corpse with little or no emotion. He was carted away like garbage. She had seen the callousness of their people but this...this was too much for the girl.  Hope didn't even think of bring him back and stormed off back to the main house. "Broke up with your boyfriend?" Catherine asked washing the blood off her hands. With magical force, she gripped her throat and lifted her off her bare feet. "Forgot about the bun in the oven?" she choked out. Hope put her right hand on Catherine's chest. Immediately, she felt a painful tug deep within her. "Wha...are you doing?" Catherine gasped. "Yanking out your troublesome filthy soul. You baby doesn't need its mother to have a soul to be born" Hope replied grimly. "Please...please stop" Catherine begged. Hope paused but did let her go. "Antagonize me once more and you live out your days a soulless meat puppet" Hope said watching her collapse to the floor.  Hope went to her room moments later.

"A firecracker that one" Markus said standing in the hallway. "You saw that and did nothing?!" Catherine shouted. "You brought it upon yourself. You should know better. She's has her father's temper and she's a teenager with astounding power. You got off easy in my opinion" he replied. He helped her to her feet. Go to bed. I need you rested so you can cast barrier spells in the morning" he said. "In the morning? But the alignment isn't for another 24 hours" she said. "The barrier won't be for that. It's what's coming beforehand. A shitload of humans is going to die in the morning, and I don't want this island caught up in that" he replied. Catherine forgot her bruised ego hearing that many humans would meet their end soon. Hope laid in her bed in her natural shrunken state sobbing. She loved Theo and broke it off feeling it was best for both of them. She didn't take into account he lost his reason for living if she wouldn't have anything to do with him. In a fit of desperation, she tried to resurrect him as soon as she entered her room. Only to find that the humans had already cremated his corpse destroying the chance. He was gone forever, and she caused it. She sobbed into her pillow at the bitter truth that he only wanted to be loved by her. Her rejection was tantamount of being rejected by God. Without thinking, she had excommunicated him. As the horribleness sunk in, she found herself wishing her daddy was with her. She missed him petting her bare body, sucking on her tiny feet, kissing her cheeks and telling her it was going to be okay when she cried. "Daddy..." she muttered.

Back in Yorkshire...

Keith paused midstep as he felt a wave of anguish wash over his heart. Then it was gone as quickly as it came. "Keith?" Susan asked next to him. "Wha?" he asked. "I was asking you something and then you looked like you were in pain" she said worried. "Nothing. It's nothing. What were you asking?" he said. "I asked if you thought Alyssa found anything" she said. "Her call made it sound so" he said walking again. "The reports are getting worse. The RAF are flying CAP's with Tornado fighters all over the island. People are beginning to panic" she said. "We have enough rations to last for a month if need be. But...assign sentries to our perimeters" he said as they rounded the hallway. Susan and Keith entered Control. "You said you have something Alyssa?" he asked. "Yeah. I found out the problem. Take a look" she said pointing to Three monitors. "These are the BIOS for the military sat you "borrowed", a NASA weather sat, and one of the satellites for German Telekom. I confirmed that each one is broadcasting its signals as it should" she said. "Then what the hell isn’t anything working?" Susan asked. "The devil is in the details so to speak" Alyssa said enlarging a section of the screen on each monitor.

"That looks like a clock" Keith said. "It is. Every satellite has an onboard atomic clock it's vital for it to work properly" she said as she pulled up another screen. "This is the atomic clock in Colorado set to UTC" she said. "I don't see the problem. It's set the same" Susan said. "Exactly. That's the problem. You can't set the clock on a satellite for the same time on Earth. Bear with me for a moment. Satellites orbit the Earth so fast you have to set the clock on them a nanosecond or two ahead. If you don't, everything goes out of whack. *Computers on the surface screen out the erroneous data. It's like trying to have a conversation with someone before they enter the room" Alyssa said. "All of this over a fucking set of clocks?!" Keith yelled. "Crazy but yes. You got computers that can't make up their minds without synced and confirmed data" she replied. "Can you fix it?" Susan asked. "You're kidding right? Susan. This is way above my pay grade. I just know the basics of the basics. I couldn't hope to fix this on my own. Tommy here said this was months in the making. Could take months to fix it" she said.   

(Authors note: While this was taken to the extreme, it has merit to it. Due to the Theory of Relativity, satellites experience a form of time dilation as they zip through Earth orbit so fast. Fast enough that time slows down for them by about 1.7 nanoseconds. That's enough however that if not taken into account, GPS satellites would never be accurate and cellular connections would constantly fail. That's why onboard clocks are set 1.7 nanoseconds fast on them)

"Keith. The humans are working on it. We got bigger fish to fry" Susan said. Suddenly, the sound of thunder shook the house. "Thunder in December?" Susan asked. They went to the living room and looked out the window. "What the fuck?" Keith asked as they all saw blood red lighting in the blue sky. "That's weird and I've seen some shit" Joseph said looking. "Magic? Is it Markus?" Keith asked him. "I sense no magic, but I do feel a disturbance. I do...it's gone" he said before the sky cleared. "Red lighting can't be a coincidence" Susan said. Joseph looked towards the city. "What is it now?" Keith asked. "Someone just translocated here. The magic is familiar, but I can't put my finger on it" he said. He cocked his head. "Not far from Claire's parents’ home" he muttered. "I want a security team in sector 3 on C street now!" Keith yelled rushing to the sunroom with Susan right behind him. Keith dashed Through the street jumping over people and buildings like an athlete. A dozen borrowers were there to meet him surrounding one of their size. "Easy guys" a voice said. Keith was tense as he pivoted his foot to crush the intruder. "You gonna crush your little brother?" he asked looking at the giant. "Ritchie!" Keith yelled grabbing the boy. Keith hugged him to his cheek.

"You came at a bad time kid" Keith said. "Pelé told me everything. It's partly why I'm here" he said. Keith put him back down and shrank down to his size. He dismissed the security team before walking him to Ritchie's parents' home. Poor Rebecca dropped her dishes seeing her son enter the house. She sobbed and hugged him tightly sniffing him all over. She pushed him onto the sofa. "Uh hi mom" he said. She sat next to him trembling. "Your...your sister should know you're here" she mumbled. Claire had sensed something amiss as she picked up the extreme emotions of her mother. She had been sitting alone with Aspen in her room and suddenly flew out the door. "Uh...I think she knows already" Ritchie said looking at the roof. Claire had not shrunken down as she flew overhead and as she got near her parents’ home, she sensed a familiar magic. "Ritchie..." she muttered as she landed. She gripped the roof taking it off and plucked her little brother up.

Her eyes glowed with magic and tender emotion. He smelled so good. She missed his scent very badly and began kissing and licking his body. "Easy sis! Nice to see you too" he chuckled. Claire gently put him back down them placing the roof back and shrinking herself. She gave him a proper hug after entering. Claire seemed to be on cloud nine snuggling him. "Keith. Seeing you're the only one not drunk on me, can I speak to the man you call Joseph?" he asked. Keith was surprised he knew of him. "Joseph. I have someone who wants to speak to you" Keith thought. Moments later Joseph appeared before him. "Hmm...a Menehune. Did my sister send you?" he asked. "The goddess did. But she wishes to speak to you Through her avatar. By your grace" he said closing his eyes. Astoundingly, Ritchie’s body transformed into a young woman. There was a glow about her like light from a fire. Rebecca and Claire were very worried. "Be not concerned. This is only temporary, and he shall take his form again once my business is done" she said. "Hello Pelé. The eons have been kind to you" Joseph said.

"As they have for you older brother. Have you noticed anything strange in the sky?" she asked. "Actually, just before you arrived, we saw red lightning" he replied. Pelé was silent for a moment. "What you have seen is but a foreshadowing. What mortals know as reality is in flux. It has affected the lesser realms already" she said. "My son?" he asked. "My shitty little nephew doesn't have the power to do this. And what I have glimmered from the child known as Hope has not the skill either" she replied. "Glimmered? You can see my daughter?" Keith asked. "Yes" she replied. "Is she alright?! Did he hurt her?!" Keith yelled. "She has not been harmed but I sense her soul had passed the crossroads of light and dark" she replied. "...what does that mean?" Keith muttered. "Where her soul wavered in his cause, it no longer does. She is your enemy now" she replied. Keith stormed out. "Keith wait!" Claire yelled following him.

She found he had grown to human size already. She flew up to him. "Wait! We know Hope, she doesn't. She needs her family is all" she said. "go away" he said softly. "Listen! Susan is already working..."

Keith grabbed her in midair. "I said leave me alone" he growled tossing her away. The tiny girl stopped tumbling to see the giant storm off. Claire was terrified. Last time she saw that dark, enraged look in his eyes was when he found out a human had raped his wife. Keith literally blew him to bits. She worried what he would do now.

"What do you mean affected? This is not the time to be cryptic sis" Joseph said. "The barriers separating the realms, the reality marbles are breaking down. What they feared for the yaksha homeland is becoming reality worldwide. I'm doing all I can to keep the balance. But that is not the most troubling thing. Observe" she said making a magical visual of ancient tomes, paintings, and tablets. "Red Lightning has been recorded Throughout history. A cave painting from France dating 25,000 BCE, a papyrus scroll from 2600 BCE, a passage from the bible, a tome written by a Georgian monk from 1105 CE" she said. "But why haven't I heard of this phenomenon before?" he asked. "You haven't? Think again" she said. He did and he tensed up. "I... I have...how...why..." he muttered. "This is a side effect. Before two days ago, none of these accounts existed. What's happening is happening across time itself. Past, present, and future. I was spared as I exist in a different realm and once carried Etherion like you. Eventually, I will be...rewritten too" she said. "What can we do?" he asked. "My avatar has enough skill to use some of my power. Nowhere near as much as Claire but he will be powerful in his own right. He shall be my general" she replied.

"No. More like hell no. I'm not having another child enter this fucking fray" Rebecca spat. "I understand your feelings Rebecca. I myself have been a mother countless times over and I have suffered loss unfathomable to you. Nonetheless, the situation calls for him to be a warrior of the Pacific Rim. My champion as this threat is not abated, ALL will fall" she said. "Then you do think Markus is connected" Joseph said. "The timing can't be ignored. Now...now I must take my leave" she said straining. Ritchie returned to normal shortly after. Rebecca began sweeping up broken dishes. "Mom..." Ritchie said. Claire reentered the home. "Mom, it's what I have to do" he said. "Do what?" Claire asked. "Your brother got drafted" Rebecca said grinning sweeping. Ritchie tried to hold her, but she backed away. She threw her broom down and went to her bedroom. They could all hear the woman crying. "I'll leave you two alone" Joseph said before disappearing.

Ritchie explained what Pelé had said. "You pissed too?" he asked. Claire shook her head. Her hand felt his arm. "You got so strong, so cute" she said softly. "Work over there keeps me in shape" he chuckled. "They make you wear a loincloth all the time?" she snickered. "I'm a priest so it's standard. At home I wear normal stuff" he replied. She flipped his loincloth up. "Claire what are you..." he was saying before she sucked his exposed cock into her mouth. Ritchie groaned as she Throated him. His hands in her blonde hair and with a grunt he came. Claire pulled off tasting his seed. She sat beside him nuzzling him. "I'm leading the first line" she muttered. Ritchie petted her hair. "I know. I look in on you" he replied. She laid back and placed her feet in his lap. "You do?" she asked. He began rubbing her feet. "All the time. A perk of the job" he said. "What have you seen?" she asked.

"You getting shitfaced at a reception in Stuttgart. Playing games with Aspen on a rainy night in Milan. You crying on my birthday in Madrid" he replied softly. He played with her toes for a moment. "I thought missing you would get easier, it hasn't" she said sniffling. He gently sucked her big toe and then let go. "It's the magic. It amplifies emotions, connections, longing" he said. "I know. There's a part of me that wants to let loose sometimes. To just shower people I love with my...everything. And not having you around is like having a piece of the puzzle missing" she said. Ritchie smiled. "When I became a Menehune, I lost what I took for granted as a borrower. And I found that I missed..." he chuckled. "What?" she asked. "The smell of your feet" he blushed. With a wave of her hand, Claire shrank him. Her giant feet looked over him. "That didn’t mean to shrink me sis!" he said. "Oh hush. I was going to anyway" she said taking her clothes off. "Uh sis. Look, hosting Pelé is draining and..."

"Ritchie, you're going to end up in my pussy. Don't be a baby about it. Jeez, not like I'm going to eat you or anything" she huffed. Ritchie walked on the sofa cushions to her spread open cunt. He took off his loincloth and sandals before she pushed him inside. She didn't push him in deep, his little head poked out but it was enough. Her magical fueled emotions took over. "I love you little brother" she gasped as he moved his little legs and feet in her cunt. Ritchie could see energy in the giantess eyes. A burning passion and love. Claire fought the urge to just slurp him deep within. To have him trapped in her womb. Protected. But such a thing wouldn't be right for more reasons than one. Ritchie became worried as she was visibly crying. Claire was NOT okay with the news. And with a bated whimper she came. The shrunken boy popped out of her like a cork from a wine bottle landing on the cushion. Claire put her clothes back on and silently took shrunken Ritchie to the kitchen sink.

"Claire. You're scaring me" he said as she gently ran water over him. "I'm so sorry. I just wanted to feel you" she said sadly. "Not that. That I get. You're holding it all in. You look like you're gonna burst" he said. Claire turned off the water. "Last summer I saw you get eaten. I remember...I remember the sound of your fucking bones being crunched. The grief I felt. It was like someone tore out my heart. I don't wanna go through that again" she whined. She placed him on the sink table and gave him a paper towel to dry off. Her hand was over her mouth as she choked back her emotions. "I get it now" she muttered. "Get what?" he asked. "Over the last few months, I've been taking college classes online. In literature class we had to read a book by Thomas Wolfe called "You can never go home again". It's about how the idea of home isn't the same as reality. I didn't understand then, but I do now."

"Home isn't a place. It's a memory, a feeling, a nostalgia. Ritchie, none of this really felt like home until you showed up" she said fetching his loincloth. Ritchie put it on before his sister unshrank him. "I thought being a model and jet setting around the world with Aspen was my dream but it's nothing what I imagined" she said softly sitting on the sofa. Ritchie sat next to her and held her hand. "It's so...eerie. Photos of me in magazines around the world. Blogs about fantasies of me. Some about doing things to me. I even have my own page on Wikifeet" she chuckled. "Security following us everywhere. Our agent making me sign a 5-million-dollar life insurance policy. All the fucking glamor you could ask for, but I'd trade it for back when we lived in her home in Ipswich. Back when you were still my bratty perverted brother" she said wiping tears. "You said any of this to Aspen?" he asked. "I don't want to worry her" she replied. "You really should. You know you should" he said. She silently nodded.

"I have an idea. Let's make jelly cakes" he said standing up. Claire smiled and began helping him look for ingredients. Both siblings knew that their mother cooked them when one of them was depressed. Ten minutes later the smell of bakery filled the house. Rebecca emerged from her room. "What's the temp?" she asked. "400 degrees" Ritchie replied. Rebecca sucked her teeth and lowered it. "350 or the outside will burn" she said softly. She stared at the oven for a moment.  Ritchie took her hand and guided her to the living room. She sat down and he sat putting his head in her lap. She said nothing as she petted his hair.

Keith slashed the figure before him in two before turning to decapitate the other. "Again!" he yelled to nobody and yet more figures appeared. "Working out some stress?" Hikari said entering the room. "System call. End spell" Keith muttered. The figures disappeared. "Interesting room.  I sense magic all around it" she said looking around. "My personal training room. I shrink down and activate the illusion spell system to train" he muttered. "Marvelous. A great deal of thought went into it" she said. "Not my design. Found out about it in Lily's notes. Seems she used it to stay in shape" he said. "That's a nice sword. Like Rune Breaker but not" she said looking at it. "Hikari I'm not in the best of moods" he said. "That would explain why you literally tossed Claire away like garbage" she said. Keith paused. "Spread already?" he asked. "Borrowers like to gossip. What brought about such cruelty?" she asked. Her question stung him. "Found out my daughter turned to the dark side" he replied. "Ah. And now you fear having to fight her. To end her life" she replied. He gripped his sword harder.

"System call. Hope McCormick human size. Immobile" he said. In a moment, the form of his daughter appeared before Them. Keith put away his sword and walked to her. His hands touched and moved about her big toenail. They felt the space between her toes. "The first thing I did when she was born was count her toes. Two weeks after the battle she woke up crying. A nightmare. A really bad one. Had to suck her toes to calm her down. The way she smiles, cries, smirks, runs, walks, tosses her hair around like her mom. She hates peas, loves tomatoes, a fan of Fall Out Boy. And she smells so fucking nice. She's my greatest creation. The best part of me" he said looking up at the giantess. "How can I possibly kill her?" he asked shaking. Hikari looked away from a moment. She willed something to appear in her hand. "Is that..."

"Yokai driver on" the device said. Hikari drew a kanji on it. "Henshin" she muttered. "Yokai change. Form Koonago. Royalty in a small package" it said in Japanese and English as she transformed. Hikari wore an elegant kimono with black and red sandals on her feet. Her hair was long to the middle of her back. "Isn't that thing dangerous?" Keith asked. "What you saw before was a barely finished prototype. This...this is far more refined" she replied looking at the giantess. She formed a katana of ice and ran up the giantess's leg at incredible speed. Hikari slashed Hope's Throat open and the giantess fell to the floor barely missing Keith. "She was just an illusion" he said. "Try again lover. The way you stroked her toes, looked at her face, her body said she was more than that in your mind. Now look at her dead on the floor" she said. Keith didn’t. Hikari grabbed his face and turned him. He has his eyes shut. "Look you coward!" she yelled. He opened them and his knees felt weak. Hikari canceled her transformation. "She fixed my back. Made me able to live again. What has become of her is not what I shall remember. I will strike her down if I see her because that is what a loved one would do. That is what you must do. If you love her you will free her of an evil existence" she said.

"System call. End spell" he muttered. Hikari looked at him as he sat on the floor before leaving him in the room. Keith sat there alone for a good hour before someone else appeared. "Disturbing...you?" Banshen asked entering. "No. Not at all. Something on your mind?" he asked standing up. "Mogwai know. Know of Banshen. Afraid" she replied. Keith looked at the little Asian girl in uniform. Her sword on her back. She had not changed into normal clothing since she came other than being puked up that is. "Take off your shoes and socks" he said. Curious she did. "System call. 10 enemies’ level two. Borrower size" he said. Suddenly they were surrounded. "They're illusions but they don't feel like them. Let's have some fun" he chuckled. The girl smirked and pulled her sword. Keith watched her in action as she mowed down opponents. It was clear she had talent. Not to be outdone, he kept pace. "You fight well!" she said standing with her back on his. "System call! Level Three!" he yelled. They continued.

An hour had passed before the last one fell, and Keith ended the session. "You look better" he said. Banshen took off her clothing. She looked at him. "Banshen hungry. Hungry for mating" she growled. She literally tore off his clothing before pouncing on him. "Banshen. I'm not feeling it right now" he said quietly. She reluctantly got off him. She sat awkwardly next to him. "Depressed. You...depressed" she said. Keith nodded. "Understand. Very long time I depressed. Had to...hide myself as can't talk normally. Worried I would be...put down. Cry very much. Cruel to humans. Days spent thinking...about dying. Felt hopeless" she said softly. "Found miracle in Keith. Love him so much she doesn’t mind being eaten by him. Gave reason to fight. To live" she said smiling. Keith hugged her from behind. "Miracle?" he asked. "Best magic of all" she snickered. She stood up and grew to human size.  "Banshen go find soldier who say she pretty. Fuck him" she said yawning. "Got over me that fast?" he chuckled. The giantess paused. "Want sex. Keith give intimacy and sex. Prefer Keith. Not in mood" she sighed.

"Well it must be snowing in hell. A naked girl leaving your room looking unsatisfied?" Susan asked entering a second later. "Hard to get an erection when a goddess tells you your kid turned evil. We've had visitors" he explained. Concerned, Susan sat down. Keith explained Pelé's visit. "As of our problems weren’t enough" she muttered. Keith looked at her giant bare feet. "Oh. Yeah they're sweating so sorry if they smell" she said. She looked around the room. "Don't think I ever been in here before" she said. "A private training room Lily designed. I found it in her diary" he said. "You looked at her diary?! Jesus" she hissed. "Rose gave me permission. She herself looked out of...grief, I guess. This room is very intricate. Leaps ahead of the training area in the colony. It can recreate anyone from memory right down to how they behave" he said. "Like some magic holodeck?" she asked. "Guess lily was a Star Trek fan. I've been using it every day to train ever since I found it" he said. "It can recreate anyone? I just have to think about it?" she asked. "More or less. Susan wait. Don't...don't try to bring someone dead back. Lily made that mistake" he said. He saw her still thinking.

"I'm serious. Lily almost had a breakdown over it. She neglected then infant Rose for Three months hiding in here with her dead husband" he said. Susan looked at him. "It was in her diary" he said. "But just for a moment I'd like to see them again. Mom, Teegan, Lily, Fiona" she said. "It's heartbreaking Susan. First thing I did here..." he muttered. "You did it" she muttered. He nodded.

September 9, 2018

It had been three weeks since the battle. As those picked up the pieces of their broken lives, Keith held in his hand her diary. He stood in the room Lily wrote about and was very curious as to how realistic it was. "So, to activate the spell I have to say this and think about the subject. Very specific or it won't work right. Hmm...Lily said not to recreate anyone you lost but she was freshly grieving her husband. Alright. System call. Lenora, borrower size" he said. At his feet appeared his dead sister. He sat down amazed. "Holy shit. In perfect detail right down to her favorite dress. Oh...system call. Animate subject" he said. The tiny girl blinked and immediately saw the giant. Keith winced as she gave a shrill scream. "It's me! Little bro Keith" he said. She stopped screaming but trembled as she looked at him. Keith had to pick her up. Once he did, she began struggling so much her shoe came off. "Lenora please. Look at me" he said. She did for a long minute. "Keith? How? Why?" she asked. "A very long story. Let me get a good look at you" he said opening his hand. His fingers played with her long hair and stroked her little body. "Exactly like that last day" he said. "Last day?" she asked. Keith didn't have the heart to answer.

She was a perfect illusion right down to her smell. Keith remembered her perfectly in his mind. Right down to the fact she was ovulating the day she died. He could smell her ripe for sex. She felt his handshake, his eyes water as he looked upon her. "It was so hard when you left me" he said. "I'd never leave you squirt" she said. He looked down. "Not by choice" he muttered. Her fake mind scrambled for answers. The magic had given her enough memories for personality (which was the point) and her last one was her being taken away by a giantess human. "I died, didn't I?" she asked. He nodded. "Is this heaven?" she asked. "No. Magic. Real magic" he replied. "How long?" she asked. "Since you died? 5 years Three months and 21 days" he replied. Keith spent the rest of the day taking to her about the last few years before ending the spell. But as he lay in bed that night, he felt the need to go back to that room. The next day he did it again. And again on the third day. And on the fourth...

"You got circumcised?" she asked. "John's wanted a boy with no foreskin" he replied. "John?" she asked. "Customers who pay for sex" he said. It came out he prostituted himself as a kid. Worse yet when he was brutally raped. It broke the borrower girl. She wouldn't stop crying. He himself upset seeing her that way did what a borrower does. He turned to intimacy. Pulling off her little shoes to smell and lick her tiny feet. Her dress to suck her tits. Her panties to lick and suck her delicate pussy. And she moaned and came in his mouth, but she didn't stop crying. "Stop crying. Stop crying! Stop it!" he said and she didn't. Angry he jammed her in his mouth. Keith didn't expect her to trigger his swallowing reflex when she kicked his Throat. He swallowed her kicking and screaming down his Throat. Immediately, he had the room recreate her but there was a fatal catch. As the system relied on his memories of her, it recreated her moments before she ended up in his stomach. "Don't eat me! Stay away from me!" she screeched. A coldness in his soul crept in. "End spell" Oberon said taking over. Keith sat in that room alone for the rest of the day. "Lily warned about this room because of this Keith. Using illusion magic this way is taboo. Now you know why" Oberon said. "You couldn't tell me before I got his horrible memory?!" he yelled. "And if I told you beforehand would you have listened?" Oberon asked. "...no" Keith replied. "Use this room to better yourself like Lily learned too. That and only that" the old fae said.

Keith finished telling Susan his experience. "Keith that was your mistake to make" Susan said. "Haven't you listened to a goddamned thing? It ALWAYS starts off with good intentions" he said. Susan was angry yet quiet. "...could you say goodbye to them? Better yet, could you tell them that you're a soldier? That you're going off to war tomorrow? My point exactly. I'm not saying this to be an asshole" he said. "But you said your thoughts and memories give them personality. Why couldn't you imagine your sister getting over what happened to you as a kid?" she asked. "Well, before our parents died, I was kinda an annoying clingy brother to her.  She loved me I know but she got irritated easily. Then, when our parents died, she took it on herself to raise me. I became someone precious to her. Irreplaceable. How you are to Ruby, she was to me. We even discussed me mating with her to start our own family just before she died. I know in my heart how she would react. To imagine her "getting over it" would've been a lie. I had to learn to let go. Otherwise...hmmm" he muttered.

"Otherwise what?" Susan asked. Keith walked over to her toe and he perched himself on top of it. He smiled. "Otherwise the good times would be overshadowed by the bad. And that would dishonor their memory. Thanks Hikari. I get it now" he replied. Keith hopped off her toe and grew to human size. "Elena is making lunch for us. Care to come?" Keith asked. "No thanks. I want to spend time with Ruby" she replied. Keith nodded and left the room. "System call. Hope McCormick. Borrower size" she muttered. Hope appeared before her. Susan raised her foot over her and crushed her flat. It unnerved her as to how realistic it was. "Hmm. System call. Hope McCormick. Animate subject" she said. This time Hope appeared and spoke. "Aunt Suzie? Where am I? I was with daddy a moment ago" she said. Susan raised her foot again. "Aunt Suzie?" she asked. Again, Susan crushed her under her giant sole. Over and over Susan did this but each time Hope reacted more frightened. Squeezing her till she died screaming sent shivers in her soul. Eating her even worse. 10 minutes had passed but it felt like 10 hours to her. Susan stopped as her teary eyes blurred her vision. "He won't have the heart to do it, so I have to" she whispered to herself.

"What in the world are you up to?" Keith asked looking at Elena. "Making quesadillas silly" she chuckled. "And that requires you to be buck naked, shrunk, and walking around on it?" he asked. "The secret to a good quesadilla is even cheese distribution. Since I can't find my damn glasses, I have to do this" she explained. Keith hovered over her watching the tiny Latina walk around the tortilla naked spreading the shredded cheese with her feet. "You shouldn't be doing this" he said. "I assure you I washed my feet beforehand" she said pushing a clump of cheese aside and shaking her foot. "I mean coming with us to fight. This guy makes Ebonheart look like a playground bully. You're a mother now" he said. "Who wants to protect the word for her child. Drop those pieces of chicken onto here" she said to the giant. Keith dropped them on the tortilla. Elena moved them around literally kicking them into place. "Are you even prepared? You even know what kind of opposition we got?" he asked. Elena finished and hopped off the tortilla. She sat down and soaked her feet in a tiny cap full of water. "I know" she replied. Keith tore off a piece of paper towel and dried her little feet for her. "They're going to wipe you out. You know that" he said irritated.  "They can try gringo" she chuckled. Keith sighed and placed the other tortilla in place. "That should be enough. Put them in the oven" she said. Keith did and sat down at the table. Elena made her way over to him after putting her clothes on.

"How's my son?" he asked. "Growing like a weed. I left him with my mother when I went home for Christmas" she said. "I may never lay eyes on him" Keith muttered. "I will tell him stories about you. How brave you are. Strong, ever ready to do what's right" she said softly. "Is it done yet?" Alyssa asked entering the kitchen. "Not yet. 10 more minutes" Elena replied. Alyssa looked at Elena and her eyes went wide. "Elena Martinez?! Here?!" Alyssa squealed. "You're a fan I take it?" Elena smiled. Alyssa sat down and got very close to her. "I have all your albums! Wait...if you're shrunk than you know..."

"About magic? I grew up around it senorita" she replied. "Elena is from a species called Alux. She's not human" Keith said. "Never heard of them. I've heard of fairies, borrowers, gremlins, and Koonago but not Alux" she said. "We kept a low profile over the centuries. Chances are you met our kind before" she said. "It's true. They're the most numerous species of tiny folk in the world. They were once worshipped as gods and goddesses by the Aztecs. Even human sacrifices" Keith said. "Like...eating hearts?" Alyssa asked. "No, nothing that silly. We shrank and ate humans" she replied. Alyssa moved back. "But you don't right? It's the 21st century" she asked. "Not anymore. I did once but not now" Elena replied. "It's complicated Alyssa but you have nothing to fear from her" Keith said. "Complicated? She ate people" she said. "Yes, I did to further me and my sister's ambitions" Elena said. "Elena" Keith muttered. "It's true Keith. I cannot sugarcoat it" she said. "But she broke away from that tradition and it cost her her sister's life" he said. "Your mean your sister didn't die in an accident?" Alyssa asked. "If you mean being eaten by a snake an accident then yes" Elena replied.

"She and her sister began singing to save their village but in order to get as many fans as possible she used magic. Magic is natural for their kind, but the more complicated spells require human sacrifices" he said. "If they're so many than how do you know they aren't shrinking and eating people up?" Alyssa asked. "Simple really. Most of us are catholic. None of us want to go to hell for eating someone. The irony, we believe in the same religion that almost made us extinct" she replied. "Alyssa, the Alux survived by shrinking and mating with humans. Over time they blended in with human society. She wasn't kidding when she said you probably met one before" Keith said. Alyssa was quiet. "I understand if you don't wish to be my fan anymore" Elena said softly. Elena hid her face in her folded knees. "Why did you tell me the truth?" Alyssa asked. "I saw the smile on your face, and I couldn't lie. It's would've been wrong to win your heart without you knowing" she replied. "That cover you did of My Immortal by Evanescence, that was personal for you wasn’t it?" Alyssa asked. The tiny Latina girl whimpered pitifully where she sat.

Alyssa placed her in her ebony hand. Her giant fingernail lifted her head. "I'm betting there's more to the story than either of you let on. If...if you're willing, I'll listen" Alyssa said. Elena quietly nodded. Soon, the quesadillas were done and given out to the staff. As most were Borrower size, they went a long way. Keith left Alyssa alone with Elena as they ate. "You seen Alyssa?" Rose asked passing Keith's foot in the hallway. "She's with Elena talking. That reminds me, I left a folder on your bed" he said. "I saw it" she muttered. "Then you read it?" he asked. "It's really happening isn't it? The blackout, the folder, those Mogwai. It's happening again" she muttered shaking. Keith picked her up and walked to the living room and sat down. "Afraid so" he said. "Who's going to die that I love this time? Susan? You? Nichole that helps me with my math homework?" she asked. Keith looked away as Rose hadn't been told of Lawan's vision. "You know something you're not telling me" she said. "My wife foresaw my death. That folder isn't an if, it's a when" he replied. Rose freaked out so badly he has to close his hand into a fist. He let the struggling teen girl kick and scream until she settled down. "You're like my weird uncle you know that?!" she yelled. Keith opened his fist to let her settle in his palm.

"Your mother left me a note before she passed. I was to protect you with my life. I will honor her last wishes" he said. "So that's all I am?  A job left by my mother?!" she yelled crying. "Is that all you see when you look at me?" she asked. "I see something beautiful and full of promise" he said moving her long hair out of her face. She wore a sweatshirt and sweatpants with socks on. "Why do you think your mother told me and not Susan?" he asked petting her leg. She shrugged. "Because she knew the trauma, I carried from losing my family. She knew I would reign unholy vengeance on anyone that would hurt you. She knew what I did to Jacob. You're like my niece Rose. From the tips of your hair to your pretty toes, I love you" he said. "God, I feel like a fucking cunt going off on you like that..." she muttered. "I've had worse than a bratty rich girl yelling at me" he said. "Who you calling a brat?!" she yelled. "Brat! Spoiled brat!" he chuckled ticking her belly under her little shirt. Rose giggled. "Wipe that face. Alyssa won't like you all weepy and snotty" he said. She did and Keith gave her a kiss. The tiny teen hugged his cheek hard. "I love you too" he muttered. Keith carried her into the kitchen and left her with the other girls.

Two hours later...

"Are you rested Hope?" Markus asked her as they stood outside under the starry sky. Hope silently nodded looking out at the ocean. "Good because I have a task for you. Only someone with as much power as your can do" he said. "Isn't it too early for the alignment?" she asked. "Not that. For the absolute best chance to destroy the seal imprisoning the council, one must do so at the very spot it was made" he replied. "But isn't that sunk beneath the ocean with the rest of the continent?" she asked. "Exactly. I need you to raise it all up from the depths of the pacific. It will serve as our new homeland. One free from the evils of deviant humans" he said coldly. Markus opened a translocation portal and he had her follow through. They hovered only inches above the waves in the middle of the Indian Ocean just 600 miles from the southern tip of Sri Lanka. "I've never released a spell of such magnitude before. I'm scared" Hope whimpered. "You can do this. You were born for this. Born to fix this wretched world" he said squeezing her hand. Hope raised her hand into the air and concentrated.

She began to glow faintly and then the light grew brighter and brighter until Markus had to shield his eyes. The waves grew agitated more and more. 22,305 below the water at the bottom, the sea floor began to rise...

"And now I get $200" Ritchie said moving his shoe past Go. "How long does this game last again?" Thomas asked. "Monopoly can run for hours and hours dad" Claire replied. "My turn. And I land on Boardwalk. That's how much rent?" Aspen asked. "400 bones" Ritchie snickered. Aspen slapped the fake money in his hand. "I think he's cheating" Aspen whispered. "Don't blame me for being awesome" the boy snickered. "Cheeky little shit. See how smug you are later tonight" Aspen said squinting at him. "Careful son. Angry sex is no joke" Thomas said picking up the dice. "Pfft. I'm willing to take that risk if it's Aspen" he said looking at his money. Aspen blushed. "What happened to the shy tiny boy that used to spy on me?" Aspen asked. "He got older and found some balls" Ritchie replied. As soon as he did, he doubled over in pain screaming.

"RITCHIE!" Claire yelled grabbing him. "Fuck is going on?! He's having a seizure!" Rebecca yelled coming from the nursery. Thomas jammed his flooded-up belt in his son's mouth to keep him from swallowing his tongue. So violent the seizure, the boy pissed and shat himself. Then as sudden as it was for Ritchie, Claire tensed up like she was electrified and collapsed. They were not the only ones in pain.

The sound of breaking glass made Tim and Ruby turn. Susan was on her knees. "Mom!" Ruby said bracing her. Ruby caught her breath as she saw the magic array dancing in her mother's eye brighter than she ever seen. Her daughter and father called her name, but she could not answer. All around the planet, the most sensitive magic users took note of an immense usage of magic. Those in Russia looked south. Those in Thailand looked southwest. In America, east and west. In the colony in Yorkshire, southeast just as Ritchie, Claire, and Susan looked. "Yes...YES!" Markus yelled as he felt wet sediment under his feet. Hope was raising over a million tons of rock and sediment at a violent astonishing speed. And as one might guess, there were horrific consequences...

It had been 18 long minutes since she started and then it was done. But the ramifications to her act spread far and wide. A growing tsunami spread in all directions increasing in size and speed. At its zenith, waves as high as 2000 ft. traveling at 600 mph crossed the seas.

"Keith cringed as a panicked message came at him. One was from Aspen, the other from a weakened Susan. Keith and Lawan raced into the city, Lawan focused on Aspen while he ran to sue Susan. People wondered why the giant couple was so desperate as they leaped over buildings and their bare feet shaking the streets as they landed. Keith tore the roof off her home. "Keith..." Ruby sobbed. Keith picked Susan up. The woman shook in his hand. "Something...happened. A burst of magic more powerful than anything...it was like my soul was staring into the sun. I'm alright...weakened. Too much and it took me by surprise" she muttered. "It was Hope wasn't it?" he asked. "Felt like her magic. The alignment isn't time. What did she do?" she asked weakly. Keith put her back down. " Susan, lie down. Claire and Ritchie were hit by the same thing only worse. Tim, Ruby. Make sure she doesn't go anywhere" he said before walking off. "Mom your eye" Ruby said. Susan felt the power within her resonating oddly. "Get mommy some water sweetie" she said. Ruby rushed to the kitchen. "Dad. In the drawer there is a syringe with a knockout drug. Inject me quickly before she returns" she said. "Why? You said you're fine" Tim said. "Please. My powers are glitching out. I get dangerous when I can't control it. Before I hurt you and her, knock my fucking ass out" she growled. Tim opened the dresser against the wall and got the syringe. He injected her and hid the needle just as Ruby returned. "I'm going to rest now okay?" Susan said. Ruby nodded but was visibly frightened. "Let you mother rest dear" Tim said leading Susan to her bedroom.

"I got them both stabilized. Claire was fine but Ritchie took a nasty seizure. I'll have to treat him again in a few hours" Lawan said as a shrunken Keith entered the house. Aspen hugged him sobbing. "What happened? We were all playing and then this" Aspen said. "Susan was hit by something too. She's sure Hope was involved" he replied. "An attack by that sweet child? Impossible" Rebecca said petting Ritchie. "The way she described it, Hope must've used a very big spell and the most sensitive as hit by some kind of backwash" he replied. "My brother doesn't have magic ability to really speak of. A class C can do better than him. So why did he suffer worse than me?" Claire groaned. Aspen saw to her. "I don't know" he replied. Keith looked at Lawan who was looking east. "The kids" she muttered tearing her vision away. Keith nodded and watched her leave.

A tense few hours passed as Keith watched tv looking for any news of what may have happened. "Keith. Ritchie just woke up" Claire said over the link. "How is he?" he asked. "Been better but he does have answers for us. What knocked us on our asses was a huge disturbance in the Indian Ocean involving earth magic. Somehow, Hope raised a massive land mass and the disturbance fed right back to Pelé. Since me and Ritchie are connected to her by magic, we got hit with the whammy too. Keith. Ritchie said that by raising something so big..."

"It would create a tsunami of unimaginable proportions" Keith finished. Joseph who was sitting beside him closed his eyes. "How soon would something like that hit an inhabited area?" Keith asked him. "3 minutes. It will in three minutes. First Sri Lanka, then the Indonesian Archipelago. After that it will rake southeast China. By the gods, I can see it. This will make the 2004 tsunami look like a bad day at the beach" Joseph replied. They all sat helpless at what was coming.

The citizens of Pottuvil, a small town on the east cost of the island at first thought they got lucky, an earthquake had shaken the city but as hours passed no tsunami. Then 4 hours later, the water receded far, very very far, into the sea exposing old sunken boats and debris. The sun was now setting but the eagle eyed on the shore immediately saw the horror that was coming. The sun had disappeared too fast Because the wave was far higher than the curve of the horizon. Alarms went off for those to find shelter. The wave was coming at 550 mph barely slowing down as it crossed the continental shelf. A deafening roar filled their ears and then it struck. Boathouses, docks, and stores were obliterated instantly. The wave kept going and going tearing the city off the soil. Ancient structures crumbled like sandcastles. Watertight shelters crushed under unfathomable water pressure. It had passed Through in two minutes and had slowed to 350 mph, but the wave had not crested. Pottuvil was gone as well as the 648,000 people living in it. By the time the wave had crested and crashed, it had devastated a third of the island killing over 9,000,000 people. Indonesia would soon see its own doom in 30 minutes...

"The arcane is in place. We can begin the transfer" Libra said. "Then let us begin" Aeries said feeling the island shake under her feet. "Why waste so much energy saving humans?" Catherine asked. "They are loyal subjects and it's the Master's orders. Now Chanel your energy like the rest of us" Taurus said coldly. Catherine obeyed reluctantly helping to activate the 32 carefully placed arcane runes carved into the rock around the home of the man called Markus. Pillars of light rose into the sky and a barrier surrounded them. For a split second, reality imploded as the mansion, Mage sectors, and the human sector was translocated to the resurrected Mu continent. The island was barren now as the wave got closer...

Phan was a 17-year-old yaksha stationed in Jakarta. His first assignment and he was due to be rotated back home that spring. The Mogwai there behaved themselves mostly and it was an easy gig for him. He lived in a flat above a restaurant owned by the father of his new human wife. Yes, he had fallen in love with the girl so much that he even told her what he really was. She loved him anyway. He doted on her and made sure she was happy. Then when he was with child, her parents helped to cover up the odd fact she gave birth well less than nine months later. Life was great for the young man and she didn't mind his natural sexual libido being far greater than a human's. In fact, she enjoyed him licking her giant toes and pushing him inside her. The latter she found to be truly to her like. Phan sat on the table on the balcony looking out as sea as his wife breastfed their son. Then he saw something strange. The stars at the horizon began to disappear. A tremor he felt, a very small one. Curious, he used clairvoyance to see what could be causing something so odd. His blood ran cold as he saw the mountainous wave coming. It was only minutes away and the first sirens went off.

"Tsunami warning?" she asked. "...yes" he replied. "Ehh. We're far into the city. Not even the one in 2004 got this far" she said shrugging. Phan knew this one eclipsed it by leaps and bounds. It would destroy them all. Phan knew he could get away simply by flying high enough into the air. He could even shrink his wife and carry her, but his son was too young to be shrunk. His month-old body couldn't take the strain. She wouldn't leave their son to die and he couldn't leave her. Phan hopped onto the floor and grew to human size. He held his wife from behind and gazed at their child. he smiled at both of them. The wave has struck the beach. "I love you. Love you both so much" he said to them softly just moments before the wave took them. Jakarta was wiped away. 10,800,000 humans plus one yaksha and a halfling were gone.

Keith sat with Lawan silently looking at the news as it slowly trickled in. With satellites down, international news took longer to reach them, but it did. Hundreds of cities were gone. The death toll kept going up passing 40 million by 9 pm his time. Even the US was affected as the Seventh Pacific Fleet was sent to the murky bottom. The wave has caused dozens of major rivers in India and China to overflow jacking up the death toll ever further. "We should turn it off" Lawan said sitting in his lap. Keith didn't respond. What could she say from that point forward? They all knew Hope was responsible. Thunder shook the house once more as Keith could see flushes of red lightning in the sky. While he was looking outside, he watched a bolt of red lighting strike the apple tree in the front courtyard. "What the hell?" Keith asked looking at the tree seemingly glitch for a brief moment. It glowed and with the glow Keith saw with his enhanced Borrower sight the tree suddenly turn into a cherry tree. it shimmered between apple and cherry tree before it ominously exploded. The explosion rattled the windows and he heard a scream. "Keith ran out of the room leaving a worried Lawan still staring at the burning blown up tree.

He ran down the hallway as he knew who it was. Keith entered Aspen's room. "My baby. My baby is destroying the world" Aspen muttered sitting next to Claire shrunken down so her wife could hold her. "We...we don't know that" Keith stammered. "We know she killed millions today. My daughter is the biggest mass murder in history. He...hehe..." she grinned. Keith sat down. "You're gonna do it aren't you? That twinkle in your eyes is gone. You're going to kill her" she said looking at the giant. Keith placed her in his hand. "...Aspen..." he whispered. Aspen broke into a screeching wail thrashing in his hand. Keith cupped her hand to avoid her falling onto the floor. "Claire...Jesus. Put her to sleep. Please" he begged. Claire touched his hands and let the spell flow Through his flesh into his cupped palms. Aspen went still and silent. Keith put her on the bed. "You didn’t say no" Claire muttered. Keith left the room.

He entered his personal training room and turned the lights on. "System call. Hope. Inanimate. Borrower size" he muttered. In an instant, Hope appeared just as he imagined. Keith raised his foot over her still, unmoving little body...and then slammed it down. He stared at his foot which had "missed" her by inches. Still looking down, her body was pelted by tears. Keith sat down and placed her in his hand. Of all the images of her in his head, he didn't know why he chose the one of her in a sundress. He sat there quietly looking at her. Her perfect long hair resting on his fingers. Cute little lips in a slight smile. Keith slipped off her tiny flip flops. She had her mother's feet. Narrow with long toes. Her dainty hands like her mother's. Most of everything was like Aspen except a few small things. Even her scent was like hers except curiously when Hope got angry. She smelled more like daddy then. Keith brought her to his lips and kissed her. He held her to his face and cried. He didn't know how long until he heard the creak of wooden floor.

"Your wife is worried. We all are" Joseph said entering. "I'm so sorry" Keith muttered to him. "What for?" Joseph asked. "For admonishing you for not killing Markus. How could you. He's a part of you just like she's a part of me. You never gave up on him, did you?" he asked. "...no. Even in the worst of it I believed that sweet boy I raised would one day return" Joseph replied. "What if you're wrong? What if you're just pissing in the wind and wasting your time?" Keith asked straightening Hope's little dress. "Then I'm no poorer for it. But if I am right..." he said smiling. He stood up. "See to your anxious Asian wife" he said as he left the room. "System call. End simulation" Keith said before the illusion of Hope vanished.

Keith returned to Lawan. He picked her up. "Let's go to bed. Big day tomorrow" he said. Lawan was astonished he fell asleep so fast. She had plans to fuck him that night but obviously that wasn't going to happen. She lay next to his face naked warmed by his breath. She almost sobbed thinking that this could be their last night together. She wouldn't cry. She promised not to. Keith didn't need that right now. But she decided that as soon as he woke up, she would fulfill her duty as his wife the way a yaksha warrior would. Sex, sensuality, and grooming for battle.

Elena had not slept well. On her lock screen, it said December 31, 2018. 6:03 am. 18 new messages. 3 voicemails. 3 missed calls. Elena went through each one. All of them except 1 were from her manager Esperanza Velasquez. Elena liked the woman very much. Kind, considerate, and kept her mouth shut about the fact Elena was not human. She was more like a sister than her manager really. Someone who she didn't have to put up a front about. Letting her hair down, shrinking back to her normal size, and just laughing at actors in bad horror movies at whatever hotel they were at. Elena felt awful not telling her where she really was. She saw no point to frighten the young woman, but if the world could end that day wouldn't you wish to know? Or maybe ignorance was bliss. Elena listened to the last message. "Corazon. I know you do not wish to involve yourself with the old ways, but it might be your only salvation. Consider it deeply this time, for your sake and your son's" she said. "Message deleted. No new messages" the voicemail said before she hung up.

The "old ways" her mother spoke of was not simply the fact they ate humans to obtain great magical power. No, there was one other matter. An ancient time, the Alux of noble bloodlines ate humans to get the power to talk to "gods". If they were gods or not nobody knows. But by this communion, the Alux could call down precious rain or encourage crop growth or even cure disease and mortal injury. This much was known by story and legend. What was not well known was even with the purge of the 15th and 16th centuries, the Alux nobility survived. Elena was the last of that line. Her father carried noble blood as did her sister. With them dead that left her including the ability to still commune with the old gods and goddesses. She needed an ancient artifact, a kind of proof of bloodline for her very first time to be recognized. That and the magic to connect. Having not eaten anyone, she didn't have much to work with, but she did have one thing...her own life.

She held the ancient medallion in her right hand and a knife in the other. She only had the medallion as a way to shut her mother up but coming here and seeing what they were facing, not to mention the feeling of being left behind seeing how stronger Susan and Hikari had become, she contemplated it. Her talk with Keith yesterday had cut deeper than she had let on. If such people thought they would die in battle, what chance did a Latina singing magic songs have? She barely held her own in the last battle and this one had people way tougher and more numerous. The hand that held the knife shook as she decided to do it. She put the medallion down on the bedsheet before Elena plunged the knife into her chest. She almost screamed as she pulled it out. Unable to keep the size spell going, she shrank down to her normal size and fell onto the cold metal of the medallion. Her lifeblood seeping out making it glow.  Her eyes closed as she grew cold. If she was successful, she would awaken to ancient boons, if not, a three-inch dead girl would be found in her room.

Elena opened her eyes. Other than the medallion now around her neck, she was naked in an open field with the night sky to her left, daytime to her right, and in the middle twilight. "Hello? Is anyone there?" she asked. Wind blow Through her hair. The grass crunched under her bare feet. "I am Elena! I've come seeking a boon of the old ones!" she yelled. Her voice echoed. A shadow suddenly loomed overhead. "You who has shunned us comes to seek a boon?" a copper skinned giantess asked above her. She was bare breasted, around her waist was a red cloth and no undergarments exposing her pussy to the woman beneath her. On her feet were sandals with turquoise straps. Her eyes glowed white and on her head was a headdress of turquoise pins, beads of Opal, and thin strands of silver. "Noble Quilazli. I beseech you and the pantheon of old" Elena said kissing the toenail of the giantess. Elena made sure to humble herself before the goddess as she figured this one would be most open to talking to her as she was the goddess of mothers and midwives. Having had a child made her more...patient to listen to her.

"Speak little one" she said. "There is a great evil in the world. Many of our children face destruction. I seek the power so I may stand ready" Elena said. The goddess looked to the heavens. "And what is your offering?" she asked. "My life" Elena replied. "You may plead before them" she said before bowing. Elena was taken back by the 100 ft. goddess bowing until the ground shook. The goddess was not bowing before Elena. She was bowing before one greater than her. The heavens themselves gave way to a massive face that neither smiled nor frowned. The hills seemed to turn into massive pillars of stone. The face gave way to a head and neck. A neck with a necklace made of giant bones and skulls. "Coatlicue. The goddess of earth" Elena muttered realizing the field she had been in was the palm of a giantess well over a mile tall. The fingers themselves were over a hundred feet high. The goddess brought Elena to her face and she opened her mouth. Elena was tossed in and she freefell down the cavern like throat of the goddess and landed roughly in a pool. Elena swam to a shore amazed at what she saw.

Three Aztec pyramids secluded in the mountains. Like a small city in the belly of the Earth goddess. Elena walked towards the structures until wind and lighting filled the sky. Lighting struck the three pyramids and three giant figures sat on them as if they were chairs. A massive serpent with feathered wings hissed at her from the first. From the second sat a colossal teenager around 17 or 18. Her sandals and top were pure white but had no bottom leaving her pussy bare. Her eyes, one brilliant blue, the other brown like brick. Her hair long and flowing and as dark as night yet shined with the glint of reflected sunlight. Her headdress was multicolored feathers. The goddess gave Elena a judgmental look. And on the right a gigantic young woman with a painted skull on her face. Her feet were bare and dusty. Her eyes were entirely black. Around her neck was a necklace made of thousands of human bones. She wore no robes or skirt leaving her nude. Her skin was the color of dried blood. Elena shivered as she did not want this goddess to answer her call.  

"Quetzalcoatl of the skies, giver of culture and maker of man, Toci the Mother of Mothers from whom all gods and goddesses came forth, and Mictēcacihuātl goddess of the underworld and keeper of bones. I bow before you" Elena said getting on her knees. "It was been an age since an Alux has come to us in such a manner. Last time an ancestor of yours asked for power to exorcize the Spaniards from her lands. We found her...wanting" the serpent hissed. "Indeed. She only came with the soul of a hated rival. I enjoyed sucking the flesh from her bones" the goddess of death said smiling. "I come with the barter of my own soul. I seek a boon of you" Elena said. The deities looked at one another for a moment. "Why have you not asked your Christian God? Is he not the one you worship now?" the Mother asked. Elena didn't know what to say. "I say we take her. Her heresy is enough. I call her legs. Good meat on them and her feet are not bad either" the goddess said before snatching Elena up. She pinched her ankles with her fingertips studying her tiny feet and legs. Elena felt the coldness of her touch right down to her soul.

"And yet she bartered her life, her soul to seek us anyway. I say we hold judgment" the serpent hissed. "Agreed. Put her down daughter. Let her plead first" the Mother said. The goddess reluctantly placed Elena back on the ground. Elena noticed something after she did. Even though these deities were huge, Elena expected her to be quite dwarfed by the size of their fingers. Not as much as she thought. "Something troubles you" the Mother asked. "This is not what I expected of the stories. It's...different. I'm different" she replied. "Because you are the traveler that strayed off the path. Close your eyes and then open them to see truth" the serpent hissed. Elena did and gasped when she opened them. At her feet were thousands of small people. Some coming to her ankles, others no taller than her pinky toe. Even more strange there was three lines each going to a separate pyramid. It seemed the tiniest went to the goddess of death and the largest to the Mother. When one entered the pyramid, they did not exit.

"What you see are the souls of the departed of the corner of the world we reign. According to the way the lived, determines the size of their souls here. Those that lived decent lives are medium sized and enter the good lands under me" the serpent said. Elena saw them to be about an inch tall. "Those that lived exceptional, or selfless lives are the largest and find paradise under me" The Mother said. "And the shittiest of mortals. The bugs, the wretched scum find only eternity in my pit of dusty bones under me" the goddess of death snickered. "Then why am I so much bigger? I have taken innocent lives" Elena asked. She regretted asking which was tantamount to admitting guilt. "Your medallion. Otherwise you would be like one of them" the Mother replied. The goddess of death scooped up souls meant for her and devoured Them. She patted her bare belly. "Speak your request. The afterlife is eternal. Our patience is not" she said.

"I seek to increase the potency of my song" Elena said. "Long ago, we came to the Alux. A people of magic but no skill or discipline to use it. I gave the gift of a song" the serpent hissed. "I gave the gift of hypnotic power of a lullaby" the Mother said. "And I set the price to use it" the goddess of death said. "I know the price" Elena said sternly. Suddenly, Elena found herself in the goddess' palm. "Then you know you cheated with foreign magics. The flesh on your legs is looking tastier. Hell, I should eat your vagina whole, womb and all for cheating me" she growled. "She sought to preserve life. That is no slight" the Mother said. She took Elena from her. "But she has a point. The bargain was made long before you were spat from your mother's womb. If you wish for more power, you must consume humans" she said. "I will do so if I must. What I am saying is your gift is NOT enough to face what is coming. It has been found...wanting" Elena said. The Mother was not too pleased with her words. "If you can see my heart then you know my words right true. The one called Markus walks the earth with a dark purpose. One that will upset the balance of things" Elena said.

The deities looked at one another. "Many have come before us with his name still on their dead lips" the Mother said. "He is beyond our touch" the serpent said. "His soul eludes us. We wish to claim it, but none can" the goddess of death replied. "Wait. I thought only those of the homelands were under your command" Elena said. The serpent used its long tongue to ensnare her and bring her to his maw.  The forked tip teased her little pussy making her writhe about. "Yours is not to question but follow" it hissed. "His kind existed before the dawn of gods and goddesses when the first ones held sway. With them gone, Lemurians are for the taking of any deity" the Mother said. The serpent narrowed his eyes at her annoyed. Quetzalcoatl let her go letting her hit the ground. Elena winced standing up. "Please. I am grateful for the gift but to help quell this abomination I need more. Much more" she pleaded. "Wait here" the Mother said. In a flash of lighting they were gone.

Elena sat on the ground after a time if such a thing such as time existed in Aztec limbo. She grew more curious of the parade of souls passing by her constantly. She picked one up. Once she did, it was no longer an ethereal thing but seemingly alive like the person had simply been shrunk. She gasped as a vision filled her mind. A middle-aged man working in a field until he gripped his chest and fell to the ground. Those around him began chest compressions but to no avail. Elena had seen his death and placed him back on the ground. He continued his march to Quetzalcoatl. She looked to the right and plucked up a random but sized one with her fingernails. A young man carrying an AK-47 crossing the street. He fired into a bodega shattering the windows. Someone returned fire from behind. The round struck the back of his head and he fell. A second or so later he was dead. Elena figured he was a cartel thug demanding protection money. A rival from another gang didn't take kindly to him on their turf. Elena placed him back on the ground and watched him March to damnation. She turned her attention to the middle and was curious to see many of them to be children mostly. One young child held the hand of what looked to be his mother.  

Elena picked them up. The woman appeared to be 30 at the most and her son maybe 7 or 8. The vision of them came to her. The woman had been staggering Through The desert with her son in tow. Her son collapsed and she carried him until she collapsed herself. Their belongings falling to the dirt and dust. It was a scene Elena was familiar with. Migrants fleeing to America only to die of thirst in the desert after getting lost. Elena felt sorrow for them. The boy felt so delicate in her hands. Half the height of her pinky wearing a soccer shirt and shorts. Worn out sandals on his feet. His mother fared little better. "Has anyone ever told you not to touch what isn't yours?" the goddess of death asked behind her. Elena dropped Them and she caught them and placed them back on the ground. The goddess was her size for the moment and yanked Elena to her feet. "Please don't..."

"Shh. Sometimes I like to get a better look at those that cross over" the goddess said admiring Elena. Elena squealed as the goddess rammed her finger up her pussy and then took it out. She grinned sucking her flavor off it. So rare we get a soul so fresh and lively. By all rights I can claim you. Your actions this past summer did not redeem you enough to escape my grasp. Hmm...it would be a waste to devour you so quickly. Do you know what it feels like to be swallowed by the pussy of one such as I? Give me a moment to grow and we can have ourselves some fun" she chuckled. The goddess grew before her and snatched Elena up. Elena had her eyes locked onto the massive drooling cunt threatening to swallow her. "Of all your threats, you have done nothing" Elena grinned. The goddess paused. "If it was such a done deal you would've claimed me by now regardless of what was to come" she said. "Or maybe I get off on seeing fear. It does season the soul" the goddess said. "I think you don't want them to help me. You want for a better word...to poach me. I'm no saint but I help save billions of people. I think that counts for something and you know it" Elena mocked.

Two peals of thunder and lightning and the others had returned. "Indeed, it does. Release her Mictēcacihuātl. She stands in-between and you know that" the Mother retorted. "We have come to a decision" Quetzalcoatl said. "We shall grant you an additional boon in light of your request and the state of affairs" the Mother said. "I grant you the power to sing your song in its fulfillment without the need of others" the serpent said. "And the ability touch their soul with it" the Mother said. The goddess of death chuckled. "As for payment, the soul of a child" she snickered. Elena's heart dropped. "Please. Not that. I can go back to eating adults. Even young adults but not kids" she said. "That is the payment I have declared" she said coldly. "Honorable Mother please. Isn't the life of children under your purview?" Elena asked. "Not all of them child" she replied. "Just because one is a child doesn't mean they are wholly innocent. If you are to see battle, you will find a child. History is rife with child soldiers" the goddess of death said grinning. Elena stared at the giantess. "Hmmm...yes. That look whets my appetite. One final thing child. No more arcane. None" she said. "I have to use it to keep my human size for longer periods of time" Elena told them. "Oh, we know. You still can't use it. Don't worry. You can still keep it the old-fashioned way" the goddess laughed loudly.   "A deal then?" the serpent asked. "...yes" Elena muttered defeated.

Elena felt a warmth in her soul starting in her belly and traveled up. When it reached her throat, it stopped and pulsed intensely. "The deal has been done. Until then little Alux" the serpent hissed before disappearing with a strike of lightning. "Farewell Elena. Oh, your sister sends her regards between sessions of screaming and pain” the goddess of death grinned wickedly before leaving in similar fashion. Elena fell to her knees and sobbed. The Mother plucked her up from the ground holding her in her open hand. "Why? Why so cruel?" Elena asked. "That is her nature. Did you not find it odd the goddess of the underworld came and not the god? The king is just and the Queen unjust. The balance must be preserved. A product and a price. The Mother of life, the Serpent of preserving life, and the god and goddess of taking life. But to say that doesn't mean you have to play her game" she replied. Elena looked up at the giantess for understanding.

"Her goal is to taint souls so she can claim them. That is why she chose children. She knew what it would do to a kindly soul" she explained. "Then what can I do?" Elena asked. The Mother imbued her with magic power. "A gift to start you off with. It will not last, but it will as human say get the ball rolling" she replied. "And even if I eat a kid during battle, what then? How can I keep my human size?" she asked. "You can't. You must decide what is more important. But take heed. If you break the rule about arcane, it will not be your soul that is collected. It shall be your son's. Now go" she said literally tossing the girl out of limbo. Elena awoke human sized on her bed. At first, she thought it all a dream until she saw the bloody knife on her bed. She collected herself and went to shower.

Elena was not the only one awake and deep in thought. Hikari felt the coldness of the wood on her legs as she sat with them folded underneath her. She calmly gazed at the yokai transformation driver laying before her as she sipped warm green tea. She thought back to a few days ago. "Are the final touches done?" she asked. "Yeah. Yeah, they're done. You have access to even more forms now. Be careful though as some forms will drain energy faster than others" he said." I need a form to kill what can't be killed. I know of only one Hokan that can do it" she said. "No! Forgive my outburst but calling on that is dangerous at best. That is no ordinary yokai. It blurs the line between yokai and gods. The strain can kill you” Hiro, her chubby technician said looking at the device. "Promise me you will find another way" he said. She barely nodded. At the moment the driver was bigger than she was, but it gave her a good view of the changes. It had been painted jet back with special magically imbued ink. A silver ring in the center and a gold circular plate in the middle. So far not much had been altered until one was to see the five small Philosophers stones encrusted around the silver ring in a star formation. She touched one. "They will serve as the main power source for your transformations. Keep in mind it isn't infinite. Once they're depleted, it will draw power directly from you. Princess..." he muttered at the end putting his glasses down and rubbing his eyes.

Hikari had seen him as nerdy and oafish at times but there were others that she saw who he was inside. "The driver can call upon greater power than before I must warn you that if not checked, it can kill you especially if the form is potent. Try not to let it discharge below one stone" he said. "Or it will suck me dry is it?" she asked. Hiro looked away blinking away tears. "I am ashamed. One should perform his duty with honor and bravery" he muttered. "No shame in worrying about one you care for" she said touching the device. he looked embarrassed. "I have shamed myself by berating you based on your looks even though you have served me beyond distinction. I ask forgiveness Hiro" she said prostrating herself. "No! You are a princess of the imperial family! Do not bow to one so lowly!" he said bowing and promptly hitting his head on the worktable. The giant nursed his forehead. Hikari snickered and then full on laughed. "Stations, titles, have you not heard the end of the Heisei is coming and the trappings of the past will be done? Come next year will the be the new era of Reiwa *where all things are possible. Even for a human and koonago" she said looking up at him. He blushed.

(Authors note: While Japan follows the western calendar like everyone else, they also divide years into eras depending on the ruling families or more modern who is emperor.  The Heisei Period began in 1989 after Hirohito died and most recently the Reiwa Period which began on May 1, 2019 when Akihito abdicated. Something really unprecedented...at least not without war. So, when Hikari says that all things are possible with the new era, she's not kidding)  

"Will you return?" he asked. "Only the kami know" she replied. Hiro got up and walked over to a cabinet. He took out a bottle of sake and poured it into a cup and a small bottle cap. "To success and a safe journey home" he said toasting. Both drank and sat quietly. "The gaijin is lucky to have you" he muttered. "I'm not his wife. Mistress at best" she said. "Still to have your heart. Skin like fallen snow, hair like night, eyes that pierce the soul, delicate hands and beautiful feet and toes. A bosom so small yet perfect" he muttered. Hikari got annoyed for a moment as she didn’t prefer him studying her in such a way. "And a pure soul that would make the hardest stony heart melt and wish to be worthy" he said letting a tear fall from his eyes. Hikari felt ashamed for her thoughts. "Pour another and we shall see where the night takes us" she muttered.  What was supposed to be a short inspection of the driver turned into a three-hour drinking session. Hikari found the chubby giant charming as he listened to every word she said. She fell over laughing about something long ago and his finger caught her. It lingered. There was no lust in his eyes as his finger felt her delicate back. It moved up brushing her long hair and then suddenly pulled away.

At one time she would be annoyed he touched her but found annoyance he pulled away. "You may pet me" she said blushing. She smirked as his trembling finger petted her arms and side. To tease him she dipped her foot in sake and kicked it at him. When done again, Hiro seized her foot in his mouth and sucked. She laughed loudly as his taste buds tickled her tiny sole. Hiro glanced at the driver one more time. "I can make it safer. Increase the chances you make it out alive" he said picking up a small sliver chisel. "You've done enough. Your craftsmanship is solid" she said touching his arm. Hiro out the chisel down solemnly. Hiro loved her, that much was always certain but as she stared at his teary eyes, she could see that in reality, he didn't see her as the princess, he saw her as a loving soul. A woman. The thought came across her mind to think about an actual relationship with him. After all, she couldn't pine for Keith forever. It was unspoken but well known that since she was outed to the public, many a love letter came before her. "Hiro. If you had one night with me, what would you do?" she asked. The question gave the giant some thought. "I'd listen to more of your stories" he replied. "That's it?! We've been doing that for Three hours!" she said. "Yeah and I'm loving every minute of it. Seeing you laugh and giggle..." he muttered. The little koonago was deeply touched by his answer. She climbed up his arm to his face and kissed his lips. "Ahem. Princess your appointment" Chisame said entering the room. "Ah that. Can't keep Aki-chan waiting" she giggled. "Only you could call the Emperor that" Hiro muttered. Hikari hopped into Chisame's hand and left. Hiro picked up his chisel once more and inscribed a word on the driver. "Hikari kami" or in English "divine light".

It was this that she stared at in the morning of this fateful day before putting her cup down. She elegantly dressed in her most exquisite kimono. Black with red chrysanthemums embroidered on it. Her obi sash was black with the imperial seal in white. She chose not to wear her tabi socks or geta just yet and left the room. The giantess maids had already awoken and went about their daily tasks. A bit of gloom hung overhead as they knew what the day was. She waited patiently in the living room and watched BBC news.

8:00 am...

Keith pressed the silence button on his alarm. His wife slept on his pillow and the kids in the cribs not far away. He carefully got up to pee and came back peering at his very small children. Sleeping peacefully with not a care in the world. Keith sat on the bed looking at his wife. Her naked chest moving up and down. A hint of drool from her lips. He bent down and kissed her tummy. Lawan groaned as she woke up. "Morning beautiful" he said. Lawan fluttered into the air to check on the kids before using the bathroom. She returned and sat quietly in his lap. Neither said a word for a few minutes. "I'll run the shower" he muttered leaving her. The couple remained quiet during the shower and Through the habit of brushing teeth and hair. She grew to human size and sat in the on the wide windowsill overlooking the colony. Keith walked over and as soon as he got near, she shrank him. She said nothing as she placed him on her bare breast and held him there. Keith felt the pounding heart of the giantess. She was afraid, terrified, anxious. Far out in the colony, he could see another giantess, Xiao as she oversaw preparations for her teams. He could not tally for long. Like her, he had things to do to. "Time to get dressed" he told her hopping down. Lawan didn't look his way as she cancelled her spell growing him back. He was dressed and out the door leaving her to attend to the kids who were starting to waken.

Susan and Hikari sat in the living room watching tv. "And the body count has passed 50 million..." the tv said. Susan spotted Keith coming and changed the channel. "Turn it back" he said softly. She saw him sit down with a solemn look as she did. "Around the world, people mourn the worst loss of life in one day in recorded history. The NASDAQ, Nikkei, and the SSE have all seen record plunges causing an emergency halt to trading. Currency around the world is fluctuating making the lesser developed countries panic. In related news, NATO has confirmed that the US pacific fleet has been lost, as well as the Chinese, North Korean, South Korean, and JSDF fleet that the latter was running exercises in the Sea of Japan. All attempts to reach them via ULF have failed. NATO, China, and Russian forces already anxious over the loss of com sats have been lit on full alert. As a precaution, the royal family have been evacuated from London to an undisclosed secure location..." the announcer said.

"At this rate there won't be a world to save" Keith muttered. "Where's Joseph?" he asked. In the sunroom meditating" Susan replied. Keith got up and went to the kitchen. He made two cups of coffee before going to see him. The old man sat crossed legged with his eyes closed. Keith sat down next to him. "Normally I do this naked, but I decided to spare you all the sight of my 60,000 year old junk" the man said opening his eyes. "Much appreciated" Keith chuckled. "Hold on to that. That smile. You’ll need it today" he said. "About that. I want to go in no later than 3 this afternoon. No sense in waiting till the last minute" Keith said. "I agree but circumstances say otherwise. My vision is clouded but I can confirm your daughter did indeed raise Mu from the ocean depths. As for translocating..." he sighed. Keith handed him the spare cup of coffee.

"My son is no fool. He has placed barriers around his location. A lot of fucking barriers" he said. "You can't just crack them like he did with us?" Keith asked. "Not remotely and your barrier was average at best. I'd need line of sight to crack them. Without doing that I'd be jumping blind" he said. "...Control. Order the private jet to be prepped. Yes, I know we won't have clearance. That long? Alright. Just get it started" Keith sighed ending the magical link. "Jet?" Joseph asked. "Plans within plans. Rest up old man. You'll be jumping more than just people today" Keith said standing up. He returned to the living room. "Need your help moving a bomb" he said. "Whee...sounds fun" Susan said sarcastically. Keith led her to the vault where the artifacts were stored. He unlocked the room and they entered. "Keith! The Bow of Artemis is gone!" Susan said. Keith looked at was indeed missing from its case. "Recall" Susan said using magic as she touched the case. "It...it was summoned away back on Christmas Eve" she said. "That's not good. That means it has a new master. A new Sagittarius" Keith muttered. "Great. Fucking...the hell happened to The Ring of Shishak?!" she yelled. "What?" Keith asked. "It's faded.  The stone lost a lot of its glow" she said. "Oh that. Don't worry about that. I'm more concerned about the bow really" he said. "Fuck the bow. That ring is super dangerous. Time magic is unpredictable. You can any number of things if you start fucking around with time. We saw how one could erase an entire timeline!" she said. "Calm down. I'm the reason it's faded. I've...I've been using it for the last two weeks" he said. "Are you nuts?!" Susan asked.

"The ring can send one back Through time...or it can freeze it for a short while. Yeah. Found that out in Lily's protected notes" he said. "Why would you need to keep freezing time?" she asked. "So, I can train. That room you saw. I've been using it for a few hours a day but in reality, I've been stopping time in it" he said. "...for how long?" she asked. "About Three days or so at a time. Really wipes me out though" he said. "But that would mean..."

"I'm not two weeks older. Closer to two months. Why do you think I was so frisky and horny some days? I missed you guys" he shrugged. "All so you would get better at fighting?" she asked. He nodded. Susan grabbed him by the neck and roughly kissed him. "It was either that or punch you. Now where your doomsday device?" she asked. Keith pointed to it. Susan eyes went wide. "Keith. It looks like a nuke" she muttered. "Well the cone shape design was borrowed from that of a nuclear warhead. Bet my google history is turning heads now" he chuckled. Susan tiptoed to it and was yanked by a force into it. "Keith! What the fuck?!" she screamed terrified. "Oops. Forgot to warn you. The containment unit uses a highly magnetic constrictor so no metal around it. Umm...is your..."

"Yeah my fucking bra! Of all the days to wear one!" she yelled. "Oh relax. Not like it's going to go off" he said walking to her. He smiled watching the woman stuck to it. "Uh...could you help?" she asked. Keith pulled the back of her sweater up and unlatched her bra. His hands moved to the front and Susan squeaked. "Keith. My nipples are sensitive right now" she said. "Yep" he said pulling his hands away. She felt him pull down her pants and panties. "This isn't funny!" she yelled. "Oh this is hella funny and you know it" he said lowering his pants. "You want our last time to be on a fucking bomb?" she asked. He was ready to thrust into her but hearing her voice break stopped him. He pulled her panties and pants back up and carefully removed her shirt. Susan was free. Susan said nothing as she hugged him. "Yeah I know. Everybody is feeling it" he said. Susan put her shirt back on and helped him carry the bomb to the garage. Needless to say, a more than a few eyes were one the damn thing as they carried it Through the house. After putting it in the garage, Keith toggled a switch. "It's not armed is it?" Susan asked. "No. Just cycling. It will be awhile before the boson collection hits critical levels" he replied.

"Everyone is saying you guys care carrying a bomb around" Alyssa said behind them. "Holy shit!" Rose yelled sitting on her shoulder. "Relax. The safeties are on and the detonation circuits aren't even turned on" Keith said. "Still though it looks like...no! What happened to mom's apple tree?!" Rose screamed looking out of the garage into the front yard. "It was struck by the red lighting yesterday. Wait...apple tree? You sure it's an apple tree?" Keith asked. "Yeah. Mom planted it with daddy a week after I was born. Me and mom used to eat apples from it on my birthday. Aw man!" Rose grunted. "Rose. That's a cherry tree" he said. "No, it's not. I mean mom did think about planting one, but she decided on an apple tree instead" she said. Keith walked out to the tree and came back with a charred branch. "That's not possible" Rose muttered. "Magic?" Keith asked. "No. I would sense the remains of a transmutation spell. I'm getting strange vibes from it" she said. "It's...it feels weird in my hand. Like a faint vibration coming from it" Keith said before chucking it. "Weird trees aside, anything else?" Susan asked. "Not till noon. We address the troops and then a final briefing" he replied. "Then I'm going home. There's a thing" she said. "Anything I can do?" he asked. "No. I'm her mother" Susan replied softly.

Susan returned home to find her father comforting a shrunken Ruby in his hand. "She wore herself out" Tim said to her. Susan placed Ruby on a sofa pillow before sitting down. Earlier that morning....

Susan has gone to the corner market to pick of bagels for breakfast but when she returned, she found Ruby awake, and hysterical. "She just went out! She's coming right back!" Tim yelled holding his currently naked granddaughter. "You're lying! She left already and didn't tell me!" she screamed throwing the man aside. Susan dropped the bagels and hit Ruby with a shrinking spell. The combination of the spell and her anxiety caused the girl to faint. "Jesus" Susan muttered picking her up. "You didn't have to shrink her sweetheart. Just seeing you..."

"Yes, I did. She may look like a young girl but they young girl is over twice as strong as you. She could've snapped your arm easily...or worse" she said. "I've seen children get emotional before parents ship off to war but this..." he said. "I told you before she lost her parents, but I left out one crucial matter. Ruby died" she said. Tim looked at her. "She uhh...she was entombed alive in plaster and eventually suffocated" she said quietly. "God in heaven" Tim muttered. "As you can imagine, it left her with some weapons grade PTSD" she said. "But how is she alive?" Tim asked. "I made a deal with a death goddess. Ruby gets to live again at the cost of my unborn child" she replied. Tim didn't know what to say. Susan ate a bagel quietly as she watched her father pet her shrunken daughter.

"This brings back memories. I used to love petting you in my hand when you were young" he smiled. "I remember your hands being soft and warm" Susan said sitting down on the sofa. "Those were precious times" he said softly. Susan looked at the time. "I have to go to the house. Should be a progress report done by now" she said. She kissed her father and left him. Her ears could pick up faint sounds of sniffling.

Now she was back and healing the slight bruise on his arm. "How was your thing? Anything new?" he asked. "50 million dead and were on the brink of WWIII" she replied. "Fuck...sorry lord. 50 million? How is Keith handling that?" he asked. "Honestly I don't know. Keith keeps his most intense emotions locked away. There's angry and then there's Keith angry. I once saw him pop a man like a water balloon because he raped his wife" she replied finishing on him. "Could he do that to his daughter?" he asked. Susan didn’t answer. She rested her head on his shoulder.  "You smell awesome" she said. "Uh thanks?" he said. The woman fidgeted where she sat. "Is it that pregnancy thing?" he asked. She nodded. "Okay sweetie. Gimme your toes" he said. Susan put her right foot in his hands and her father went to sucking her toes. Susan sighed but she shook her head. "Not enough" she muttered shrinking. "Daddy you said you do anything..." she said taking her clothing off. "Yeah I did. Come here honey" Tim said lowering his hand.

Tim had not gotten used to the feeling of what he was doing to his daughter, but he understood the biological needs she had. Tim was gentle as he licked her tiny pussy. Her pussy, soles, and breasts were very sensitive by this point, so he took care to stimulate them. She tingled as his tongue liked her tiny feet. She shivered as her juices coated his lips. And when he sucked her tits he suddenly pulled back. "What..." she asked. "You're lactating" he said tasting her milk. "Guess it came in. Daddy...suck on me. Please. It's really bad" she whined. Tim couldn't let her suffer so he placed her feet first in his mouth and sucked her body right to the navel. She groaned loudly as the giant father pleasured her with his tongue.  She held on to his lips as she was drawn deeper. With a cute squeal she came. Tim cleaned her up and sat blushing beet red. "You don't know how much that meant to me daddy. I'm curious though. The way the tip of your tongue teased my clit. That was no amateur work" she said. "Well, your mother and I... we had some fun" he muttered.

"You really miss her" Susan said. "She's the first person I'm looking for when I get to heaven...unless you're..." he said cutting himself off. Susan unshrunk herself. She sat naked in his lap and ignored the erection in it. She hugged him to her. The man quietly stroked her hair. Susan could literally smell the anguish in him. Tim looked at her. Her eyes watering up. "Jellybean" he chuckled. One would not think that word would stir such emotion. He had called her that when she was a child. One time she asked when she was a kid why he called her that. He replied that's how big she was when he finally held her in his hands. She has to be brave for them. Especially now that Ruby was waking up. "MOM!" Ruby screamed leaping onto her. "You scared your grandpa" she said. Ruby sat in her hand crying. "I thought...I thought you left and didn't say goodbye!" she sobbed. "I wouldn't do that. Can you be a good girl now?" Susan asked. The girl nodded. Susan unshrank her. Ruby looked at Tim and remembered what she had done. She hung her head. "Honey it's okay" Tim said beckoning her to sit in his lap.

He looked into the deep green eyes of hers. "Your mom is very scared right now. Not because she's going off to fight but you might be what happened this morning if she doesn't come back" he said. Ruby looked at Susan seeing her very solemn. "I was alone for so long" she muttered. "So was I but I had to get moving forward. Put your hand over my heart" he said. Ruby did and felt it racing. "I'm scared too. Every instinct I have tells me to hold your mother and don't let go. I don't know if it's being shrunk for so long or being around borrowers this much again, but I fully understand some of the things they do now. I want to suck your mommy's toes again. Drink her milk. Lick her all over because it makes her feel loved. I get it Susan" Tim said looking at her crying. Susan slid over to him and held them both tightly.

Just down the street, something else was going on. Banshen had come out of hiding and quietly drank tea at a local cafe. Susan had recommended it and if she was to die, then she would make sure her last day in earth wasn't wasted. The patrons kept their eye on her for obvious reasons. The atmosphere was tense as by no means was everyone cool with a Mogwai in their mist. The woman behind the bar groaned loudly and fell to her knees. Banshen went to look and found the woman had gone into labor. Her husband ran from the kitchen. "Take her...hospital" Banshen said sternly. "But the cafe..." he said as it was fully packed for early lunch. Banshen took the apron off the woman and put it on. "Work...go" she said. He couldn't argue as the woman groaned again. Needless to say, the people were shocked by the turn of events. "Uh...order?" someone asked. Banshen went over to Them. They gave the order and nodded.

They were surprised the Mogwai actually pulled off being a barista and as they saw her smiling, they found it amusing. They were patient with her. They took their time going over their orders and Banshen filled them out. She hummed with a smile as she made a grilled cheese sandwich in the kitchen and didn't hear the door chime. Two Mogwai had entered. Banshen came out and held her breath. "Two coffee and…what the hell is this?" one said in mandarin. "I'm helping out" Banshen said concentrating. Her heart skipped a beat when the Mogwai young man rolled up his sleeve exposing a tiger tattoo. He was a vassal of the ruling family. "Coffees and cream rolls. Now" he growled. She nearly ran into the kitchen. As she prepared the order, she could hear something in the cafe. She peeked out to see the young man harassing a woman customer. "Join us woman. Tell us about yourself" he said grinning. "No thanks. I rather have lunch with my husband here" she rebuffed. "This weakling? Hmm. I see your coffee went cold. I will warm it for you" he said. He used fire magic to warm it till it boiled. "You sure you won't join us?" he asked his hand still glowing. "She said no. Your order" Banshen barked. "I don't like your tone" he said to her. Banshen ignored him putting the tray on the table. "Ask forgiveness" he said grabbing her.

She was terrified of him. As a vassal, he had certain privileges. Back home, he could rape her where she stood if he wanted. If insulted, he could eliminate her. More than a few stories were out there of vassals crushing or eating lower class citizens that disrespected them. But as she saw the eyes of that woman full of fear, Banshen found the strength to resist him. Banshen grabbed his arm and flipped him. "Bitch!" he yelled raising his hand. A blast if light magic shot forth blowing a small hole in the roof barely missing her. Banshen's eyes were dazzled by the light making him have an opening. He pushed her off and readied a fire spell. "Don't!" she yelled as she saw such a spell would burn everyone alive in the cafe. She fell to the floor bowing. "Forgiveness" she said. The man kicked her in the face making her spit out a tooth. She trembled in pain. He pressed his foot on her fingers and she cried out in pain. The borrowers, afraid of him had taken up utensils as if to attack him. But it didn't come to that as the roof was pried open. Towering over all of them was Xiao. "Enough!" she said grabbing them both.

In one had was Banshen bleeding and hurt. Another was the young man. "What brought this?!" Xiao yelled. "This one attacked me!" the young man said. Xiao looked at her. "This true?" she asked. Banshen could barely move her jaw let alone speak. "You know the penalty for disobeying orders" she said raising her to her mouth. Xiao was ready to eat her. "STOP! She was protecting us!" the young woman below yelled. "From whom?" Xiao asked. The young man didn't answer. "From him" someone said. Xiao realized she was being way to hastily and healed Banshen. "Speak freely" Xiao said. "He threatened to kill them all. I only attacked him out of defense" she replied clearly. "And what of it?!" he yelled showing his tattoo. Xiao knew what he was but more importantly why he was there. Banshen didn't know this working alone but those that commanded squads sometimes had a vassal in their ranks unseen. Their job was to report anything that was against the homeland. Ideas, thoughts, beliefs, even defectors. They were the Mogwai version of the KGB. Xiao hated them.

"You have threatened the safety of our allies, endangered the unity, and disobeyed orders" she growled before tearing off his clothing. "You can't do this! You'll be executed!" he screamed. "Assuming I live past tonight" she said coldly. Xiao shoved him into her mouth and quickly chewed him up alive. His screams ending with an ominous loud crunch. It left those below (and those on the street now) aghast but none shed a tear for him. Xiao cleaned the bits of flesh and bone left in her mouth before she spoke. "I don't recall seeing you before either" she said. Banshen bowed in her palm trembling. "Speak without lies" the giantess said. "Please. She saved us" the woman said below. She looked to see the other Mogwai there cowering. "You knew of him, didn't you?" she asked. He didn't answer. Xiao grabbed him up. "I was under orders!" he yelled. "You were also under orders not to let anyone threaten these people" she said. He cowered in her hand. He was young, 16 at best and she decided not to end his life. However, she couldn't let his disobedience go unpunished. She used her right foot to slip off her boot and curling her fist, slipped her sock off. She dumped the young man inside and put her boot back on. His muffled screams dying down as she positioned his body underneath her toes.

"I have yet...settle down! My sweaty feet won't end you but keep wriggling and they just might!" she shouted. The wriggling stopped. "As for you. If you are not with my squad, then how did you come about being...ah. I see. You were smuggled here by him when he came to visit. Why? He is not one to take slaves" she said. "I... wanted to be...free" Banshen replied. "Speak in our tongue if it's so difficult" Xiao said. "Won't...help. Slow..." Banshen said. Xiao was putting the pieces together. Keith brought her back to hide her. "Please don't...be angry with him. Banshen wanted this. Eat Banshen alive if you must. Don't angry with him" she pleaded. "Xiao to Lt. Fei. There's been an incident at the Tom Thumb cafe. All Mogwai are to avoid it. Yes, it's contained. Nothing else to report" Xiao said over a magical link. Xiao placed Banshen back in the cafe and made a shhh with her finger before putting the roof back on. Banshen sat on a chair gasping for air. The woman and husband she saved checked on her. "Thank you" she muttered. Banshen nodded. Softly, the girl began sobbing and the patrons went to care for her. Later that day, when the owner came back to check on everything, he was very disturbed to see people on his roof fixing a hole. However, laughter and singing filled the cafe and an Asian girl twirled around dancing as she took orders. He had never seen it this lively before. "Too bad you have to leave with the others" the man said to her. "No. Banshen lives here" she said. "Hmm. Would you like to...work here from now on?" he asked. "Yes, Banshen would" she replied smiling.

Keith stood behind the academy grounds going over in his head what to say. "Jitters?" Susan asked standing next to him. The giant and giantess looked out as the troops began to file in. "Naw. You know me. When it comes to oral my game is solid" he snickered. "I think eating my pussy is a bit different from giving an uplifting speech" she said. "Same rules apply. Don't try anything fancy, act from the heart, and leave them wanting more" he said grinning. Susan smiled and kissed his cheek. Minutes passed and finally all were assembled including Xiao.

"Just a few months ago, we were at war. Today, we have found a peace and civility hard won by both sides. Now, there is someone out there that would tear down what the blood of borrowers and Mogwai paid for. We assemble here today to show we will not let that come to pass! I know many of you out there sees this as a human problem, that it doesn't concern us, but it does. History has shown that when men and women dismiss this it eventually does become their problem. "They did not speak when they took her away. I did not speak when they took them away. And then nobody spoke for me when they took me away".  They told me you were a discipline problem. Where they see problem, I see potential. I rather have you then the best soldiers of your homeland as those spoiled sons of bitches doesn't know what it means to fight for dignity, for acceptance, to be judged by their character alone. For all of the people that have looked down on you! For every motherfucker that wrote you off because of what family you were born into! I will tell how to get your revenge on them. Success. Nothing is more fucking sweeter than rubbing your success in their tiny fucking faces. You say obedience brings victory and victory is life. There is more to life than simply winning a fight. It is conviction, triumph, and sacrifice. Nothing that is known by the people who call the 9th legion..."rejects".  My god I envy you. I envy you because you now see something that I take for granted. The courage to shape your own destiny."

"When you go out today, do not fight for mogwai, or borrower, or your homelands. Fight for the right to choose the way you live your lives! Fight...for the future!" Keith yelled saluting them all. Every one of them saluted back. "All senior officers are to report to the briefing room at 1800 for final instructions! Dismissed!" Keith yelled. Keith walked away followed by Susan. "Nice. I even got a little wet" Susan smirked. "They buy it?" he asked. Susan glanced back. She could see smiles on their faces. "Yep" she replied. "Good. Now for something a little harder. Time to see Aspen" he said. Keith returned to the mansion and walked to her room. Aspen laid in bed still shrunk staring off out of the window. Claire sat next to her quietly. "Afternoon beautiful" Keith said petting her head. She didn't move. "Hungry? Thirsty? Need anything?" he asked. "My size back" she muttered. "Can you promise me you won't hurt yourself?" he asked. She silently nodded. Claire unshrank her.

"I know you saw the news this morning. What's it now?" she asked. "More dead. The superpowers panicking" he replied. "Because of my baby" she muttered. "I don't think she knows what she did. This is a far cry from her rebellious streak" he said. "Does it truly matter" she asked looking at him. Keith sat on the bed. "To us yes. It means she's not beyond redeeming if it's true" he said kissing her hand. "And what then? What world would we have to come back to? I'd know what she did Keith" she said. "Yeah, I know" he muttered. "What do I do?" she asked sniffling. "Love her. Because the alternative will be so much worse" he said. "What do you mean?" Aspen asked. Keith didn’t have the courage to voice his fear. Aspen quietly cried. Keith placed her in his lap and noticed quickly she was naked. He held her from behind silently. He motioned for Claire to come over. Shrinking down to her normal size, Claire perched herself on her knee. "It's a difficult road ahead baby no doubt about that, and I won't be there for you. That little fairy perched on your knee is going to help you Through it. Help you like she helped you Through so many other things. Won't you little fairy?" Keith asked. Claire flittered into the air and used her magic to form gentle flame like wings. "Of course I will" she replied. Keith got off the bed. "I'll grab you something to eat" he said before leaving.

"He's so terrified. He was shaking the entire time" Aspen muttered. Keith returned with a sandwich, fruit, and a coffee. "Oh share!" Claire said flying down onto her plate. Keith sat there grinning watching them eat. "What's so amusing?" Aspen asked. Watching you and Claire eat. The peacefulness of it" he replied. His stomach grumbled. "Join us" Claire said. Keith shrank down and sat next to Claire. Keith ate for a moment before Claire hit him in the face with a bit of tomato. She snickered. "Oh, you're on" he grinned hitting her with a glop of mayo. Aspen giggled and then laughed ass the tiny duo had a food fight on her plate. Keith took off his clothes and wrestled Claire into the mayo-soaked bread. He pinned her just as he felt a giant tongue lick his back. Claire sat up and held him firm. "Get him" she growled. Giant lips clamped over his body and with a long suck, cleaned him. Keith turned around to see her smiling down on him. Picking him up, she dropped him underneath the sheets. "That's it. Make your way there" she cooed feeling crawl between her thighs.

Aspen sighed contently as she moved her hand down. She smiled as she pushed his shrunken body within her. "Don't think for a second I forgot about you" she said looking at Claire. Aspen licked and sucked the girl clean in her hand. "Play nice my little pet" Aspen said lowering Claire down and gently pushing her inside. Claire bumped into Keith almost immediately. "Funny meeting...you here" Keith laughed feeling her pushed into him. Claire took him by surprise by locking her leg around him and kissing him. With her free hand, she guided his cock into her. The sounds of small grunts, squeaks, and squelches came from her cunt as she fingered them deeper and deeper while the two fucked inside the giantess.

Aspen felt them moving faster and faster. Her finger went over Claire's back and came down pinning her to Keith. Aspen moaned deeply as she came. Her juices cascading over the mating borrowers inside her. Claire held him tight and felt him pulse his seed within her. Minutes later, they lay before Aspen panting and gasping. Aspen placed them on her tummy as she laid back on the bed. Nobody said anything for nearly an hour. Keith got up and cleaned himself off and returned to them. Claire had fallen asleep on her tummy. "I don't know how she can sleep like that" Aspen said looking at the tiny blonde sprawled out on her stomach. "It's a borrower thing. Our emotions can be all over the place sometimes. Happy about something one minute, the next sad. It can be very tiring. God she's cute" he said. "She farts in her sleep" Aspen said flatly. "Serious. You give her popcorn or French fries and her ass turns into a whistle" she said. Keith was cracking up laughing. "It's true. And when she tries to hide one dogs can only hear it" Aspen said. "Stop" Keith said chuckling. "But she's ours" Aspen said petting her. "Yeah. Damn. 2:00 already" he said. Aspen nodded to him. Keith left her sitting there with her thoughts.

He returned to his room where Lawan sat with the kids. He shrunk down to be with them and placed each on a knee. Lawan watched as he told them random stories. His fingers playing with their hair or brushing their tiny ears as he spoke. He would pause from time to time and just stare at them before continuing. It went on for hours until the babies fell asleep. The time was 5:45 and the sun was setting. The alignment would be in less than five hours. A maid came in to babysit the kids as the couple went to the briefing room. Keith sat quietly waiting for officers to show up. The house suddenly shook with thunder more fierce than last time. "Report" Keith said over a magical link. "No strikes this time but the whole damn sky lit up. Reports coming from America of people seeing the same thing. There's...something is up in Kansas City" Tommy replied. "What is it?" Keith asked. "Not sure. With satellites down, info is trickling in. Keep getting 500 error codes from websites. I'll try a web crawl...keyword crawl" he replied. "Keep me advised" Keith said as officers began to enter the room.

Keith waited a few minutes until everyone had arrived. "Good evening. Welcome to our last mission briefing. You know our target and our goal. However, our tactics have changed in light of the raising of the Mu continent. The good news is the battlefield won't be as cramped and we have more room to maneuver. The bad news is we no longer have coordinates needed to translocate safely" he said. "Then how do we get there?" Xiao asked. "By aircraft. Joseph said he can translocate if he has line of sight" Keith replied. "Keith, Mu is over 6 hours away. We won't make it in time" Susan said. "I know which is why we are going to translocate the entire aircraft right above Markus' head. At 15,000 ft., we won't have to airy about translocating into a wall or the ground itself. "You can do that right?" Keith asked Joseph. "Yeah. Tricky shit but I can. Thing is I'll have one good chance as it eats up a lot of magic moving that much mass. If I do it, that's that. No turning back" he replied. "How do we get hundreds of us onto a plane? We're small but not that small" Xiao asked. "You answered your own question. Small. We shrink our forces even smaller and carry them onto the plane" he replied. "Uh excuse me? How do we land?" someone asked. "We don't. We HALO jump" Keith replied. Murmurs abounded the room.

"Wouldn't we be vulnerable?" someone asked. "Which is why we are still deploying the boson bomb. It will be translocated two minutes before our drop zone. Once detonated, we will have a clear landing zone" he replied. They didn't look confident. "Susan and I will focus in eliminating ZODIAC. Claire will handle air superiority. Hikari will handle the higher-class mages. The rest of you are to engage at will. Work in teams. Use your numbers to offset their high magic skill level" he said. "And if any surrender?" Xiao asked. "We aren't taking prisoners. Make it bloody, make it painful" Keith answered coldly. "Sir. I have to ask. Why aren't we heading out now?" a young borrower asked. "As you know, the entire country is at a state of emergency that hasn't been this high since the Cuban Missile Crisis. That means Heathrow is under total lockdown. No civilian aircraft. We have agents busy right now shrinking tanker trucks and using some fuel from them to refuel the private jet. As you could imagine, that takes time and patience to avoid being spotted or someone noticing the missing petrol. They estimate they’ll be done around 2100 hrs. Then we take off and haul ass" he said. "Any other questions?" Susan asked. None said a word. "Then have all forces assemble in the front of the house no later than 2015 hrs. Dismissed" she said. "That's a crazy fucking plan Keith. They aren't just going to let us take off" Susan said. "Ask me how many fucks I give. We're still operating under Protocol Omega. We don't have time..." Keith was saying until a magical link cut in.

"Boss. You really should come down here. We got a problem" Tommy said. Keith and Susan made their way to Control. "What is it Tommy?" Keith asked. "A newspaper article from Kansas City Missouri. Top story" he said pulling it up on the screen. "Multiple fatalities sustained when a freak lightning storm struck a borrower appreciation celebration held at a local park. At 10:13 am local time, red lightning bolts began striking the ground. 6 people were confirmed dead at the scene" Keith said. "There's more. I found this too" Tommy said. "The autopsy reports?" Keith asked. "Leaked to the National Enquirer. It's weird as fuck even for them. This girl here died due to some kind of massive internal injury. When they cut her open, they found small skeletal bones lodged in her heart. Borrower bones. Bones that had the same DNA as her. Oh, it gets worse. The national borrower registry lists her. She’s a borrower Keith" he said. "What?! Says there her body is 5 foot 7 inches! Growth magic?" he asked. "Don't think so. Those tiny bones were fused to her heaty at the molecular level. Like they were phased and fused into her. And then there's the other body. "Jesus Tommy. Didn’t need to see that" he said looking at the mangled corpse.

"Two bodies. Same size, same build. One white the other African American" he said. "Fuck happened?" Susan asked. "DNA comparison came back almost identical. Except for a few genes that control melanin, it's the same person. And last but not least this poor fuck" Timmy said pulling up another page. Keith and Susan recoiled in horror. "Oh god the crotch" Susan said gagging. "Listed as female but after being struck by lightning, a penis appeared where her vagina is. She died by total cellular rejection. Somehow she ended up with both male and female chromosomes" he said. Keith was at a total loss. "One last thing. They put out a car fire at the scene. A bolt of lightning hit a sports car and then it went boom moments later. People said it looked as if it "glitched" he said. "Glitched? I saw with the tree outside" Keith said. Tommy zoomed in. "See anything wrong here?" he asked. "Ford Camaro? Ford doesn't make Camaros. Chevy does" Susan said. "So, where did this thing come from?" Tommy asked. Susan saw Keith narrow his eyes. "That look. You got that..."I have a theory look" Susan said. "Nothing concrete. We for other things we have to do anyway. Tommy, keep your ears open for the standard hot words. I want to make sure magic isn't involved" Keith said leaving the room.

Susan stopped him in the hallway. "Keith. What are you thinking?" she asked. "I don't want to frighten you" he said. "I might not see my daughter after today and this baby may die in my womb. I'm as frightened as I can get right now" she said. "I think the world really is ending. Actually, I should say worlds plural. We already know there's more than one as your evil twin is proof of that. I think our worlds are merging and this red lightning is a side effect. That tree. Rose said her mother thought of planting a cherry tree but decided on apple. Boom, it turns into a cherry tree and explodes. That Borrower girl we saw. Maybe one another world she was born human. The other girl was born black, that woman born a man. Ford decided on making their car Camaro instead of Mustang. And that lightning triggered a phase merge with their counterpart somewhere else. Separate matter can't exist in the same place and the same time" he said whispering. "But if our entire world merges..." she asked.

"Kaboom" Keith replied. "How do we stop it?" she asked. "Can we? Pelé said this is happening across all time and space. The event may occur a thousand years from now or ten thousand years ago. But with this alignment" he said. She nodded. "Keep this to yourself" he whispered in her ear.

Meanwhile...

"You did well" Markus said looking at the buildings seemingly in pristine order. "I heard the stories, but I never expected it to be so...advanced" she said catching her breath. "At its height, the capital was the crown jewel of the world. While filthy humans slept on frozen ground and hunted mastodon, we slept on 1000 thread count sheets and dined on delicacies. We were the apex species and with your help we will be again" he said. Hope looked around some more. "The bodies" she asked. "Father burned them all. That mountain region is actually a burial mound. "Thoughtful of him" she said. "Little too late to consider us. He could've helped end the war quickly and saved them all but chose to hide with his lowly human wife and kids. He paid for his cowardice" he sneered. Markus led her to the main structure that stood out from all the rest. "Behold, the Rainbow Palace. The seat of our knowledge and of the Etherion council" he said as they entered. Hope was amazed at it.  Ethereal lights turned on as they stepped foot inside. The very walls gleamed in prism colors from the Quartz Crystal used to make it.

The first floor had mosaics inlaid with jewels. The second books with gold pages. Markus showed one to her. "A simple geometry book. We knew the Pythagorean theorem before humans knew what a number was. And this one..." he said giving one to her. She was surprised how heavy it was. She opened it. The writing seemed to come alive. "Lemurian arcane. A kind of training tool for young children. By the age of five, Lemurian kids knew how to shrink or grow. We did not horde our knowledge. We made sure our people were educated. Because humans are our lessers, we did not debase ourselves into living on their terms. Something the outside world has forgotten" he said. Markus took her to the very top of the palace. In a half ring, 13 seats sat and in the very center on the floor was an empty throne. "What's that one for?" Hope asked. "In times past, the ceremonial seat for the Etherion prime. The first user among us. By birthright it is now yours. If you wish to sit on it, I ask only you honor tradition" he said. Hope walked closer. "Sit on it naked" he finished. Hope gave him a weird look. "It was said that when the Etherion Prime appeared before us, the people feared her power. As a gesture of trust, she took off her clothing and bared herself to show her vulnerability"

"She walked barefoot Through the street even though the stones cut her soles. She didn't heal herself as the shedding of her blood was a further gesture. When she came before the high Empress, she was challenged. The battle lasted only seconds ending with the Empress shrunk at her feet. Instead of crushing her, she showed mercy. Seeing one so powerful show her kindness, the Empress gave up this throne to her. And there she sat naked and ushered in the new age" Markus said finishing the story. Hope understood then and took off her clothing. She sat on the throne and found it was warm under her bare buttocks. "Stretch out your hand and feel it" he whispered in her ear. Uncertain of what he meant she did, and a wave of light pulsed Through the ancient capital. 150 ft. above, she could see the city's homes, Buildings, and marketplaces lit up. Like a sea of lights in the night. Markus wiped a tear away. "This city hasn't known light in 20,000 years. For that I thank you" he said bowing and kissing her big toe. Hope smiled at him as she pushed her toe into his mouth.

Markus didn’t object and the girl sighed contently as the man sucked her toes. Hope fidgeted where she sat when he stopped. Markus summoned his artifact the Eye of the World and chose a random place. He reached in and pulled someone out.

Xavier had been running for 15 minutes before stopping. People spoke of the end of the world but that didn't mean they would stop getting high. The mean street of Chicago still made a profit for him. Selling an ounce in the park, cops rolled up on him and he ran through every alleyway he could think of. He knew the ones to use as this was his turf. And as he caught his breath, he thought he was safe. The air suddenly stank of ozone and giant fingers plucked him away from his hiding place. He found himself in the hand of a giant man with white hair. His 19-year-old heart raced again. The giant carried him to a giantess which made the young man pause. She was younger than he but naked and beautiful. Xavier wondered if this was some dream. Hope saw him and tensed up. But after reading the mind of this offering, found him to be a detested thing. One must wonder if he was a decent person would Hope spare him. In any event, Hope spread her legs.

Xavier began to tremble as this felt to real to be a dream. He dreamt of many things including girls, but not giant ones and certainly never ones that smelled of pussy. The giantess tore off his clothing the second he was given to her and she smiled at him. Xavier looked into her pretty eyes and found himself getting hard. Would those massive lips suck him off? No, Hope reserved that for those she liked. The young man didn’t have time to cry out before she rammed him into her. Markus walked behind her and kissed her roughly as she moaned into his mouth. The new Queen raped the shrunken man roughly till she climaxed and felt a crack as her pussy clamped down. The giantess pulled him out panting. Xavier was very much dead. Arm broken, neck twisted, eyes frozen wide in death. Markus took the body from her hand and pushed it past her lips. With a grin she let it slide down her throat. Markus kissed her gently once more and stood by her side. "Soon, soon my queen the new order shall begin" he said.

Down below, Katherine stared at the awakened palace. In her right hand held a soul gem. "It’s pretty" Tracy said walking up to her. Katherine slipped the gem into her pocket. "Yes, I'll give it that...princess" she replied. "I'm no princess" the girl giggled. "I beg to differ. If Hope is to be our queen and your father marries her. Then it stands to reason you will be a princess" she replied. A red bolt of lightning filled the sky with light and thunder. "What is that?" Tracy asked. "Don't know. Neither does Markus. Could be a side effect of the alignment" Katherine replied. "Come Sagittarius, the time to take our place as the ZODIAC draws near" Aries said behind her. "I rather stay with Katherine" she said. "Go, we can talk later" she said. Tracy nodded and was led away by Aries, Taurus, and Libra. Pisces however stayed for a moment. "Is something on your mind?" Katherine asked looking at the Persian looking woman. "You concern me" she replied. "For what reason?" Katherine asked. "I can understand someone with so much hate and animosity. However, I can sense deceit in you as well" Pisces replied. "I haven't lied about a thing" Katherine scoffed. "My pendant artifact has the power to read and control emotions. Lie to yourself all you want but not me. Speak your heart or I shall speak to the master" she warned. Katherine's eyes lit up before grabbing Pisces by the throat. Pisces formed a dagger made of pure magic which was dropped when Katherine gripped her wrist. " I know all about your abilities of empathic hypnosis and synergy. Once understood, its fatal flaw becomes obvious. You're lucky there is still use for you" she said squeezing her windpipe. "Forget this and go away" Katherine said ramming a powerful mind control into her head. Pisces' eyes glazed over and Katherine released her. Pisces stood up and staggered away dazed. She sighed as she touched the soul gem in her pocket.

Susan was flipped onto her back and her ass was raised. She let out a squeak as Keith took her from behind. Her huffs of breathing increasing with the tempo of his thrusts. He lay on top of her now pinning her down. His hands holding hers as his face was buried in her sweet-smelling soft hair. With a grunt, he came inside her once more. Keith got off her and laid to her side catching his own breath. Both put their clothes on and left her room without a word. Susan paused to see Ruby sitting in her room staring at the clock holding one of the ruby shoes given to her for Christmas.  "I'll be down soon" she said to Keith.  Susan sat next to her and playfully bumped her. Out of nowhere, Ruby slapped an arcane down on the bed and activated it. Susan immediately shrank down where she sat. Ruby clutched her in her hand. "Ruby honey..." Susan said to the young giantess. Ruby cuddled her shrunken mother to her face and breathed her scent. Due to having sex multiple times just recently, it was more pronounced. Susan could smell her pheromones elevating.  Susan was annoyed that the girl pulled her clothing off just after getting dressed again but was more concerned about her daughter.

"I get it now. The shrinking me. Teasing you'd eat me. Rubbing me. Smelling me whenever you got the chance" Ruby said slipping her finger down to Susan's pussy. She rubbed it for a minute and then the juices clean. "To be so emotionally connected to someone. Every instinct on fire demanding to keep them safe. How do you do it mom?" she asked. "To leave? Self-sacrifice and I pray you never have to learn like I did" Susan replied. Susan moaned softly as the girl sucked her breasts. Her fresh milk coating the giant tongue. "I appreciate the intimacy but not like this. Not under these circumstances" Susan told her. "But Keith..."

"Is going to die" Susan said cutting her off. Ruby was shocked. "How do you know?" she asked. "He was told by his own wife who had a vision and she's never wrong. Everybody knows that. You've been cooped up in the house so you wouldn't know I guess" Susan replied. "And you?" Ruby asked softly. Susan shrugged. Ruby placed Susan on the bed and moved so now her feet was on the sheets with her knees tucked to her stomach. Susan walked over to her giant toes. The red nail polish had begun to wear off. Her feet were clean but not too clean Susan's enhanced sense of smell didn’t detect traces of sweat. Her anxiety had caused the giantess to break out in cold sweats but at least she wasn't breaking down this time. Susan found solace in that much. Her nails were neatly trimmed. Susan smiled as she remembered seeing her bare feet not long after coming to live with her. Her feet were dirty and unkempt. A habit her mother broke her of. Susan glanced at the clock. 7:03 pm. "Get the nail polish" she told her. Ruby came back with it and under instruction placed the brush to the side. Carefully, Susan coated her hands in paint and used them to paint her toes.  Minutes passed as the giantess watched her. Susan was on her third toe when Ruby spoke again.

"How did it feel to lose your parents? I mean really" she asked. "Nothing at first. I was in shock. Then later anger, resentment at the girl who took them from me...and God" Susan replied. "God?" Ruby asked. "Yeah, I was mad that if he existed then why did my mom get eaten and my dad taken from me" she replied. "But you're a Baptist bible thumper!" Ruby said. Susan chuckled as she wet her hands with paint and started the touch ups on the fourth toe. "Everyone has a moment when they lose faith. Either if be god, a friend, loved one, or yourself" she replied. "So how did you get back to being buddies with God?" Ruby asked. Again, Susan chuckled. "When Lily told me something very important. God isn't responsible for the bad things we do to each other. That's all on us. God is responsible for putting those we need in our path to help us get back up" she replied. "Like you with me?" Ruby asked. Susan nodded as she inspected the toenail. She wet her hands and went to her pinky toe.

"With that I began praying again every night before bed and I still do. Well, I did start praying around noontime when you entered my life" she said. Ruby looked puzzled. "God. Please have this girl wash her stinky feet. Make her clean her room. Don't fuck the first boy that smiles at her" Susan said. "Jesus. I have more sense than that!" Ruby huffed. "Oh. Let's put that to the test. Did you shave your pubes?" she asked. Ruby blushed and nodded. "Good. Boys aren't going to like going down on a tumbleweed. You're taking care of your feet better so there's that. If a boy likes you then ramble on about stupid shit. If he still listens, he's a keeper. If he respects you enough to wait until you're emotionally prepared for sex, hold onto him" she said finishing her nail and moving to her other foot. "Any boy can suck your toes, but a real man will look you in the eyes while he does it. Your first is precious. A real man will go slow and ease himself in. If he holds your hand and is worried, he's hurting you...marriage material. If he knocks you up and sees to your every need even in the middle of the fucking night. You choose wisely" Susan said to her. "Anything else?" Ruby asked. "A real man will sacrifice his needs for yours. It won't make you happy, but it will him" Susan said softly. She paused to wipe tears from her eyes with the side of her arms.

"Like Keith?" Ruby muttered. Susan paused as she finished her big toe. "Yes" she replied. "Figures. You are carrying his baby" Ruby said. "His daughter. I cheated and used clairvoyance to see the sex of the fetus" she said to the giantess losing up at her for a moment. Susan finished on her toes 10 minutes later. With reluctance, Ruby tore up the arcane and restored the size of her mother. Susan washed her hands clean in the adjacent bathroom. "Take out a pen and paper" she told her daughter as she got dressed again. "I want you to write down what your sister's name should be but don't show me" Susan said. Curious to the strange instructions, Ruby did. "Fold it and keep it to yourself. Now I have to come back alive so I'll know" Susan said to her. Ruby folded it and placed the note on her dresser. Susan went downstairs followed by Ruby. Susan was surprised to find not just Keith and her father but Joseph as well.

"So that patch of land you used to grow tomatoes?" Joseph asked. "At first the damn squirrels kept eating on it till I pissed all around it" Tim replied sipping beer. "And my car?" Joseph asked. "Purrs like a kitten. People ask if I want to sell it, but I refuse each time" he replied. Susan sat next to her father and held his hand. She listened to them telling old stories that even Tim had forgotten. Susan smiled as she heard another man remark on the early days of their lives together. "I still have that spell you gave me. Thankfully I've never had to use it" Tim said. "You mean that translocation spell?" Joseph asked. Tim nodded and finished his beer. Keith looked at his watch as it said 7:55. "Susan" Keith said pointing to his watch. Susan quietly nodded and went upstairs. All of them were silent not knowing what to say. Susan has returned wearing her full combat uniform and armor. She had not worn this much protection since the battle that summer.

Tim walked to her and placed his crucifix necklace around her neck. Susan remembered it from childhood as it was a very precious thing to him. "He will provide" he told her. Susan gripped it for a moment before hugging him. "Daddy..." she sobbed softly into his neck. Tim petted her hair. She saw his eyes red with tears welling up in them. Tim kissed her not in the standard human father/daughter way but strong, rough, his tongue in her mouth. He kissed her as a borrower would. Tim let go of her. "Mom?" Ruby said to her. Susan held her close, smelling her scent and holding her most intense feelings back. Susan kissed her and let it linger tasting her saliva. Her hand held her's. Her eyes going down her body and lingering around her perfect little toes. It took all her might to let go of her. Ruby's legs gave out and she fell to the floor. Susan went to get her until Ruby stopped her. Ruby stood back up on her own and nodded. Susan dared not look back as she walked Through the open door with Keith. "Everyone is assembling in the foyer. I'll be there soon. In the meantime, begin preparations for mass shrinking" he said softly as they entered the sunroom. Susan quietly nodded.

Lawan stood patiently waiting for him as he entered their bedroom. His combat uniform lay on the bed for him. She herself was naked. "Personal matters done?" she asked. He silently nodded. Keith took off all his clothing. Lawan noticed his semi erect cock. "With all the girls you telling goodbye, one would think you'd be as soft as pudding" she said. "I saved the last nut for you" he told her. "Oh, how you honor me" she smirked getting on her knees. Keith ran his fingers Through her soft black hair as she sucked him. As he became fully erect, she deep throated him. Keith wanted to hold off as this could be the last time, he came in one of her holes but Lawan was too skilled for that to work. He caressed her checks as they bulged with his load. Her loud gulps as she swallowed his seed, the wet lick of her mouth savoring his semen. Keith stood silently as she got up and began to dress him. Undershirt tucked into his boxers, pants, top uniform, and then socks. Then came the flexible carbon nanotube composite armor plates. Chest plate, knee pads, lightweight low-cut boots. He held off the sword holster that would carry Rune Glory. It was his wife's turn.

Lawan had shrunken down to her normal size to put her traditional armor on. She sat on the bed next to the set as Keith picked up a pair of tweezers. Obviously putting them on herself would be much faster but for personal reasons they agreed to this. Keith picked up her left sandal with his tweezers and positioned it carefully. With his fingers, he held her delicate ankle steady as he slipped her sandal on. Her toes wriggling to secure it. Then came the other. Keith kissed her tiny bare sole before slipping her sandal on. Next came her breastplate Keith was careful as her breasts were sometimes bloated with milk. "It's okay. I pumped earlier" she said quietly. Keith nodded and secured the plates. All that was really left was her battle skirt. Keith stared for a moment at her cute tiny pussy. "Do it. We're short on time" she said opening her legs. Keith lightly licked her for a minute or so until she yelled at him. "Stop dragging it out and eat me! FUCKIN' EAT ME!" she screamed shedding tears.

Keith allied his fingers under her bare ass to steady her as he sucked and slurped her pussy into his mouth. His little wife writhed and ground her ass on his fingers. With a squeak she came coating his tongue with her sweet juices. Keith took ahold of the tweezers once more after she nodded to him. Her battle skirt was latched and fitted. She summoned her glaive to her and hopped onto his shoulder. "They're waiting" she muttered wiping her eyes.

Susan was busy supervising the shrinking process. A group of 50 would step into an arcane and dwindle down to the size of insects before boarding a chest modeled after the one the Mogwai had brought with them. "You clean up nice" she said seeing him. "How's it going?" he asked seeing the clock say 8:08. "50% done. Thank god the Range Rover has the cargo capacity" she said. "Still we have to take your Jag for the rest of us" Elena said behind him. "You look...different" he said. "Feel different" she muttered helping a maid carry a chest. Keith kept his gaze on her. "She feels...off" he said to Susan. "Understandable given the circumstances" she said. "I myself am eager to fight" Hikari said adjusting her geta sandals. "We all are" Lawan said to her. Keith felt a tug on his arm. He turned to see it was Aspen and Claire. Claire kissed her wife and flew outside. "Don't you look so high and mighty drowned rat" she snickered. Keith blushed. "You called me that for a week when I first moved in with you" he said. "Go to the sunroom" she said. Keith nodded and left.

At the glass, he could see thousands of borrowers on the streets holding prayer candles. The city itself dark except for them. Keith knew it could be the last time he saw any of them. Then he heard crying at his foot. Keith bent down to find a love child crying as her candle lay on the street. "It...it went out" she sobbed.  The girl couldn't be any older than 7-year-old. Keith plucked her and the miniscule candle up and brought them his face. She looked so upset. "Place it back in your hands" he said. She did. Keith brought her to his lips and kissed her face. Then he whispered something. Her candle flickered back to life. Oberon would usually admonish him when he tries to force magic from himself such as it was dangerous but not this time. A very tiny bit of life force he used to relight the candle he figured was well spent. If he couldn't inspire hope in an inch-tall girl, then how could he for an entire race? Keith placed her back on the street and raised his hand. He gave them a long wave and then retreated back into the sunroom. His hearing could pick up crying of hundreds, but he could not tally. The clock was always ticking.

"It's done. We can leave now" Susan said. Keith nodded and followed her outside. Maids and servants lined both sides of the walkway to the driveway. Different sizes and bowed. Some were crying but were silent. And at the end was Rose and Alyssa. Rose hugged him sniffling. "Youve been like a dad to me this last few months" she said. Keith smiled at her before kissing her forehead. She didn't want to let go. Keith took her hand off him and placed it in Alyssa's. He looked at the teary-eyed black girl. "Keep doing what you're doing" he said simply. Both cars fully loaded, Keith got behind the wheel of the Rover and Susan the Jag. They pulled off and hurried to the M1 exchange.

Joseph, sitting passenger with Keith kept looking around. "Nervous?" Keith asked. "No" he replied. "Really? You keep looking around" Keith said. "It feels like someone is calling for me" he said. Keith looked concerned. "Not Markus. It's very faint like a whisper. Nevermind. With the airport on lockdown, you do realize it won't be easy even getting to your plane" he said. "I'm aware of that. We're operating under Protocol Omega rules right now. That means gloves off to finish our mission" he said. Joseph didn't object. Especially when both of them noticed the sky turning red. Keith and the others got close to the entry for private aircraft and sure enough a small group of soldiers guarded it. "Keith. What's the plan?" Susan asked. "Hypnosis won’t fool the cameras and they'll just send for reinforcements. Joseph, can you shrink us all down so we can drive past them?" Keith asked. "Yes, but I won't be able to translocate immediately after taking off" he warned. "We'll burn that bridge when we get to it. Susan get close" Keith said.

Both cars pulled parallel of one another before Joseph began. It was a strange feeling seeing the ground move up and seemingly swell as they shrank. By the time they were done, the cars were the size of small toys. Wisely, they turned off their headlights. They took the sidewalk. The cars groaning as they ascended the handicap ramp like a small mountain. Keith gunned it as it became level again. "Fuck!" he yelled swerving to avoid crashing into a water bug that scurried past them. The insect was bigger than the SUV itself. Susan and Keith kept their head on a swivel at the giants not far away. Thankfully, their eyes were on the reddened skies. A distance of 35 feet took five minutes to traverse. They were behind schedule. They had cleared the checkpoint and joseph unshrank them. The first hurdle cleared but by no means were they home free. The cars pulled into the hangar and they all hopped out. Hikari, Elena, and Lawan watched silently as the others hurried to load the plane. 10 minutes later it was done. "It's fully fueled and serviced boss" one agent said to him. "Then you're hereby relieved of duty. Use the proper routes to return" Keith said. "But, were soldiers too" the other said. "I know but I need you back home right now. Too many eggs in one basket as it is" Keith said. "That's an order soldiers" Susan said to them. Both hung their heads and nodded. They looked at Keith and Susan and saluted. They ran off leaving them shortly after.

Keith sat in the pilot seat while Susan took copilot. "Normally We'd do a checklist but uhh...fuck that" Susan said starting the engines. "Good evening. This is your captain speaking. We will be flying nonstop from London Heathrow airport to the Mu Continent. I ask you to buckle up and keep the tray tables in their upright and lock position as we taxi and takeoff. Seriously, the RAF is likely to try breaking a foot off in our collective asses" Keith said over the intercom. Keith throttled up slightly and hit the rudders steading the jet onto the nearest runway. Immediately, a spotlight was shown on them. "They're demanding for us to power down and return to our hanger" Susan said listening on the radio. Keith chuckled. As he steered onto runway Three. A dispatch of Humvees was rapidly approaching. "Now or never" she said looking at the rpm gauges. "Ready Goose?" Keith grinned. "Right with you Maverick" Susan chuckled. Both touched the throttles and punched it. The jet lurched forward and gained speed. Lightning in the far distance lit the sky. The jet creaked as Keith yanked back on the yoke having it take to the air. The ascent was at a steep angle as Keith raced for good altitude for Joseph to begin.

"Joseph were at 5,000 ft. Is this good enough?" Keith asked. "Good on your end. I need five more minutes to begin" he replied sitting on the floor. "We got company" Susan said looking at the radar. She used her clairvoyance to see what was chasing them. "Two F-15 Strike Eagles. Fully loaded" she said. "Last time this happened Hope shrank them. Not getting that lucky again" Keith muttered climbing into a cloud. "They're demanding we return or else" she said. Keith ignored them. Four minutes passed. Warning lights went off. "Dammit. Ice buildup" he said lowering altitude. "They're falling back for a shot" she said. Lightning began to arc across the sky fiercely. Naturally, Keith turned to avoid the worst. "I'm done charging. Keep it steady. Remember what I said about one shot" Joseph said. A white point of light formed ahead. "Missiles! Igniting oxygen. Channeling. Lemurian Fire spell level one. Ignite" she chanted.  A bolt of fire appeared behind them and the sidewinder missiles locked onto it. Susan led them away but the shudder from detonation told them they had missed by not much. "They're falling further away!" she said. The portal was getting closer and growing in size. "They're going for a radar lock. Fire spells won't save us from that. "Then I have no choice" Susan said powering up slightly. Red lightning intensified as she focused. "Channeling ions. Static electric bias. Leader ready. Lemurian Lightning spell level two. Sky..." she was saying and then two heavy booms behind them. "You had no choice" Keith said. "Wasn't me. That red lightning struck them both making them explode. Keith...I could see them and for a split second after they were hit...I saw the Nazi swastika on their tails" she said.

"Adds to my theory. Joe, I don't mean to rush but we're very close and it ain't big enough!" Keith yelled. He throttled back but with that momentum it only bought him seconds. Elena went to cross herself before she figured the old gods were watching her. Lawan held her breath. Susan clutched her cross. Hikari remained stoic. Claire prepared for the worst. The jet crossed the portal with barely two feet of clearance on each wing. Instantly, they were transported thousands of miles away. Keith looked at the instruments. 435 knots at 3,000 ft. "My god Keith. Look below" Susan muttered. Both of them could see the lights of the capital below as they crossed over the western perimeter of it. Keith nosed the jet down and then put it on autopilot as it reached 275 knots and 2,000 ft. slow and low enough to begin. "Joe I need a translocation. I know you're hurting buddy" he said. Joseph concentrated. "Tens of thousands there. I can feel the strongest concentration at the palace. Damn, they got a barrier up" he said. "Then target the biggest group of mages" Keith said priming the bomb. Everyone heard the whine from it as built up charge dumped into the emitters. "Got it" Joseph said opening a portal inside the cockpit. Keith hit the detonator final failsafe and pushed it Through. "Some people don't know when to...hell is that?" Markus muttered seeing a red point of light fall from the jet from the observation terrace of the council room. "Destroy it!" he commanded those below. A torrent of lightning struck it to no effect. Keith had wisely coated it with thin iron plating hence its heavy weight. The lightning charge did nothing as it was electrically conducted around the mass. Then it detonated. 150 ft. above the ground, the fully charged emitters released a massive burst of specific boson particle radiation. Strong enough that the come shaped bomb hovered briefly in the air due to magnetic repulsion. Below, anyone in its range was bombarded by the payload and began shrinking. It was so rapid, they couldn't breathe. No screams or even gasps. It took all of five seconds before the bomb fell to the ground squashing some ant sized mages unlucky enough to be underneath. Of course they tried to grow themselves but quickly found that none could sustain the energy required to. Even the best of them caught could manage borrower size before it failed. Markus knew full well who was responsible. "Your father has pestered me for the last time!" Markus yelled at Hope.

Hope was astonished her father had come for just a moment...until she remembered what kind of man he was. Markus engaged the Eye and made a portal above the craft. "Everyone out!" Keith said after opening the emergency door. Keith and Susan quickly tossed the chests full of soldiers out. "Away with you" Markus hissed as he put his hand Through. He reached for the jet. "Markus no!" Hope yelled yanking on him. His hand barely missed the jet. Markus pushed her aside. "You would throw away the future of this entire world for one man?!" Markus yelled. Hope said nothing and stared at him as he readied his grasp again. "Time to go!" Keith said grabbing Susan and jumping just as a giant hand scooped the jet right out of the air. Markus held onto the shrunken jet which was no larger than an inch now until he crushed it. A pop and puff of smoke from his curled fingers followed by a trickle of blood. "Daddy" Hope muttered. "Susan! Claire! Wind spells!" Keith yelled as they free fell. A gust of wind rose up slowing their descent until they landed safely. "Can't believe that worked!" Elena said getting to her feet. "Pop the chests guys. I sense company” ‘Keith muttered.

They feverishly got everyone out as human sized footsteps approached. "Sound the alarm!" someone shouted. Claire used fire magic to burn them where they stood. Four down, many more to go. "Keith. More are coming. A lot more" Susan said feeling the street. "Cancel the shrinking spell. Elena get these vocal cords going. I want snipers on those rooftops. MOVE IT PEOPLE!" Keith yelled summoning his sword. People were in place as dozens of mages intercepted them. "Let's see what these upgrades can really do" Elena said standing on a loner rooftop looking down.

"I don't know what you had in mind, but here we stand on opposing sides. Let's go to war. LET'S GO TO WAR! Everything you say, everything you do. You push it in and you cut me down...and you cut me down. War, war, war...screaming at the ones we love! Like we forgot who we can trust! Screaming at the top of our lungs...*

(Authors note: the song she's singing is "Go to War" by the band Nothing More)

Elena was astonished immediately. Drums, guitars, everything needed but it was just her there. Her mind had brought visualization to her song in a way only the truly gifted singer could. And as her voice carried over the wind, the fortification spell did as well. Keith and Susan looked up at her dumbfounded at how potent the song spell was. "Amazing. Easily four times as strong..."

"Focus!" Susan yelled. The enemy mages smirked at the small soldiers on the street before firing magics. Susan easily shielded them. They were smirking anymore.  "Light brigade! Fire!" she commanded. The light brigade, wearing sunglasses even at night, let lose their specialty, light attack magic. Beams of light like potent lasers literally cut down the enemy. The brigade fell back letting the next ones ready attacks. Intense lightning magic bombarded Susan's shield making her stagger. "Ice brigade! Fire!" she yelled. A torrent of razor-sharp shards of ice slit their throats. "Fall back. Fall back and regroup!" one shouted. Claire took to the air and burned them. "How many was that?" Keith asked. "19 but they were weak. The lowest he had I'm betting. He'll send stronger ones and they won't underestimate us. We have to press!" Susan said. "Agreed! Everyone has their assignments. Lawan 697 and Xiao are in command here. Stay safe" he told her. Lawan nodded before kissing him. "Need a lift?" Claire asked Hikari. "I can manage on my own" she replied. She slapped the driver onto her waist and it automatically fit.

"Yokai driver on" it said. Hikari drew a kanji on the transformation plate. "Yokai change. Form...tengu. Spread your wings and prepare for a force!" it said in Japanese. Hikari transformed before her. Growing to human size, she sprouted black crow-like wings on her back. Her clothes morphed. She wore a green kimono with black pants. Bindings on her calves and geta sandals on her feet. In her hand was a shokujo (Japanese Buddhist staff). She flapped her wings hard and rose into the air. "Don't just stand there. Grow and follow me" Hikari told her. Claire grinned and grew to human size. The two raced off. Susan took off on her own moments later. Her eye on Keith as he raced to the palace.

"UNBELIEVEABLE! Stay here and don't come out!" Markus shouted at Hope sensing some of his followers dying. He left the room and closed the door behind him. He made his way to the ground floor where he found the ZODIAC. "To me my zodiac. There are some fools that don't know when to die" he hissed. They followed him outside beyond the barrier. "Aries. Begin empowering our people. Taurus rout their advance, Libra. Intercept Susan and Claire. Pisces take point with Taurus" he commanded. "What about me?" Tracy asked. "You stay here with Katherine. I'm trusting you to guard her" he said looking at Katherine who was now walking up to them. "By your command" she smirked. "My mages! Destroy the invaders!" Markus commanded over a magical link. Aries began first. She invoked the power of her artifact and brought it to her lips. She kissed it as her eyes glowed. A glow of magic settled in her throat before she opened her lips. Aries began singing...

Elena felt it. Faint but it was there. She almost faltered in amazement. "There's someone else here like me?!" she thought. A door slammed open behind her and she turned to look. Mages. Elena turned her voice on them as they readied to attack. With barely any effort, she shrank them to the size of insects. She walked over and raised her foot over the fleeing enemies and slammed it down. The smallest of crunches under her sandal. Elena paused. "The hell?" she asked realizing she had not worn sandals when she left the mansion. She checked her clothing only to find it had drastically changed. It was that if an Alux priestess of long ago. Light yellow top coming just below her breasts leaving them exposed. A short yellow skirt and a gold inlay headdress in her hair. Her power has brought her closer to her gods for sure. The soldiers below had advanced far enough she had to keep moving. She found her footsteps light as she seemingly danced on ethereal magic vapors in the air. Her music given visual form. But as she advanced, she could feel the enemy much clearer. And as soon as her song reached it, it got really complicated.

"Keith, we have a problem. You never told me they had an Alux among them" she told him Through a link. "Wha? Elena hold on" Keith said slashing down a soldier. With a burst of speed, he cut down those that surrounded him. "Alux? You certain?" he asked. "Yes. Her power is...augmented like mixing two harmonies. I... aww shit. It's Celine Cruz! Your goddamn Aries is fucking Celine Cruz!" she yelled. "Pardon but I don't follow singers" he said shaking blood off his sword. "Two-time Grammy winner? Platinum album? She was my inspiration Keith. I knew she was Hispanic on her dad's side but never I thought she had Alux blood. She...she's better than me. I can feel her song chipping away at mine" she muttered. "That explains why it feels like they're getting stronger. Elena you can't give in. This is it baby. The diva song battle of the century" Keith said. Elena was silent for a moment. "Yeah. Fuck her" Elena hissed before inhaling. She began singing again and louder this time. Aries felt her power. "As if she could win" she mocked turning her attention to Elena. 

Xiao had linked up her forces with Lawan. It had been a bloody fight getting this far. It was clear that the C class mages were cannon fodder meant to exhaust them and it was working. As they regrouped, B class mages appeared and torched the small soldiers before them. Lawan was saving her energy but was forced to grow to human size. She twirled her glaive parrying magic attacks and began slicing them down. A powerful blast of lightning sent her crashing Through a wall. "Perish" the woman said concentrating her power. A loud explosion obliterated the dwelling Lawan had crashed into. The woman turned her attention on the borrowers and Mogwai at her feet as an invisible force held them where they stood. The giantess took amusement crushing them one by one under her feet as they attacked with magic she easily deflected. Then the odd sound of a heavy metal object being moved. The woman turned just as Lawan skewered her. "How..." she muttered before Lawan lifted her off her feet and tossed her well aside. With cold precision, Lawan shot her with lightning finishing her off. Lawan looked at her forces. She barely had half left from when she started. 120 now down of 65 at most. Then Xiao appeared. "That's all?" Lawan asked seeing her team. "Yes" Xiao solemnly replied covered in blood standing human size as well.

Suddenly, both sensed danger from above. Lawan grabbed Xiao and ran. A giant palm flattened the entire city block and everyone on the street. "Hmm..." Markus said looking at his hand after pulling it back Through the portal. Very tiny specks of blood coated it. He went for another target but held off. The time was 9:51. His energy was needed for something else. Lawan pulled Xiao from their hiding place. Meanwhile, Claire had found Taurus...

Claire had been air striking enemies along her path after separating from Hikari who went to help friends surrounded by human size mages. She didn't keep a tally on kills but how strong her fire blasts were it was easily over 150 by this point. She was burning down entire city blocks as she streaked overhead. And then she felt it, a burst of magic and then a gaping hole where she was keeping track of friendly soldiers so not to commit friendly fire. Her sight caught an ethereal thing on the ground looking at her. Claire swooped down and saw it some kind of magical beast man carrying a club. At his feet were pulverized borrowers. She went to strike it only to find it suddenly disappear. A few feet ahead were a young woman holding a borrower in her hand.

"Your kind did well to get this far. Well indeed" she said admiring the struggling Borrower pinched between her fingers. Cruelly, she shoved him into her mouth and chewed him up alive. She swallowed and then spat out a torn uniform and boot. "A species should know when to go extinct. Seriously, what can your kind even say about a world that is engineered to exterminate you? You're a mistake and we are the eraser" she said coldly to Claire. Claire growled and attacked her with a literally burning fist. "Scutum" Taurus said. The constellations of the Shield formed to deflect her attack. Claire howled punching it over and over and it began to crack. A magic force punched her back. "Sagittarius" Taurus said and the centaur constellation took shape. It let lose rapid arrow shots, one piercing Claire in the arm. The anger and pain made her lash out violently shattering the form. Taurus recoiled. "Enough games!" she yelled. "Chains of Cassiopeia!" she yelled. Strong heavy chains bound Claire by her arms and ankles where she stood. She couldn't move. Taurus summoned Orion back although having two constructs put a strain on her. Claire watched as the young woman seemingly merged herself with it making it some kind of armor.

A punishing blow to her stomach made Claire heave. She felt her ribs crack. Another blow and she coughed blood. A normal person would be dead by now, even a magically enhanced one, yet Claire still stood. Taurus punched her in the face breaking her nose. Another knocked out two teeth. Taurus grabbed her chin. "Beg and I'll end it" she whispered. Claire spat blood in her eye. The woman angrily wiped it away. "Just for that, I'll make it so much worse" she hissed. She tore down Claire's pants and panties. Claire trembled in fear as the woman unleashed the ethereal cock of her construct. Clair screamed in pain as Taurus thrust it up her pussy. "Fuck you borrowers are tight!" she groaned as she rammed it harder and faster. Since her constructs were tied to her sensation (hence the recoil if one was destroyed), Taurus felt it like she was a man raping a woman. The pain, fear, stark terror made Claire's power wane. "I should have Libra turn you into a slave. Every night we can do this with you lying at my feet bleeding out of your cunt begging for more" she chuckled.

"You won't have to worry about nothing else except sex. Painful, ripping, bloody sex. No Keith, no weak human Aspen, no baby" she whispered in her ear. Those words pushed every fear out of her heart. Losing them was far worse than being raped, beaten, or dying by the hand of this psychopath. It was then that Claire "turned off" her mental circuit breakers that held back her power. Taurus felt it before she saw it. It felt like she was literally fucking a bolt of lightning. She let out a scream and was blown back. Orion shattered around her. Claire strained at the chains binding her until one by one they snapped causing more feedback. Her eyes burned like lit coals. The air grew hot and the street under her feet began to melt. Taurus summoned Sagittarius again to fire arrows at her. To her horror, Claire caught them with her hands tossing them aside as she walked closer. "Scu...Scutum!" she stammered summoning a shield. Claire punched it shattering it throwing the woman hard into a thin wall. The force causes it to collapse. Dazed, Taurus opened her eyes again only to find a glowing giantess before her. "You want my pussy so badly. Come and get it!" she screamed slamming the shrunken Taurus up her wounded snatch. The woman screeched as searing hot blood coated her body. Claire held her there for a few moments before pulling her back out. She didn't want her to die that way. "Mer... mercy" the woman begged with third degree burns on her face and chest. "The same amount you showed me" Claire hissed as she brought her to her mouth. Taurus screeched as giant teeth came down on the upper part of her body and then severed her in half. Claire tossed her lower half onto the street and crushed it. Astonishingly, Taurus still clung to life before Claire spat her torso out. "Please...ple..." she coughed. With barely a thought, Claire reduced her to ashes. Fiery wings came from her back, not the same cute glowing ones that usually did but burning angelic ones, as she took to the air. The enemy under Taurus' command was not far and totally exposed. Summoning all her vengeance, Claire brought down hell in the form of fiery feathers, hitting the ground and causing an explosion EVERYONE could see and feel.

"Sweet Jesus that was Claire! Claire! Are you alright?!" Keith asked over a link. "Stop shouting. I'm fine. Taurus is dead as well as her contingent" Claire replied softly. Keith could see a burning light in the distance. "...I see. Everyone sound off. Sit rep" he said. "Lawan and Xiao here. Markus attacked us directly. We survived due to Lawan pulling us into a sewer manhole, but our teams are gone. Elena here. Killed some of my own and continuing to advance with the remaining forces. Susan here. Locked onto Libra. Kill count is about 190. Hikari here standby" she said.

Hikari stuck down one after another until a shard of ice pierced her back. The mages laughed at her until her body popped and only black feathers remained. Another saw her a few feet away and did the same thing. Same effect. Fire this time and just burnt feathers. "Something wrong? Didn't you know that the tengu taught ninjutsu to the first humans to use it?" she chuckled. Her illusion popped. They panicked and looked around.  "Up here boys" she said to them hovering 50 feet in the air.  Hikari pushed the center of her driver. "Tengu maximum burst!" it said. Hikari raised her bloody staff above her head summoning a wind vortex. It sucked dozens if not a hundred enemy mages into the air which itself grew damp. A cascade of lighting erupted with collective screaming. Hikari watched silently as electrocute bodies fell like rain. The philosopher stone went dead. The second one leaving just Thee now. "Hikari here. Body count is about 160. Going to back up Susan" she said.

"NEGATIVE! None of you are to engage her! That artifact can make you kill yourself or worse. Only those she doesn't know their names should attack" he said. "Like you?" Susan asked. "No. I got my own problems. I'm in range of Markus" he said. "Keith were running out of time. It's 10:04. We got ten minutes left" Lawan said. "Not to mention our losses. I estimate we have taken out half their forces, but they can claim the same. Trading blows isn't going to work. Not to mention they have not fielded the Susan counterpart. They're buying time we don't have with bodies we can't afford" Xiao said. "Agreed. Attention all forces. Focus your magic on speed and stealth. Your goal is to meet up at the palace" he said.

Susan broke away heading to the palace. Elena was now very close to Aries and Hikari decided on her next form. She drew the kanji and activated it. "Yokai change. Form kitsune. When the nine tails burn, darkness fades" it said. Hikari changed. Nine fluffy fox tails sprout from behind. She wore only a lose red cloth around her body exposing her breasts and crotch. Her hair turned silver. Her feet were bare and her toenails as well as fingernails grew long and sharp like claws. Her eyes glowed blue and one by one blue spirit flames burned on the tip of her tails. She found herself suddenly surrounded. "As my lover indicated. We do not have time for you anymore. Madness consumes you" she muttered snapping her fingers. The mages screamed clutching their heads and began to attack one another. Hikari ran forward and jumped into the air. Jumping to one and then another rooftop. She hurried along her way.

Elena was doing her best, but Aries was too much for her it seemed. Elena put the pressure in her so much her song took the shape of a large winged serpent. Quetzalcoatl in spirit form. Aries cringed at the sight of it knowing full well what it represented but she didn't relent for a moment. Even as her artifact trembled as the sheer stress of the spellcasting. Her attack spells were dissipated barely after they left her lips. Elena knew she was going to lose. She thought of her son, Keith, her mother. Her mother...

"Mama? I want to be a singer" the 8-year-old Elena said to her mother. "Hmm. Latina singers are in fashion now but remember what you are dear. It is a slippery slope you're asking" her mother replied. "I don't like shrinking humans. I like them" she said. "That is what the gods gifted us Through song. And other things..." her mother muttered. "I just want to make people happy by singing like you" Elena whined. Her mother sat down with her tiny child in her palm. She wiped the sweat and dirt from her brow tired after checking the fences that gave protection to the little villagers. "Then you know what the secret is to make them happy with song?" she asked. Elena shook her head. "It is not how well you sing, it is moving their hearts. Even the clumsiest song can move a heart if it is sung with sincerity" her mother replied. Elena remembered her mother's advice given a decade ago. She stopped singing and Aries' melody threatened to crush her where she knelt. But she could faintly hear it. That one note in a dozen slightly off balance. A note heavy with sadness. Elena gambled that Aries had a hidden pain and if she did...

"Merrily we fall out of line, out of line. I'd fall anywhere with you, I'm by your side. Swinging in the rain, humming melodies. We're not going anywhere until we freeze...I'm not afraid, anymore...I'm not afraid..."

(Authors note: The song is I Wouldn’t Mind by He is We)

Elena's song was soft enough to slip Through her defenses and gain access to her mind. An expert at hypnosis and control, Elena immediately saw her mind had been altered. She sensed part of it walled away. Hidden from surface memory. Suppressed. An Achilles heel she could use. Elena forced the memory out into the open. Elena saw it and her heart dropped. Aries' real name was Alicia Matherson. She lived in Corpus Christi Texas with her parents. It began when she was 16. She found that when people heard her sing, they entered a trace state. It amused her. Then one day she sang at a talent show at her high school and won. That night she and her boyfriend attended a party and made love. Everything seemed to be perfect for her until Markus showed up at her door two days later. Her winning the talent show had made papers and had attracted his attention. When a YouTube video of the show emerged, Markus confirmed she was not entirely human by the dazed look of the audience. He creeped her out and terrified her by barging into her home. Her parents were frozen in place by an odd force and then he demanded she speak a strange word. When she did, her artifact appeared confirming she was Aries, his lost zodiac reborn. He demanded she come with him and when she refused, dragged her by force. Alicia grabbed an iron fireplace poker and smacked him with it.  

The cold iron was enough to slip Through his meager magic defenses making him let go and lose his hold on her parents. When they attacked, Markus snapped their necks. Horrified, she ran. Markus sighed and stepped out of the house. He looked at it for a moment before setting it ablaze. Alicia ran as hard as she could and ran to the closest haven she knew. Her boyfriend's. Markus easily caught up to her and kicked the door in. The boyfriend shot him in the heart. Markus staggered for a second before laughing. Desperate, she sang at him and Markus shook off her attack putting his hand over her mouth and motioning her for to be quiet. The boyfriend shot him again emptying the mag until it clicked. With a gesture, he shrank the 16-year-old boy and crushed him under his shoe. Alicia fainted.

"Forever is a long time. But I wouldn't mind spending it by your side"

Aries singing waned. A tear fell from her eyes. Elena was getting through, but she wasn't safe yet.

"Carefully we'll place our destiny. You came and you took my heart and set it free. Every word you write or sing is so warm to me. I'm torn, I'm torn to be right with you. I'm not afraid anymore, I'm not afraid"

Alicia awoke in a cage in a dark room. A basin of water and food near her. A cloth and an empty pot near that. And then a light as a door opened. A light switch clicked on. She screamed as she saw Markus again yet this time a full-fledged giant. He told her what she was, that magic existed, and her function. He told her to serve as his Aries. She told him unceremoniously to fuck off. Markus didn’t take kindly to that. He told her to pledge loyalty or suffer. When she gave him the finger, Markus took the shrunken teenager out of her cage and painfully broke her legs with his fingers. He left her in agony for an entire day before healing her wounds. Every day for a week he tortured her. Crushing her tiny feet between his fingers, pulling on her arms till they dislocated, even placed a lab rat in her cage so it could rape her. Alicia had not given in as she had hope someone would be looking for her. Markus crushed that hope as he took the cage out of the room. Not only had she found out that they had been in a hotel the entire time in her own town, they were indeed looking for her. With her parents and her house bundled to ashes and her and her boyfriend missing, the police figured it was a twisted Romeo and Juliet affair and had warrants for them. Her life was over.

Markus changed his tactics and raped her himself. Sucking on her tiny pussy, jerking her up and down his cock, telling her it would be worse and worse as the days went by. And on the 10 day of captivity, she finally broke. She swore loyalty to him. O appease her new master, she let herself be used as a sex toy. Using her small feet to jerk his giant cock, literally bathing in his semen. Laughing as she took some and rammed it in her pussy. She giggled as he slipped her entire body into his mouth and sucked on her. Once satisfied, he unshrank her, cleaned her up, and took him to his home. From there he told her what her existence would be from now on. Aries of the ZODIAC and the other Celine Cruz. He even had a fake family for her to live with for the next two years. Her appearance was altered so nobody could see she was a wanted girl and had not seen her true face going on 6 years by this point. Elena had dragged the suppressed memories into the forefront. Aries stopped singing and collapsed in front of her. Elena stopped as well not finishing her song. "You poor girl. You never had a choice" Elena said. Aries screamed in mental anguish and sobbed. "How...how could I forget?! Why?" she asked herself. Elena walked over to her. Alicia saw the stained blood on her sandals and scurried back. "It's okay. Nobody is going to hurt you ever again" Elena said holding her hand out. Alicia hesitated until Elena took it and squeezed. "All that he did to me...why did I break?" she sobbed. "It's called Stockholm Syndrome. Your mind was so beaten it took an escape to save you. It's not your fault" Elena replied softly. Alicia sobbed into her chest.

"I destroyed so many lives. Oh god what have I done" she said. "You want to fix it? Change it? Then help me make it right. Help me end this lunatic and his schemes" Elena said. "How?" Alicia asked. Elena whispered into her ear. "I... I don't have the right anymore" she said. "I was once just as you until I was freed. You can but you must be brave enough to take that stand" Elena said. Alicia stood up. "...okay" she muttered. The two divas began a duet...

Meanwhile, Hikari had her hands full with Pisces. She thought her luck was getting better running into a team of Mogwai and leading them to the palace. Her foxfire illusions teamed with claws, made mincemeat of enemies. Then they came across a team of A class mages brimming with power. Way too much power. Their attacks were five times the norm making the koonago stagger. Her defenses withered as she split her focus between healing, barriers, and attacks. Draining her energy faster than she wanted. With a burst of transformation magic, she shrank them where they stood and began crushing them as the survivor Mogwai did their best to help. It unnerved her how they threw themselves at her not caring for their lives. No hesitation to die. Her fox like instincts snapping one up and eating him. Not even a whimper. And when they were dead, their leader was left in the open. Pisces. Her artifact, the clamshell of Venus took ahold of their emotions and bent them to her will. Anger turned to love and devotion and she sicced them on Hikari. She herself fighting off the empathic attack.

Hikari was at a total loss as her comrades swarmed her and attacked at point blank range. Swords slashing her giant bare soles, fire magic burning her hair, ice magic frostbiting her fingertips. They were dismantling her as the zodiac laughed. She grabbed one in anger and felt her heart sway. Her eyes on Pisces. She felt love for her. She desired to suck her toes. To clean her pussy with her tongue. She wanted to shrink down...and she did.

Around that moment, Joseph had grown highly curious as to who was calling to him. "I really don't have time for this but..." he muttered opening a translocation portal to where this person was. He stepped Through. "Thank god! I need you to take me to where they're at" the person said. "From what I heard you have no combat experience" he said. "Please. I can't just sit around. Look at me and tell me I won't be useful" the person said to him. "...alright. Just take my hand" he said. He took ahold of her hand and led her back to the fight.

Hikari didn't fight her as she pulled off the very little clothing she had on. She seemed to delight in stroking her tails. "You love me enough to feed yourself to me, don't you?" Pisces asked. "Yes...mistress" Hikari said hypnotized by her artifact. Hikari climbed into her open mouth an scooted her naked body back towards her throat. Her hands and bare feet inching her to the one-way trip to her stomach. Pisces felt her touch the back of her Throat and with a sadistic grin swallowed her. Hikari landed with a splash in her stomach. Her fox fire lighting the darkness inside. The half-digested corpses of friend and foe alike in her tummy floated beside her. She floated dreamily even as the acids began to slowly burn her flesh. Her magical defenses prolonged her life but not much. Cruelly, Pisces has starved herself just for this purpose. In effect, her gastric juices were more potent than normal. And just as she was about to pass out from lack of oxygen, Hikari heard a song...

"...these wounds won't seem to heal. This pain is just too real. There's just too much that time cannot erase. When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears. When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears. And I held your hand all of these years. But you still have all of me..."

The fortification power of not one but two magical songstresses resonated enough in Hikari to begin breaking free of her hold. She knew she couldn't enlarge; such a thing would kill them both. Climbing back up would take too long as it took most of her concentration to ward off her empathic spell. "Eat...this..." she growled pushing the plate on her driver. "Kitsune maximum burst!" it said in Japanese. Hikari rose from the pit in her stomach. Her body was surrounded by intense blue flames as a ball of concentrated lightning formed at the sole of her right foot. The inch and a half tall yokai rocketed into her stomach wall and as soon as she touched it, the ball of lighting exploded. Pisces screamed and looked at her stomach. The outer flesh began to turn red as an ominous blue light emanated from it. And then with a small blast of sizzling flesh and steaming blood, Hikari emerged and floated in the air before the giantess. Pisces raised her hand as if to call upon healing magic only to find her boasted abilities gone. "Aries..." she muttered before collapsing on the ground lifeless. Hikari glanced at the driver. One stone remained lit. She grew back to human size and didn't take notice a brief flickering of that stone now.

"No! Stay back! STAY BACK!" Libra shouted as she was swarmed by highly boosted borrowers and a handful of Mogwai. Libra had counted on two things. One her own party could crush an opposition coming her way and of Susan or the like did come, she knew their full names. The 13-year-old girl never considered Aries being lost to them. Her team was decimated in moments and then they turned on her. The young giantess was mauled by close range spells and sword strikes. She scampered back until she bumped into human sized Xiao. Libra instinctively grabbed her book and screeched as Xiao severed her hands. Her screaming silenced as Xiao sealed her hand over her mouth. With a coldness made possible by training, Xiao shrank the girl still clamped by her hand until she dwindled into her first. Then, it was only a matter of course to simply squeeze harder. A chirp and then the smallest crackling of bones followed by drips of blood. Xiao opened her hand to let the crushed and pulped remains fall to the ground. Libra was no more. Only two ZODIAC's remained and Markus knew it.

"Impossible. The others are gone. Katherine, by me five minutes. At least you won't fail me" he scowled. He turned to walk back into the palace when he was struck hard in the face. The snapping of his neck loudly as he flew and crashed into the barrier. "You aren't going anywhere" Keith said standing there. Markus twisted his head back into place. "You think it will be different t this time moron?" he sneered. Susan, Claire, Lawan, Hikari, and now Xiao appeared before them. "Yes, yes I do" Keith said. Markus snapped his fingers and strangely, he and Keith disappeared for just a second to reappear with swords locked in combat. "Surprised? You aren't the only one that can manipulate time asshole" Keith sneered kicking him. Off guard, Markus was struck down by a sword strike followed up with a fire blast. "Focus on the barrier!" Keith yelled to them. Each one began attacking it. The ashes that was Markus reformed. He willed his sword to him. He looked pissed seeing a nick in the metal. "Upgrade" Keith grinned beginning his attack again.

Claire kept Katherine at bay for the moment, but it was clear that the evil woman's magics were unpredictable. Light magic coupled with gravity magic bent the beams hitting Claire. Time manipulation magic focused on her heart. Claire gripped her chest. "I have no time for this!" Markus yelled using an omnidirectional blast of gravity magic to throw them dozens of feet away. With that, Markus slipped back into the palace and ran to the council room. And just in time to begin the ritual to release the Etherion council. Hope, visibly shaken by all that was happening outside, was not in the right mind to perform the spell. "Do it and I will spare them" he said. In the deepest part of her heart, Hope finally began to doubt his intentions. Hope reluctantly nodded. Markus engaged the Eye of the World and se the portals to the celestial locations needed to break the spell. "NOW DO IT!" he yelled. Hope fired a blast of pure Etherion magic Through the portal.

"It's working...IT'S WORKING!" he laughed seeing the beam of power trace the constellations in the night sky. "You failed little Claire" Katherine chucked looking at the sky. Claire charged her only to be stabbed in the chest with a shard of iron. Claire fell to the ground and pulled the shard out watching Katherine walk away. Claire shrank back down to save her life. The others saw Katherine approach and attacked her. With barely any effort, the weakened Hikari was batted aside crashing into a house, Xiao had her ribs shattered before being struck by point blank lightning. Her twitching body reverted to her normal size. Lawan helped Keith to his feet and saw him dash away at blinding speed just in time to stop Katherine from squashing the three-inch Xiao flat. Katherine got up off her feet, twirled and kicked Keith in the face making him fall back. It was a technique he'd never seen the other Susan use before. He realized he made a big mistake.

In this world, being blind, Susan adopted a fighting technique that focused on the opponent making the first move, as she became an expert on judo and aikido, it emphasizes it. But from where this Susan came from, she was never blind. She didn't focus on the opponent making the first move. She brutally and tirelessly brought the fight to Them. Fighting an opponent that likes close range and speed, his sword would be useless. "Enhance armament. Rune Defense" he said sliding his hand over the blade. Magically, it transformed into chest armor. A fire blast by Susan interrupted Katherine from attacking him again. "No! Focus on the barrier! There's still time to stop it!" Keith told her. Scared for him, she nodded silently. "Susan. Don't think I won't kill you because you're with child" Keith warned. "I cast aside that name that invokes her weakness. I am Katherine" she said bowing and smiling. Susan looked at her. "Our middle name..." she hissed. "Distraction won't work. We will stop the spell" he said. "Fool. The power is arcing Through the goddamn galaxy as we speak! Can you not see it?!" she said pointing to the sky. Keith glanced up to see the constellations being traced out. "That's impossible. We can't...we shouldn't be seeing that light. It's thousands of light years away!" he said. Katherine took that moment to attack.

The fight was brutal. Lawan and Keith gave as good as they got. His armor saving his life more than once. But somehow, Katherine had energy to spare. "Lemurian ice spell level Three. Diamond Dust" she said causing thousands of tiny shards of ice to swarm them. Lawan screamed as thousands of tiny cuts inflicted on her skin. Keith charged her as the sky grew red once more. Keith swung at her and she gripped his arm. "Lemurian Gravity spell level two. Touch of Infinity" she said focusing the attack into her right hand. A punishing punch to his chest so loud everyone heard it. The wind from the shockwave threw dust into the air behind him. Powerful enough for the sword to revert to its natural form. Katherine still held him. "No. Oh god no" Lawan muttered seeing the sight. "I should've killed you when I had the chance" Keith said coughing blood. Katherine smiled. "Lemurian destruction spell level Three. Entropy" she muttered touching his chest.

It spread over his body like an invasion. His skin turned gray as ashes and then Keith simply...blew away like dust in the wind.  "NOOOOOO!" Lawan shrieked. "And now for you" Katherine said to her aiming an ice spell her way. Suddenly, there was a zipping sound in the air and Katherine went flying a few feet back. Then the telltale crack of a gunshot. "Gimme your hand. Quickly" a voice said standing over Lawan. She looked up. "CASSANDRA?!" she yelled seeing her older sister. "I came as soon as I could" she said helping her sister up. "Oh shit you broke the seal" she said seeing her eyes full white and no pupils. "Yes, I did. Now you need to see what I see. One moment" Cassandra said touching her forehead. Lawan's vision changed. There were threads of green, yellow, and red light streaming from her to the staggered Katherine. "What the hell is this?" she asked. "The possible outcomes if you attack her. Green means she won't touch you. Yellow means a half chance. Red mean she will intercept" she replied. Lawan was aghast at how calm her sister was. Her questions had to wait though. Lawan picked up Keith's sword. She felt its power and charged at the murderer of her husband. Katherine quickly found that nothing she could do landed a hit on her. Every attack was perfectly dodged, nullified, or deflected. In truth, Cassandra’s clairvoyance was seeing Katherine's movements a split second before she made them. Relaying that to Lawan in real time made the yaksha untouchable. And then Lawan saw it. A green thread seemingly wrapped around Katherine's Throat. Her sandaled feet stepping in the precisely right places and times as she avoided all kinds of magic until she closed the distance. Katherine went for a sweeping shrinking spell hastily made. "Spell intercept!" Lawan yelled rebounding the spell right back at Katherine. She dwindled immediately but Lawan was so fast she swung her sword cutting off her tiny head from her neck as she fell to the ground. Katherine's body was dead but that was planned for...

A giant portal had opened above all their heads. Lawan rushed to the others. "Where's Keith?" Susan asked. Lawan shook her head. The others held their breaths at the news. "Get back!" she ordered. A massive swell of magical energy enveloped Lawan. To her left was an ethereal woman, Eve, the spirit of his sword. And to her right was Oberon, a fae grieving in his own right. All Three held the sword. Oberon showed her the technique, Eve the form, and Lawan the will. "BANISHING SHIFT!" she yelled discharging all the stored magic within Rune Glory in one instant. Over a hundred spells at once into one fine point. The barrier shattered. "To the top and let NOTHING STOP YOU!" Lawan yelled advancing. Sagittarius wisely hid seeing them dash up the winding stairs. Even at ten years old, she knew she was no match for any of them. They entered the council room to find Markus standing behind Hope, who herself was still unlocking the seal. "Yes! The first one comes! Come forth my mistress! Come forth Ophiuchus!" Markus laughed. There was a hum of power behind him. Claire fired a concentrated beam of plasma, Susan a beam of light, Lawan an ear shattering compressed bolt of lightning. And Xiao the best fire blast she could. The magics converged right on the Eye of the World barely missing Hope. So much foreign magic chaotically shot into the artifact, it overloaded and exploded. The remaining portal violently sparked and collapsed. "NOOO! YOU FUCKING VERMIN!" he yelled turning around. 

"Kitsune maximum burst!" as Hikari jumped into the air and rocketed right at him. Markus took the attack head on and was blown right over the balcony along with Hikari. "Hikari!" Susan yelled. As they rushed to the balcony. They couldn't see them, but they did see a figure float down from the portal floating above the city. But more ominous than that, red lighting crackled from the portal. Lawan grabbed Hope by her Throat. "You have very much to answer for" she told her. "I'm doing this to save the world! You ruined everything!" Hope shouted repulsing Lawan. "How many innocent people have you killed with her stupid plan? Do you even know?!" Lawan shouted. "I only killed the evil ones or people that wanted to die! I gave the latter a full choice!" Hope yelled at her. "Did the 50 million you killed give their votes?!" Lawan spat at her. "50...million? No, I killed maybe a dozen. I'm...I'm not some monster" she muttered. "Fuck you think would happen raising a fucking continent out of the ocean you brat?! That water has to go somewhere!" Lawan shouted. Hope stood frozen. "What..."

"Your little spell that raised all this from the depths devastated the South Pacific! Singapore, Jakarta, Sri Lanka, they're gone and the millions of innocent people that lived there! You have done more damage in one week than Ebonheart did in 4 millennia. You disgraced your father God rest his soul" Lawan said coldly. "Rest his soul? Daddy is...dead?" she whispered. "By the one called Katherine just a few minutes ago" she replied. With her spirit broken, Hope shrank to her normal size. Lawan grabbed her. The others looking at them both. "Go below. He's still alive and god knows what just came Through that fucking hole" Lawan told them. They jumped over the balcony as it was the fastest way down except Susan. "Lawan. I can..."

"No. You're needed below" Lawan said. Susan nodded and jumped over. Lawan looked at the naked teen girl she had considered her stepdaughter in her fist. She was dangerous, unpredictable, a powerful being that had let the promise of worship, devotion, and rule corrupt her soul. Lawan began to squeeze and their air was pushed out of Hope's lungs. Hope didn't struggle at all grief stricken at the loss of her beloved father. Lawan relented and opened her fist letting the gasping girl collapse in it. Lawan saw too much of Keith in her face. She shared his blood and was a part of him body and soul. To crush someone he cherished so deeply felt wrong. Lawan hated herself for not doing so. "You will live with this guilt for the rest of your existence. Everyone will know you brought death upon someone so loved. The borrowers, your siblings, your mothers" Lawan said coldly to her before letting Hope fall to the floor. Hope barely felt the thuds of the feet of the giantess as she stepped over her. Her power searching for a way to bring him back but only to confirm it was not possible. 

Three minutes earlier...

Hikari pressed her kick hard into his chest exploding the fiery lighting at her foot. The blast propelled him into the ground hard and her attack used up the last stone on her belt causing her transformation to cancel. She landed on her feet next to the smashed body of Markus who reformed before her eyes. "She will awaken from her slumber in moments and your merry band will be ashes" he hissed looking at the energy cocoon that enveloped the ancient Lemurian woman. "You won't live to enjoy it" Hikari said staggering to the giant. "Brave last words little princess. You're on deaths door while I'm still raring to go" he chuckled looking down on her. "Crying out of fear? The most sensible thing you've done today" he said. "I'm not crying out of fear. I'm crying because you're making me break a promise...and funny you should mention death" she said as she drew her last kanji on the driver. "Yokai change. Form Shinigami. When the katana burns, your soul is forfeit" it said. Hikari changed and grew before his eyes. She stood human size once more. Tabi socks and sandals on her feet. An ancient black kimono around her body with a white obi sash. Her eyes stark white and in her right hand a katana burning softly with black flames. "A death God means nothing to one who cannot die" he said looking at her. "Even an immortal cannot evade one forever Makil Yousrana" she replied. Markus was taken aback. Her sword flames danced at the sound of his true birth name. "The death gaze can see all, even your malicious soul" she said. The others landed next to her. "That woman is still sleeping but not for long. Use this time to kill her" Hikari said to them. "But..."

"Go! This is mine by vengeance and imperial edict! Just...go Susan" Hikari muttered. Markus went to stop them until Hikari stood before him. "Remember how you laughed when my back was broken? Remember to still be amused when my blade severs your connection to his life" she said coldly. Their fight began...

"By the Buddha Susan. The sky looks as if torn" Lawan said to her. Around the hole in the sky was violent lightning. Inside the hole was pitch blackness which was sucking up the air around it. "Is that a black hole?!" Claire yelled over the building roar in the air. "No. If only we were so lucky. This is what Pele warned us of. This is the focal point of the destruction of reality" Joseph said standing next to them. "What the hell do you mean?" Susan asked. "When the Eye was destroyed, the spell went unfinished. It was supposed the bring the Etherion council from the void between worlds. Keyword worlds. But now, the rip is unchecked and is drawing another world here. This red lighting going back and forth Through time is a herald of it. The worlds, ours and another is merging and when it does, nothing will remain" he explained. "Keith was right! How do we stop it?!" Susan asked. "It would take a huge amount of magic power to seal this rift. We need Hope" he replied. "But Hope is..."

"Not dead. Joseph go get her" Lawan said. "Uh guys!" Claire yelled pointing to the cocoon. "Agreed. Pop the fucking thing!" Lawan yelled. Everyone fired their attacks at it to see nothing happen. "Not even a scratch" Claire muttered.

"Useless" Markus said looking at them. Hikari swung her sword and he deflected it. "I've had thousands of years of experience wielding a sword woman" he growled. "And I have studied under the descendants of Jubei Yagyu and Myamoto Musashi. Your confidence is slipping" Hikari grinned as she could see his soul waver. Markus lunged at her and she parried spinning making a nice cut into his back. "You think this..." he was saying until he noticed he wasn't healing. "Death comes for us all" she said coldly. Both ramped up their attacks to the point they were only blurs of speed. But Hikari was losing ground, she was nearly spent. While her attacks got Through, her strength waned as he struggled to even keep the transformation going. Markus stopped and poured powerful magic into his sword Ea. This was it. The moment in battle which decides the winner. "Shinigami maximum burst!" it said as she used her truly final attack. A tuff of dust came from the ground as she dashed at him faster than the eye can blink. The flames of her sword blazed wildly as she swung fast and deep. Markus thrust Ea at her at the same time he stopped time. However, time means NOTHING to an agent of death. They exist beyond the physical constraints of mortals. The strike was so pure, literally his soul was cleaved in two and jettisoned out of his body violently. Hikari stopped and turned around to watch his lifeless body fall to the ground. Then, she felt cold. She looked at her torso to see a mortal wound. Exhausted and spent, the transformation failed. She shrunk down. "Hiro...forgive me" she muttered pulling out a dagger and thrusting it into her heart. It was the only way to save her soul from being obliterated by Ea. To release it from her body by death before it could be dissolved. Hikari, the princess koonago was no more. 

"She's here" Joseph said holding his hand out. "Hope. You need to take that thing out then help us with that above us" Lawan said. Hope looked at her and then what she was talking about. "I can't. I can't use this power anymore" she muttered. Lawan's words had broken the girl's spirit. "Then your father died for nothing. And before this day is done so will the planet. Including your mother" Lawan said. Hope looked out beyond her hand again and saw the many dead. She saw the look on the faces of the survivors including Markus' mages. All has the look of hopelessness on them. Hope floated from her hand and hovered directly in front of the cocoon. "Stand back" she told them. She fired a large blast of magic at it until it shattered. "You did it!" Lawan yelled. "No. It wasn't me" Hope muttered. Revealed was Ophiuchus herself. Her black hair reached to the crack of her bare ass. Her breasts moved as she took her first breath in 20,000 years. Her skin was pale white from lack of sun in the void. Any clothing she had worn disintegrated long ago. But wasn't moving. Then, a streak of red zipped past all of them smacking into the bare chest of the woman. A flash of red light as magic enveloped her. "Better...much fucking better" a familiar voice said. "Katherine! But I killed you!" Lawan yelled. "My body yes but thankfully my backup plan worked. On my person I had a soul gem in which I placed half my soul in it. This body here was the perfect vessel. One with a dormant sleeping soul and the power of Etherion" she said laughing. 

Lawan led the first shot followed by everyone. "Oh please" Katherine said repelling their attack violently. The ground itself shook and if it wasn't for Hope deflecting most of it, they would've been smears from gravity magic. Elena, who has been in the palace the last few minutes, felt the tremors. Her energy almost spent; she didn't know what she could do. She stood on the first floor worried for her friends until she heard whimpering. Elena followed the sound to a sealed off room and opened the doors. There a young girl sat in the corner shaking and staring wide eyed at Elena. "You're human sized and too young to be one of his soldiers. Who are you?" Elena asked. The girl bolted. With a hum, she brought the girl to a stop and had her turn around. "Who are you?" she asked. "He called me Sagittarius, but my real name is Tracy" she replied hypnotized. It was enough of a shock that Elena canceled her spell. "Please don't hurt me! I only did as they said so they wouldn't hurt me" she whined. Elena, seeing what happened to Pisces was inclined to believe her. "It's okay" Elena said holding her hand out smiling. Tracy reluctantly took it hoping the naive young woman smiling at her would help. In her heart Elena very much did want to help this girl but the circumstances said otherwise. A battle raged outside that needed her attention and she was desperately low on the energy her mother goddess granted her. Energy that was not gifted but loaned out and her son's soul was collateral. With a soft melody, Elena began shrinking her. 

"What...what are you doing?!" Tracy yelled as she dwindled. Elena's fingers now holding her shrinking right hand. "Adet" she yelled summoning her artifact. It fell to the floor. By this point, Tracy was no bigger than two inches in her hand. "Please let me go" she begged her. Elena tried her best to ignore the pleas of the girl as she pulled off her little sandals. Elena whimpered herself seeing how adorable her tiny bare feet were. She pulled off the rest of her clothing and seeing the very vulnerable girl in her hand hesitated. "Please don't eat me" the girl sobbed. "I'm so sorry" Elena whispered. The girl whimpered pitifully as Elena placed her on her tongue and shut her lips. Tiny feet held firm by her lips. Only her soles exposed and then she was slurped into her mouth. Elena closed her eyes and led the screaming morsel of life slip down her Throat. Due to not eating and the nature of her bargain, Tracy was digested in under two minutes. Elena felt her young (mostly innocent) soul absorbed into her. She felt powerful again. She let the shrunken clothing fall from her hands as she went back out into the open...   

"We don't have time for this! The goddamn world is ending above your fucking head!" Susan yelled. "She won't listen. I can see the rage in her mind. Uhhgh...her plans. She's going to shrink every human on the planet but before she...NO!" Hope yelled as Katherine aimed her hand in a western direction of the city. In the distance was a brilliant light and a tremor. Hope threw a shield around the area as a shockwave slammed into them. A glowing burning mushroom cloud rose into the sky. "She killed them all. YOU KILLED THEM ALL!" Hope yelled. "They worshiped us by they were utterly loyal to that fool Markus. Better to start from scratch. So easy...50,000 shrunken buggy humans gone in nuclear fire" Katherine chuckled. "Leave us...NOW!" Hope screamed at them. The power radiating from her made the others run and take cover. "Now for you" Katherine said snapping her fingers. Hope caught her attack and Three it high into the air. A deafening boom shook the ground. With a cold look, Katherine grew herself. Taller...taller...taller until she was well above the palace itself.  And Hope did the very same. The others were stunned as the two towered over them. They couldn't even see Hope's face. "My god. How tall are they?" Claire asked. "742 feet" Joseph replied. "But doesn't that cause a huge strain on their bodies?!" Lawan asked. "An endless loop of healing and fortification. Fractures reformed; heart muscles repaired. Even their nervous systems regrown within seconds" he replied. 

A colossal torrent of lighting came down around them. The ground shook with small earthquakes as small damaged buildings and rubble was sucked up overhead. They began to be lifted form their feet until a song entered their ears. "You" Susan said. "She's no threat anymore" Elena said referring to the singing Pisces. "We will try to hold off the effects but..." she said before singing as well. They watched helpless as the titanesses fought. Magic deflected over and over. Hope's massive feet digging into the ground for leverage. At her size, it was easy to see the blood struggle to pump Through her veins. Hope has the advantage of experience with such magic, yet Katherine fought dirty. She fired a fire blast at those below which made Hope shift attention to stop it. Katherine punched her with a fiery strike sending the giantess tumbling. Third degree burns on her lower stomach and crotch. The faint smell of burnt flesh and pubic hair hung in the air. They could hear Hope moaning in pain. Then a giant dirty foot pushed on her windpipe. Katherine raised her hand summoning 100 ft. long pointy pillars of ice. "Irony. I killed your daddy and you in my world. Killed your daddy in this one...and now you" she chuckled. She slammed her hand down and the pillars floating 200 ft. above her descended. Then...they stopped. A blinding light made Katherine wince. She screamed as heat singed her bare sole and she fell back. The pillars of ice melted into water flooding the ruined city block. And then Hope got to her feet.

"Oh Jesus" Susan muttered seeing the blinding giantess showing absolute power. "You killed my daddy? YOU KILLED MY DADDY?!" Hope screamed. She fired off a beam of light which reflected of a hastily made barrier. The beams slicing apart anything it hit on the ground. They barely missed the others as it zipped overhead cutting a three-story building in two. Hope charged the woman hitting her so hard the ground trembled. Katherine was sent a quarter mile away crashing to the ground obliterating ten city blocks. Hope wasted no time continuing. The sounds of thunderous punching, wet squelching, and the cracking of the earth filled their ears. "By the Buddha" Xiao said as splashes of blood rained down from overhead. Katherine shielded herself as beast she could only to see the girl smash them with ease. Beaten bloody, Hope stood over her. She was already healing at frightening speed. Hope's sensed the thoughts of those she loved nearby. Fear of death, Armageddon, and of her. She couldn't do much about the last one, but she could do something about the first two. With rage still in her heart, she took ahold of Katherine's hair and dragged her back to where they first fought demolishing more of the city. "You want power so badly...take it" she said coldly before showing everyone by kissing Katherine.

Hope poured the power she had into her directly Through mouth to mouth. So much at one time it was burning her out. Blood seeped from her eyes and nose. Her spells holding her body together being so huge couldn't keep up. Her bones cracked. Her glow faded and then Hope with her rage, grief, and pain literally threw Katherine into the sky and Through the rift. "You're a monster. A MONSTER!" Katherine screamed as she felt the chaotic power struggling to be free inside her. "...harrowing" Hope muttered firing off the darkest spell she could still muster. "...I was so close. So close..." Katherine muttered as the black light of the spell raced to her. In a blinding flash and deafening explosion, Katherine was detonated like a nuclear bomb. The magic blast severed the unstable link between her world and the one rushing to collide and merge with hers. The rift began to close and within a few minutes had. Hope shrank down to her normal small size and floated down. Her body was a wreck. The others stood were they were except Lawan who walked over to catch the girl. "You did it" Lawan said. Hope said nothing, rolled over in her palm and closed her eyes. "Is she..."

"No. Passed out" Lawan finished. "It's over. We won" Xiao said. "I wouldn't call this a victory Xiao" Claire said. "We saved the world Claire" Xiao replied. "And they lost theirs" Claire said pointing to Lawan and Hope. An hour had passed as they checked the palace and what was left of the human city. "Report" Lawan said softly still holding Hope. "The human city is a crater. Nothing remains. As for the zodiac, Pisces is accounted and well as the deaths of the others except this new Sagittarius" Claire said sitting beside her. "She's dead. Elena confirmed it" Lawan said. "Curious how she of all of us took a zodiac down. Songs don't do too much against magic arrows" she said. "I asked and Elena said to leave it alone. She didn't look happy discussing it" Lawan said. Susan walked over to them. "The final tally. 27 survivors on our side. 33 on theirs. We uh...we lost Hikari" Susan muttered sitting down. In her right hand was the body of the koonago princess. "What do we do with the enemy survivors?" Lawan asked. "They have two class A mages with them. We can't take them with us" Susan said. "And they're too dangerous to be left alone" Xiao said softly. Lawan nodded. "Then it's settled" Susan said pulling out a very small box from her utility belt. Inside were the captured mages shrunken down to the size of ants. Xiao looked at Susan as she brought the box to her face. With her thumb, she popped it open and dropped the screaming contents into her mouth. She shut it and mashed her tongue to the roof of her mouth killing most of them instantly. With a gulp she executed the rest. 

Susan sat down cradling the body of her comrade. Xiao could see the pain in her eyes but admired the strength she had to do something outside the scope of her beliefs. She remembered her commander telling her that borrowers were weak willed people and could never hope to be as mentally strong as a Mogwai. Xiao knew him to be an utter fool now. Elena came up to them with Aries "Can we leave? This place..." Elena asked. "With her?" Claire asked. "We wouldn't have won without her Claire" Elena said. Aries looked down at the ground. Claire shrugged. "I overheard. If you gather everyone else and can get you home" Joseph told them walking to them. "Your son..." Lawan said. "Was lost to me long ago. Hikari did a number on him. Not a trace of his essence remains, and I turned his body into ashes. He will trouble the world no longer" he said softly. Everyone was gathered together and returned home. They emerged in the living room.

"I will uh...file the official report tomorrow and we can all go over his...his...Xiao please take over" Susan muttered walking to the sunroom. "Keith told me he gave all of us letters to open if he didn't return. I'm sure that's what Susan was trying to say" Claire said. Lawan turned to leave. "Hope" she said. "Yes?" Lawan asked. "Should she be allowed to wake?" Claire asked. It was a question everyone was thinking. "Goodnight everyone" Lawan said leaving. "She did not answer" Xiao said. "She knew enough not to as the grief was still raw" Claire said. "Of course. Soldiers. Report to your quarters or homes" Xiao commanded the ragtag survivors. Claire was left alone in the room. The antique grandfather clock chimed. "12 o'clock. Happy New Year" she said to herself. 

Susan quiet opened the door to her home. On the sofa sat her father with her daughter sleeping beside him. The old man was quietly rubbing Ruby's feet. He stared at Susan with a look which couldn't be explained. She could hear his heart beating rapidly. "My god. Oh my god" he muttered. She nodded and proceeded to take her clothes off. Susan went and took a quick shower before returning. When she came back, Tim stood before her. His hand caressed her cheek. "I'm back" she said. The man fell to the floor crying. Susan held him close. "I take it you guys won then" he said trying to smile. "Winning as in they didn't get what they want yes. We lost 95% of our forces. Markus is dead. The world is saved" she shrugged. Tim was smart enough to see she was in shock. He looked into her eyes. "Jellybean?" he asked. Her lips quivered as she broke into a wail and shrunk down before him. He knew she wanted to be held and cuddled. "He's dead. He and Hikari are both dead" she sobbed. Tim sighed. He liked Keith. "...mom? MOM!" Ruby yelled woken by her crying. Tim handed her to Ruby. She sniffed her mother and held her close to her cheek. Her mother seemed so fragile and helpless in her hand. She knew something horrible had happened, but she was glad her mother had returned. "Oh mom. It's okay. Don't cry. You're so upset you're lactating" Ruby said petting her belly. "Help mommy sweetheart" she said to her. Ruby gently sucked her breasts draining them of excess milk. "I'm home. I'm home" she cried. "Grandpa?" Ruby asked very worried for Susan. "She lost him and a close friend" he said. Ruby bit her lip to avoid crying. Ruby parted her legs and began gently sucking her tiny pussy. 

After an orgasm or two, Susan finally began to calm down. "You don't have to grieve alone mom" she told her. Tim took Susan from her. "She's right. You're not alone in this" Tim said as he kissed her bare feet. "I was so scared I'd never see you all again!" she whimpered. Tim wiped a tear away. "We know jellybean. We know" he said petting her. Susan drifted off to sleep not long after utterly exhausted. Asleep, her shrink spell on her faded and she grew to her regular size in his lap. Tim cuddled her to him. His left hand on her arm. The other on her thigh. Ruby cuddled next to him and they fell asleep. 

Lawan looked at the small naked girl in her husbands’ bed. Hope had displayed a level of power none had seen before and it terrified Lawan. Hearing about it was one thing but a glowing mega giantess was another matter completely. Hope was an emotional time bomb, that much was certain, but what should be done about it. "You okay?" Cassandra asked her coming into the room and finding Lawan sitting on the bed. "As well as a newly widower can be" Lawan replied. Cassandra lowered her head at the foolish question. "Forgive me" Lawan muttered. "It's okay" Cassandra said sitting next to her. She looked down at Hope. "Insane to think such a tiny girl did what she did" she muttered. "Believe it" her sister said. There was a pause. "What does your clairvoyance say now?" Lawan asked. "I don't know what..." she was saying until Lawan gave her a look. "Different things. Half of them ended with you killing her" she replied softly. "She's the most powerful being in the world and she went mad with grief and shame just an hour ago. If she's in a similar state when she wakes..." she said. "The soldier in me says to snap her neck in her sleep. The widower in me says to crush her goddamn skull between my fingers. And the..."

"What?" Cassandra asked. "The mother in me says to comfort the child in her grief" she replied. "Then the question is which one is louder in your heart" Cassandra said. Lawan reached out to Hope. Her fingers went for her head. Cassandras clairvoyance saw Three outcomes and she held her breath. Lawan used her fingernail to move Hope's hair out of her face. The future was settled. "Good night sis. I love you" Cassandra said kissing her cheek. "I love you too. And Cassandra?" she asked. "Thanks for not stopping me" Lawan said. "It was the only way for you to find some peace if you made the choice yourself" Cassandra said to her before leaving. Lawan laid down in bed beside Hope. The smell of Keith on the sheets. She closed her eyes, thought of him, and prayed not to dream that night.

"I'm glad you came in Susan" her psychiatrist said. "Wasn't my idea Ruth. It was Keith's" Susan said laying down on the sofa in the office. She kicked off her heels, cracked her nylons covered toes and sighed. "But I thought"

"It was in his going away letter...among other things" she said. "He said to come to me?" Ruth asked. "To make sure I don't slit my wrists or something" she replied. "Do you?" Ruth asked the borrower on her sofa. "Of course not. I'm a mom. I can't leave my babies" Susan said patting her tummy. "How did you handle the news when you heard?" Ruth asked. "I was in work mode. Assess the situation, evaluate the enemy combatants, neutralize" she replied. Ruth eyed Susan for a moment before noticing something odd. "Is that calm detachment how you beat him?" Ruth asked. "A factor of things worked our way. His arrogance, their inexperience, Elena and Pisces working together. The sacrifices we made" Susan replied. "Speaking of sacrifices. Whose funeral are you dressed for?" Ruth asked. "Hikari's. Just got back. Closed state funeral held in the imperial palace. Even got to meet the Emperor" Susan shrugged. "What about Keith's?" she asked. "You already know the memorial is tomorrow" Susan said back curtly. Ruth jotted something down. "The private one dear" Ruth said. "A lot of factors at play. Lawan's requests as she was his wife. Aspen, not to mention Hope is still asleep" she replied. "I'm surprised to see Hope still alive" Ruth said. 

"Why?" Susan asked. "Well she did kill millions of people and led to her father's death. Some may see her death a kind of justice" Ruth said. "We spared her because Keith wouldn't want her death" Susan said coldly. "There's hostility in your response. I take it you're not sure that she should live?" Ruth asked. "We all are worried what's going to happen when she wakes. She was like God of the Old Testament when she killed my opposite. The world isn't prepared for such power, let alone a teenage girl" Susan replied. "That's the analytical side. What do you feel?" Ruth asked. "She is responsible for the death of someone irreplaceable in my life. My child will grow up never knowing their father. I feel...I feel like I should go into her room, tear her apart limb by limb and eat her. Crush her under my fucking foot until a greasy smear remains. I feel she should beg me to kill her as I slowly inflict agonies that would make Jesus weep!" Susan shouted. Ruth noticed it again and wrote on her pad. "That's...understandable" Ruth said. "Torture? How fucking so?" Susan snapped. 

"Tickle us do we not laugh? Prick us do we not bleed? Wrong us shall we not revenge? Not just a quote from Shakespeare. It's natural to lash out to what hurts us, takes from us, pains us. It doesn't make you a bad person. Don't feel sorry for showing mercy" she said. "I'm not sorry" Susan said. "Then why are you shrinking yourself?" Ruth asked walking over to her. Susan had not noticed until Ruth sat next to her. She was like 7 inches tall to her now.... scale wise anyway. "Once before, you liked being human sized around us as a way to feel safe and secure. Tell me Susan. Do you shrink around selective people like right now? I mean smaller than our usual size?" Ruth asked. "...if I trust them" Susan replied. "Why? Why would you shrink?" Ruth asked. "I feel...safer if I'm in their hands" she said. "Is it only that?" Ruth asked. Susan shrank even more. "What you're feeling is actually common for some of us. Borrowers that lived as pets and had very kind masters often long for being held in giant hands. To be petted, doted on, and more" Ruth said picking up the now four-inch-tall Susan. Ruth gently used her finger to stroke Susan's left cheek. As she did, she began to cry softly. "I'm so tired of losing loved ones. So very tired" she wept. 

"There's something I want you do to. Next time when you go home, shrink yourself and spend quality time in a loved one's hand. It helps being naked. Memorize their scent. The feel of their skin. The gentle touch on your bare feet and sensitive spots" Ruth said. "I'm not forgetting how it felt to be held by him!" Susan yelled at the psychiatric giantess. "Nobody is saying that. What I am saying is you need to slowly shift those feelings to those closest around you. Being blunt, Keith will never hold you like this again. But as a borrower, a woman, intimacy is as important as food and water. You will have to find someone that can satisfy your needs" Ruth said. Susan hopped onto the sofa and grew to borrower size. "Don't close yourself off again like last time. Don't throw that progress away" she asked. "And when the next person dies?" Susan asked. "You can't think that way Susan" Ruth said. "Yes, I can. Keith made me Director taking his place in his will. So believe me, it's coming one way or another. Have a nice morning Ruth" Susan said before leaving.  

Susan grew to human size as she walked home. Her nylon feet making soft steps on the street but dragging every few steps. She was exhausted. Due to the time difference in Tokyo, she had to leave at 3 am local time to attend. When she got back it was barely 8 am. She had no sleep in over 30 hours. The city was quieter than usual. Families comforted those that lost loved ones. With their losses passing 350, that left a lot of families with dead sons, daughters, husbands and wives. Off in the distance, a grim reminder as a few human sized borrowers dug small graves to bury empty boxes. The unused field north of the city had been converted into a borrower version of Arlington Cemetery. To say morale was low was an understatement. Their forces had been decimated and by Susan's own reckoning, it would be a better part of two years to even make up the numbers, another five to close the experience gap. Three days had passed since the battle and the grief and abject loss was mounting by the hour. The mental hospitals were full of borrowers with breakdowns and suicidal thoughts. The lucky ones as someone cared to admit them. Those that only had someone else...some chose to follow them into death. Being Director now, Susan was informed of instances of dead borrowers found in their homes or apartments. Not a whole lot but just reading one or two reports was crushing enough for Susan.

By the end of the second day, Susan issued her first order as Director. A day of mourning for those lost. No work was allowed. Neighbors would check on one another. A large picture of Keith was

was placed in the center of town with a candle. Susan watched people in the middle of the night carry giant flower petals to place before it. At the foot of his picture were placed smaller ones of those lost. While the sight hurt Susan to the core, there was something that gave her solace. Pictures of lost Mogwai had been placed there. They had fought and died together as equals, as friends. It gave her hope of what could be accomplished between the two races in the future. Susan sighed as she stood in front of her home. So tired but so much to do. As Ruth had asked, Hope was still alive but the issue of how she would be when she woke lingered. As far as she knew, not even her mother Aspen had come to see her. Susan shrank to her normal height and entered her home. "Welcome home honey" her father said as he sipped coffee. She nodded. "How was the funeral?" he asked. "Solemn, quiet. They were extremely grateful we were able to retrieve her body for cremation" she replied. "I can only imagine what the funeral for a Koonago princess would be like" he said. "Shinto. Hikari was a believer of Shinto. Dancing and chants mostly by a small priestess the size of a human thumb. It was...different" she muttered.

"How was her family? She did have family right?" he asked. "Her mother...solemnly paid her respects as she held her grandson. There was man, a human there that excused himself now and then. I could hear him sobbing his heart out saying her name. I think he was more than a friend to her" she replied. "Hi mom" Ruby said coming downstairs in her pajamas. She was admiring her finger. "Take that off now!" Susan yelled at her seeing the Ring of Shishak on her index to finger. Frightened, Ruby did, and Susan snatched it from her. "Where did you get this?!" Susan yelled. "From your bedroom. I thought it looked pretty" Ruby said. "Never ever touch unfamiliar things in this house. Jesus..." Susan sighed. "It's just a ring Susan" Tim said. "It's not just a ring. It's an artifact capable of manipulating time at the expense of the user's life force. But it appears to be dead..." Susan said looking at the dull lifeless stone in it. "Picked the damn thing up from the pile of Keith's ashes. Explains why he couldn't use it against her" she muttered. "If it's dead then I can have it?" Ruby asked. "Not a chance. God knows what can happen with it now. I ain't comin' home to find ya a damn shriveled mummy. Assuming you don't end up in some fucking backwater time period" she said slipping into her southern drawl. Susan took the coffee from her father and sipped it. 

"You seem very on edge" he said. "I need sleep, my toes sucked, to be held. The latter two at the advice of my shrink" she replied. Ruby took the cup from her mother and had her sit on the sofa. Dipping her finger into the warm liquid, she drew an arcane on her mother's cheek. Susan shrank down. "Shhh" Ruby said holding her in her hands. Carefully, she peeled off her nylons. Susan closed her eyes as her giantess daughter sucked on her tiny feet. Ruby's scent felt good to her. The warmth of her skin. The sound of blood rushing through her capillaries. Susan barely moved as she was stripped naked. A giant finger rubbed her back. The bumps of her spine underneath the fingertip. A fingertip that rubbed her bare ass. A different scent, her father as she was petted by him. Tim looked at his granddaughter worried. "She's asleep" Ruby said.  Tim motioned for her to take her to her bedroom. Ruby placed Susan in her bed and rubbed off the arcane cancelling the spell and growing her to fit her bed. She closed the door behind her. 

Claire walked through the door at her home. "Hiya buddy" she said picking her son Luke up and smooching him till he giggled. "Has she left my room?" she asked her mother who was drying off plates. "No" Rebecca replied. Claire sat down and shuffled off her high heels. She sighed as her feet felt better being out of them. She sucked her teeth as her dainty toes were developing bunions wearing them. More often than not she had to for her modeling jobs. "Mom you got any foot cream?" she asked. "Pantry cabinet. What are you going to say to her?" her mother asked. "Don't know. We both read his final letter together and since then she just lays in bed" she said. "Well passionate sex isn't going to cheer her up like it can for us. A more human approach" Rebecca shrugged. Claire remembered when Aspen lost her grandmother. She was depressed for weeks and nothing she did seemed to cheer her up. Dancing naked, being goofy, watching movies. Eventually she did get better, but it took time. Time they may not have this time. "Any word on Hope?" Rebecca asked. "Still asleep. I can sense the ebb and flow of magic in her. No spikes but none of us expected the level of output the other day" she replied. "That terrible?" her mother asked sitting next to her and taking her right foot in her hand. "I wouldn't call it terrible. More like awestruck like staring at the sun. As powerful as me and Susan are, we were as fleas compared to Hope. She left a footprint as big as this damn colony mom" she replied.

"Then it would be good if she awoke to find her mother beside her" Rebecca said. "I know but it's not that easy mom. Hope killed millions. Aspen can only think about that when her daughter's name comes up" she said. Rebecca rubbed the sore ball of her foot for a moment. "From what I heard; Hope didn't know what she did" she said. Claire was silent. "To me, I think the state of mind is what's important. People will say ignorance isn't an excuse but is it evil when it's done by accident? Markus and Ebonheart knew full well what they were doing but Hope? They fed on her immature beliefs. Sculpted her into a tool. Turned her into a child soldier. Do you think she's in the same level as them?" Rebecca asked. "...no" Claire replied. "It's so easy to judge when looking from just your perspective. I was guilty of that for a time as I didn't trust Aspen to be around you or Ritchie" she said. "Somebody say my name?" Ritchie asked yawning as he walked into the living room. "I was explaining how I misjudged Aspen because of my own bias" Rebecca said. Ritchie plopped down on the floor and took Claire's left foot in his hands. "True. You really didn't like her back then. When I said I wanted to mate with her you lost your shit" he chuckled. "Damn right. I saw how she looked at you now and then. Her finger dancing around your crotch. That hungry look in her eyes. I thought I'd find you drowned in her pussy or sliding down her throat one day" she said. "Didn't you have some faith as she was in a relationship with Claire? They were hot and heavy even then and Claire came home okay" he asked. Claire looked at her mother.

"My point kids is that I was wrong, very wrong. I failed to see things from Aspen's point of view" she said. Claire handed Luke off to her mother before standing up. She ruffled Ritchie's hair and smiled before going to her room. Inside was Aspen sleeping as light poured through the window. She woke up from the sound of the creaking floor Claire stepped on. She gave her a glance and then walked out. Claire heard the sound of the toilet flushing and then Aspen returning. "Going back to bed?" Aspen asked. She didn't answer. "You look like an angel in this light" Claire said sitting next to her. "Pretty hair. Wish I had it" she said running her fingers through Aspen's hair. "No, you don't" Aspen muttered. "Yes, I did because it's yours" Claire said kissing her cheek. "When do you plan to see her?" Claire asked quietly. Aspen shrugged. "She needs you" she said. "Would you be so quick if it was Luke?" Aspen asked coldly. "Yes, because after everything he would still be my child. Remember how she moved in your womb? How she looked at you when she came out? Can you really toss that aside?" Claire asked. Aspen softly sobbed into her pillow. Claire took off her clothes and climbed into bed with her. She had Aspen sit in front.

"We know it's hard. Me, Ritchie, Rebecca, all of us. But remember what he wrote. Keith said when she comes to terms with what she did it will break her soul. That you will have to be there to help pick up the pieces. Because if you don't...you really will lose her" Claire said hugging her. Aspen smelled of old sweat. She hadn't showed in three days. "Don't I stink?" Aspen muttered. "Like old socks but don't change the subject. Aspen, are you going to let Markus take your little girl from you or you just going to sit here and rot?" she asked. Claire felt her muscles tense as she held her. "No" she replied coldly. "Then shower up" she said. Aspen left her and returned 15 minutes later considerably better smelling. Claire had her sit down. Claire hummed a song as she brushed her wife's hair. "I don't even know what to say to her" Aspen said. "You'll think of something" Claire said. "You have way too much faith in me" Aspen told her. "I have a good track record when it comes to putting my faith in you. You haven't eaten me. Crushed me, drowned me or something else like humans tended to do. Kept your word on helping us get rights. You even married me. Hell, I only had to use the safe word once" Claire chuckled. "Strawberry shortcake" Aspen muttered blushing. Claire turned her head and kissed her. Her tongue licking hers and pulled back to give her air.

"I Should get dressed and see her" Aspen said. Claire nodded and took out some clothes. Aspen got dressed in a simple top, pants, socks and shoes. "Want me to go with you?" Claire asked. Aspen shook her head. "Call me if you need me" Claire told her. Aspen left the house. Once safely out, Claire canceled her shrinking spell growing Aspen back to human size. She watched her beloved giantess walk away from her home worried what may come but she did have faith things would be okay. She always bet on Aspen and nothing, not even a near miss of Armageddon could change that. 

Aspen entered the sunroom and then the kitchen. A maid nodded at her entry. As she walked through the hallway, the servants (mostly observing the day of mourning) nodded and bowed. They didn't envy her today. Any other day they would but not today. Her daughter a killer, the father of said child dead. Borrowers wished to have her life just for the sake of bearing his child but today they could only pity her. Word spread like wildfire that Aspen was walking to where Hope was. Naturally, emotions began to run high. How would Hope react? Would Aspen and Lawan have words? Aspen made it to Keith's room and opened the door. There sat Lawan, her babies nowhere to be seen. Understandable as you didn't want your kids in the line of fire if shit went south. "Lawan I'm so sorry. I haven't even thought about what you're dealing with" Aspen said to her. "No apologies necessary. If you're here I'll take my leave. His letter for her is on the nightstand. I'll be outside if you need me" she said standing up and summoning her glaive. Aspen was no fool, she knew full well why Lawan summoned her weapon and was now quietly standing out in the hallway. 

Aspen sat down and looked upon her small daughter. Aspen raised an eyebrow looking at her face.  "You can open your eyes honey. I know you're not asleep" she said. Hope did open her eyes. "How did you know?" she asked. "You do the same thing when I eavesdrop. You suck your lower lip" Aspen replied. Hope sat up in bed letting the sheet fall down exposing her breasts. Aspen sighed internally as she had to be reminded that her daughter wasn't a little girl. "When did you wake up?" Aspen asked. "Yesterday. I've been sensing things ever since" she replied. "Such as?" Aspen asked. "People's feelings. They're so strong. Grief, loneliness, pain, anger. It's so much to bear..." Hope muttered. "Then tune it out" Aspen said. "Can you tune out the sound of thunder? A tornado? Your own pain and grief?" Hope asked her. "They all know what I did. I counted how many felt what. 17,818 can't believe I killed so many. 5,307 want me to suffer for a very long time. 1,477 want me executed. 808 pity me" she replied. "And where do I fall in?" Aspen asked. "I’m too scared to look into your heart" she replied.

Aspen got out of her chair and sat in the bed close to her. She reached for Hope who quickly scooted away. "Don't. I'm a monster. You can't touch monsters" she said quickly. Her little body shook. Aspen picked her up fast so she couldn't flee. "NO! Don't touch me! Don't touch me! I'm a monster. I made daddy die...I... don’t...deserve..." she was cut off when Aspen shoved her face into her giant lips. She held the kiss for several moments. Aspen could see panic and confusion in her little eyes. She reached over and took Keith's letter in her hands. She placed Hope on her knee as she opened it. "I don't understand" Aspen said seeing an arcane on the paper written in blood. She lowered it to Hope. "It's...I don't recognize it. It's unfinished though" Hope said seeing the circle incomplete. Hope bit her finger and traced the final part of the arcane making it activate. A beam of light struck Hope making her gasp. And as fast as it happened, it ended. The tiny teen trembled on her knee. Aspen picked her up concerned. "Are you okay? What was that?" Aspen asked. "Daddy. Every pretty memory daddy had of me. He condensed it into a spell. Teaching me how to swim, scolding me for sneaking cookies, licking my feet so I could sleep, blushing when he saw me naked. He loved me so much...and he's gone" she muttered. A swell of energy filled Hope as he floated off her hand. "I want my daddy. I WANT MY DADDY BACK!" she screamed. The entire house shook.

Lawan threw the door open and Aspen gestured for her not to interfere. "Please" she muttered to her. Lawan closed the door. Aspen reached out to Hope. As soon as she touched her it felt like touching a hot iron. Aspen barely held the screams. Slowly she enveloped Hope with her blistering hands. "He's gone baby. Sometimes they just leave us, and we count do anything about it" Aspen said remembering her parents and her grandmother. Hope calmed down and her power faded away. "Oh god...oh god!" Hope said seeing the burned blistering flesh of her giantess mother. "Shh.  Just use your gift to make it better" she said. "But...but..." Hope stammered. "Mommy trusts you" she said. Hope healed her burns and as she did, Aspen felt the pain in her heart healed as well. When she was done, Hope collapsed into her hand sobbing. Aspen grew concerned when she cried so hard she wasn't breathing. Aspen used her finger to lie her on her back and then rubbed her exposed little pussy. Hope gasped. "It's okay. Let mommy help you" Aspen said. Hope sniffled as her mother masturbated her with her finger. Her free hand rubbing her tiny feet. Hope shut her eyes and grinded herself on her giant finger until she came. Aspen licked her finger clean. "You're sweet" she chuckled. Hope cracked a smile. "Is that a smile? Did I see a smile?" Aspen asked. Aspen used her fingernail to tickle her little soles. Hope giggled a little. 

"There. Don't let anyone take that from you" Aspen said. "What?" Hope asked. "The magic of a smile. It can make all the difference" Aspen replied. "How can you still love me?" Hope asked looking at the giantess. "Because I'm your mommy. You'll understand when you're a mommy one day" Aspen said. Hope remained quiet for some time just lying in her hand. "I wanna see his memorial" she said suddenly. Aspen simply nodded. Hope got dressed as Aspen stood outside talking to Lawan. "That's a bad idea Aspen. Hope wasn't kidding when she says there are some out there that want her dead" Lawan said. "Over my dead body" Aspen hissed. Lawan sighed. "Susan?" Lawan asked over a magical link. "...wha?" Susan said waking. "Sorry to disturb you but Hope wants to visit her father's memorial" she said. "That's...not a good idea" Susan yawned. "I don't think Hope will accept a no" Lawan said. "Let me get dressed and I'll meet you at the sunroom" Susan said. 20 minutes later, a groggy Susan stood at the entrance. She sees Lawan and Aspen coming with Hope on her shoulder. "Whatever happens. Don't interfere" Hope told them. The way she said it was ominous to them. At first nobody thought much of the three giantesses walking to the center of town until word got out who was sitting on Aspen's shoulder. People began coming out of their homes to see. Hope cringed sensing some of their thoughts. 

By the time they reached his memorial, a crowd of hundreds had gathered behind the three giantesses.  "I don't like this guys. I can literally smell anger in them" Susan muttered. "They have every right to be" Hope muttered floating off her mother's shoulder. "Hope no!" Aspen said grabbing her. A gentle magical force forced her hands open. "Don't interfere" she said softly. Hope, with a gesture, made the giantesses move out of the way of the borrower crowd. Somebody there a very small pebble, very small to a human but not to someone three inches tall. Everyone was shocked as it smacked Hope in the back of the head. "Baby!" Aspen yelled seeing the tiny girl stagger. A force held her back. Hope kept walking. Another pebble, and then another. Hope was visibly bleeding as she staggered to the gigantic picture with candles in front. The crowd advanced to stone her. She held her arm, blood trickled down her face. Aspen crying behind her. Then Hope made it to the picture. She touched, it hugged it, and collapsed crying. The people froze seeing her blood smeared across his picture, ominously where his lips were. One lone young man dressed in THORN soldier uniform walked right up to her. Aspen was nearly frantic as his hand was on his sword. His other hand reached down for his sword...and then went into his pocket. He bent down and wiped the blood from her head. "What did you think you would accomplish?" he asked. 

"Forgiveness" she replied. "You think they're so ready to forgive you?" he asked looking at the crowd. "No. Not from them. From him" Hope said looking up at her father's picture. The crowd had gathered very close now. The soldier looked at the photo. "The dead can't forgive anyone" he said coldly. "The memory of them can. The part you hold onto can" she said softly. "Everyone I cared about is dead because you helped the madman who caused it" he told her. "They why show me any pity?" she asked. "Because it wouldn't bring any of them back and I am sick of seeing death" he said taking his sword out and throwing it onto the ground. The young man walked off. People watched him leave and one by one dropped their pebbles and dispersed. With them gone, Hope hales themselves. "Oh thank god!" Aspen said plucking her up. "It would've been more merciful if they killed me" Hope muttered. Hope spoke not a word until later that night. Aspen had fallen asleep on the chair next to her. A giant finger draped over her small body. Hope scooted out from underneath. She had been deep in thought about making things right and came to an unsettling idea. She knew of one person she could ask about it. She got dressed and left her room.

Hope walked down the hallway sensing Joseph in the kitchen. However, she stopped hearing voices from the briefing room. She stood outside and listened. "Thank you for coming. With our forces depleted, were the last people here in a position to do anything" Susan said. "Whatever we can do Susan" Claire said to her. "Agreed. After risking your safety to give me and what's left of my soldiers asylum, it's the least we can do" Xiao said. "I don't deserve credit for it. It was on a list of things Keith wanted me to do. And your government quickly shut their mouths when they heard Hope returned to us" Susan said. "Speaking of?" Claire asked. "She's asleep with her mother. After what she did today, I don't think we have much to worry about...thank god" Susan replied. "I can sense worry in your voice Susan" Elena said softly. "It's the main reason for this meeting. First the good news. Joseph confirmed that a category 5 typhoon formed over the continent of Mu due to atmospheric instability from that crazy ass rift forming. It's keeping human ships at bay. Now for the bad news. It won't stay around for much longer. It's trapped between two thermal layers and is slowly losing energy. It was a category 5 this morning. It's down to a 3 now. Within three days it will just a tropical depression. Small enough that human warships that weren't caught in the tsunami can sail through" she said.

"Who's jockeying to get there?" Xiao asked. "The United States, China, and Russia. Possibly North Korea" Susan replied. "Not good. Not good at all. They don't play well with others" Xiao said. "Exactly. Each one is going to try claiming it as a matter of national security. Not to mention the magical tomes left there" Susan said. "Can we magically nuke the capital? Like wipe it out?" Claire asked. "Joseph told us that there are dozens of small towns scarred across the continent with magical records. Even without spy sats, they're going to notice a shitload of mushroom clouds" Elena said. "Not to mention they're blame one another for the blasts" Xiao said. "So, what do we do?" Claire asked. "Don't know. Neither Keith nor Lily had contingency plans for something of this level. We're looking at the worst-case scenario" Susan replied softly. Hope had heard enough and kept walking. She was sure she needed to do it now. And she found Joseph quietly sitting at the kitchen table sipping tea and reading. "We need to talk" she said.

"I love mystery novels. Agatha Christie especially. Fascinating woman. I met her once in 1926 when she was 36 years old. Talented beyond measure and a latent magic user like her mother. Found her in the side of the road one evening shrunken in her car seat. Obviously distraught, I took her to my temporary home I was renting that winter. I could sense she was of Lemurian blood which explained the shrinking. Funny thing is, what triggered the shrinking was an innocent thought. She wondered what a bee looked like if she was small. Book cover research" Joseph said grinning. I explained what had happened and at first she took it well. We even...well we have some fun with shrinking and growing. She stayed with me for ten days but on the eleventh day, she wanted to go back to her kids. The weight of magical knowledge weighed on her. What she could do if tempted. She asked me to blank her memories of it. I did and watched her stumble back into the world. Congratulations Hope. You're one of two people on this planet that knows the truth to the 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie*. Now what was it you wanted to talk about?" he asked closing his book.

(Authors note: Agatha Christie, the bestselling author in history really did disappear for 11 days in December 1926. When she returned, she had no memory of those days. To this day it remains a mystery.)

"I need you to tell me all you know about time travel" Hope said. "No" he said flatly. "Why the hell not?!" Hope yelled floating onto the table. "Do you think I should tell the person who crippled the human civilizations living in Southeast Asia the techniques of the most dangerous magic in exitance?" he asked. His question stung her to the core. "That's why I'm asking so I don't fuck up" she said. "You're thinking of going back and fixing all of it. Don't. It took me centuries to comprehend the effects of time travel. Paradoxes, the Butterfly Effect" he said. "Then why use it on a whim to teach me a lesson of its so dangerous?" she hissed. "Changing ten minutes of history is a drop in the bucket. Erasing that fight with that cartel did very little to the world line. What you're thinking of is...beyond even our kind. It's truly playing god" he said. "Then I'll do it without you" she hissed. She floated out and Joseph went after her. As soon as she flew out of the kitchen doorframe, something truly odd happened. Hope was blinded by a flash of light and when her eyes opened, she saw her mother sitting in a chair stitching a cloth. Even odder was that she was in a place with no up, down, left, or right. An expanse of pure white. 

"What...what is this?" she asked. "Everywhere and nowhere" Aspen, or the woman who looked like her, said and motioned for her to approach. The woman held out her hand an antique chair appeared before her. She motioned for Hope to sit. "Mom? What is this? Did I do this?" she asked. "You're...you're not my mom. Who the hell are you?" Hope spat as she saw a faint glow of energy in the woman's eyes. "One moment Hope. Got to get this stitch exactly right" she said. Her fear and anger made Hope lash out as she concentrated magic into her hand. A simple snap of the woman's fingers dissipated it. "No need for that" she said. Then the woman rested her hands on the cloth. "You were wrong Hope when you gave Susan that advice about power and magic" she said. "Advice?" Hope asked thinking about what she was talking about. Then Hope remembered what she had told her. That magic had no persona, that it wasn't a physical being with emotion or thought. Hope reached her hand out and the woman grasped it. "Oh my god. You're...you're..."

"Etherion. I'm the collective consciousness of the origin of all magics" she replied. "But how?" Hope asked. "Every user leaves a part of themselves in the grand order. Pele, Joseph, Ikaros, Nao the yaksha, even you. Combined, I am" she replied. Hope was very frightened. "Be at ease. No harm will come to you" Etherion said beginning her stitching again. "It's beautiful. I've never seen cloth so rich and vibrant before" Hope said. "It's not cloth. All of this is seen so you can comprehend. What I hold is reality. So your unconscious mind processed it literally as the fabric of reality. Right now, I'm busy repairing the damage you and the others did to it. And what a job they did indeed. Hold this thread please" she said pointing to a stray thread. When Hope did, she saw a vision. A tiny girl naked and lost in a forest. She was injured, her leg badly broken as if twisted. She was dying clearly where she did inside an dead tree stump. Then suddenly, Hope watched as the girl grew slowly. She scrambled out in pain as the stump got too tight for her to fit. Within moments she was human size again with her leg miraculously healed. "There. Better" Etherion said. "What was that?" Hope asked. "In another world, that girl was born a borrower. She was struck by what you call red lightning and was transformed. She was lucky. Most were killed instantly during the merge. I fixed her so to speak. But shall we speak about why I brought you here?" she asked. Hope silently nodded. 

"Joseph wasn't joking when he said time travel is fraught with danger. The smallest change can have lasting consequences" she said. "That's the point! I'm trying to undo this shit!" Hope yelled. "If done properly, it's possible" Etherion said. "Fuck yeah! Now teach me" Hope said. Etherion chuckled. "He was right not to. Hope? Do you really think stopping Markus in the past is all that will change in the present? Look at the cloth. One thread leads to another. Pull on one, another loosens as well. You would change that which was bad but there was good as well” Etherion told her. She waved her hand and moving images floated in midair all around them. Hope only recognized a few. "This...this was the day dad took me to the pool and we ran into Susan" Hope said looking at one of them. "Yes. Susan took a step back into her life. And that step led to other things. Love, adopting a child, having one of her own, saving lives. And that's just Susan. Your father has done considerable goodness too. Their actions touched others and they touched others. People lived, loved, found hope and freedom their actions. You cannot erase the evils without affecting the good as well. They are interwoven" Etherion explained. "So you're saying that if I change the past, Susan and dad won't love one another, she won't get pregnant, never adopt Ruby?" Hope asked. The woman nodded to her. 

Hope sat down trying to come to terms with that bit of info. A heavy thud was behind her and she glanced to see the woman a giantess now. She petted Hope with her finger. "What are you doing?" Hope asked. "Comforting you. I see the burden of deciding in your mind" she replied. "If I don't do it, we're looking at a possible WWIII. if I do, I take away the happiness of people I love most. It's sounds like a no brainier but...why can't I decide?" Hope asked. The woman picked her up. She brought her to her lips. "Because you have a heart" she whispered. Hope sniffled. "I wish I never had these powers. Why? Why give such a dangerous power to people?" Hope asked. "For you to learn. Even without an Etherion user among you, people will know magic. If there is one like you, they can set an example, an order to things. A mentor if you will" she replied. "And how has that worked? Every user has fucked it up one way or another" Hope said softly. "And yet they learn and better themselves. Look at Joseph. His fight burned the world and when he decided to set a penance, he created something extraordinary. And in the case of Nao, she saved humanity and when she went mad, let herself be killed. Consider this..." she said snapping her fingers. Hope found herself suddenly naked. 

"3 million years ago, your ancestors were primate creatures no smarter than pigs scurrying around for bugs and whatnot and seeking shelter in trees. That is until evolution began rolling the dice. Ample breasts to provide milk to your young" she said touching Hope's breasts. Her fingers went to her small bare soles. "Ten fingers and toes to help grasp tree trunks for climbing. Arched feet for walking upright" she said moving her finger to her pussy. "A shift in pelvis because walking upright was successful. And yet makes it more difficult and dangerous to bear children" she said rubbing her pussy. Hope gasped and squirmed. "Vaginal lubrication and sensitivity to encourage mating beyond natural instinct. A big advantage staving off mortality" she said lifting her finger and licking it clean. She touched her head. "The brain smaller yet more efficient. It all led to you. Evolution was not perfect. There were plenty of dead ends, but failure doesn't mean giving up. If at first you don't succeed, try try again" Etherion told her. Hope began to understand what she meant. "Can you show me how it came together? What triggered the paths they took?" Hope asked. "You mean Susan, your father, and those around them?" Etherion asked. "I want to preserve it. If I can just nudge things..."

"Every moment is unique in itself. What you're asking, to make it stay the same outcome is impossible. But...a facsimile may be done. That's a massive undertaking even for you" she replied. "Show me. Show me what happened just like you did before. I want to memorize it all" Hope said. Etherion saw she was set on her decision and showed her every good moment surrounding people she loved. From the evening Susan sat in her room crying and holding her sword, to the night Rose befriended Alyssa. Hope saw EVERYBFING. 

There was no way to tell how long Hope sat there staring at thousands of images floating in the air. Time and space had no meaning where she was. "You're right. I can't recreate the nuances that led to these events, but I can encourage them...sort of" Hope said to Etherion. The woman nodded. "So, can you now teach me?" Hope asked. "There one last thing you should know. The most critical and the real reason you were brought here. Do you remember how Joseph merged your past and present selves?" she asked. "Yeah. Preventing a paradox. I already considered that" she replied. "When he did that, the fabric of reality...hmm how do I... ah" she said making the cloth she was working on before reappearing. "Like this fabric, reality can be stretched but to a point. Too much and it will tear like in the case of the rift you saw. What Joseph did was a stretch. A few minutes isn't much at all but two identical Etherion users in the same time puts a strain on reality. A strain that reality could afford when he did it. Now, going back, undoing things, two Hope McCormick’s running around would tear reality again. A tear not even Etherion can fix. If you want to do this...you must sever your link to Etherion" she explained.

"But how?" Hope asked. "Only two ways can a user be untethered from Etherion. One is by death. And the other is how Joseph, Pele, and Ikaros did" she replied. "An Etherion seed. I have to create an Etherion seed. But those transform humans into magical races" Hope said. "Indeed, they do. Another choice within a choice" Etherion said smiling.  "Any other catches?" Hope asked. "Your father was once told that higher powers have taken a notice of you. If this is done, they will no longer just sit idly by. Some could very well come for you" Etherion warned.  "Higher powers?" she asked. "Gods Hope. Beings mortals consider gods. They do exist" Etherion replied. "...let them come. What I've done I nothing positive to show for it. Not even the father of my unborn child" Hope said touching her belly. Etherion walked over to her and touched her stomach. She was indeed with child. Very early on but Hope could sense the life taking root inside her. "I don't even know who the father is. They're both dead" she muttered. "You have the power to see" she said. "Yes, but I'm afraid" Hope said. "Good. Fear can make one humble and considerate of one’s actions. You may very well succeed. Close your eyes Hope and give yourself over to knowledge" she said. Hope closed her eyes. She felt a giant hand around her body. She was lifted off her feet and presented horizontally. The giantess pushed Hope in headfirst and her pussy walls did the rest.   

Hope was pulled in deeper and deeper. Of course, she wondered how being sucked into a giant cunt antiquated with knowledge, but an odd calmness descended over her heart. Her head bumped into her cervix and then she was pulled into her spacious womb. In there Hope found she could stand. It was pure darkness. From the soles of her feet to the top of her head she was shrouded in darkness until points of lights began to appear. Dozens, hundreds, tens of thousands until she felt as if she stood within a sea of stars. Then came an understanding. "Of course. All things begin in creation. Life, the soul, and knowledge. Of course, it would be here in the womb" she muttered. Her body tingled as untempered thought, knowledge, and wisdom filled her very being. She knew how to control time now but also why Etherion had never shown itself to anyone else. Hope was what Etherion considered a "singularity". The tipping point where Etherion could help the world without destruction. Where the scale of good and evil was at balance. The first time in its existence an Etherion user could break the cycle of destruction and madness. Hope opened her eyes after a time to see that she was standing in the kitchen at home once more like no time had passed. 

"I'm in no position to stop you but you will cause more destruction than before. Time is..."

"A delicate intricate part of the fabric of reality. To control it properly, one must consider the cause an effect of multiple things leading to multiple outcomes. Not to mention the paradoxes of having two identical existences in the same time frame" Hope finished. "...yes. That's exactly right" Joseph said astonished. "Honey. What's going on?" Aspen asked coming to the kitchen awoken by the shouting. "I know how to fix it mom. I know how to do it" Hope replied. "Your daughter is planning to go back in time and change history. A huge risk" Joseph said. "Is it riskier than nuclear Armageddon? That is what you're referring to right Susan?" Hope asked sensing her. "Hope it won't come to that. We can find another way" Susan said. Hope floated off the floor and to her face. "Terrible liar you are Aunt Suzie" she smiled. Hope floated away after petting her giant cheek. She thrusted her hand over her head and began. "No! Mommy forbids this!" Aspen screamed clasping her hands around her small daughter. A gentle force pushed them open. "It's the only way. I know it more than anything I've ever known. Mommy don't cry. You're not losing me. You'll have the other Hope" she said softly. Aspen found she couldn't move as she sobbed and wailed hysterically. It was the last clear thing Hope saw of that world before it blurred and as swallowed up in light. 

It felt like she was falling but everything was surrounded in light like before. Her tears fell into eternity as she traveled to her chosen place and time. And as she neared, she readied herself to cast off her Etherion power. She reached within herself and felt the connection. Using her very soul as a forge, she crafted an Etherion seed. She appeared where she intended to be and felt her power cut away. She still had impressive power compared to others, but it was as if she saw with one eye, walked with one leg, heard with one ear. She was diminished and the scope of what she was, how powerful she really was before, made her tremble. The dirt felt hot and dry under her bare feet, so she conjured clothing. Breathable sandals, light simple clothing, and a white cloak. It was time to create a new race...

September 28, 2018 Rwanda 

She had walked a certain way. Using a perception spell, she kept eyes off the odd figure walking among the village. It was a precarious place. Just 20 years before, it was a place of murder and tribal hatred. Tutsi and Hutu killing one another, mostly Hutu doing the killing. And as the hatred and warlords moved off, those not in the mind of genocide returned. But some had families on both sides not too keen on living among those they tried to slaughter. The place was a powder keg. It was perfect for her. Motioning her hands, the land was fertile again, water clean and plentiful. No doubt it would attract others to come but that was the point. Hope stood in the center of town and cast the seed high into the air. Like a puff of dandelion, it cast off smaller seeds in every direction. Seeds that would find its root in Tutsi and Hutu females. 25 each. And then she left for three days.  Hope returned to find the entire town abuzz with what had occurred. Hope had not created a new race from scratch. No. She had learned of an extinct race called the Aziz. A race of beautiful women borrower size with wings like butterflies. A race of prosperity, love, kindness, and a specialty with healing magic. A race extinguished when the slave trade came centuries ago. A race lost to history but not to the collected knowledge of Etherion. Odd thing was, not even it knew who created it. But it did provide the blueprint for Hope to work with.

The people were very familiar with the old legends of the Aziz and found it a miracle to see them once more. More astonishing to find their own people transformed into them. Hope watched them carefully. Indoors and outdoors, they were found and not one harmed. Gently touching their wings to watch them flutter. Petting them. Of course, some were terrified of the change so Hope made herself known. Once she dropped her perception spell, eyes focused on the outsider in while standing in the center of town. Tensions high as neither side trusted the other let alone an outsider, they grabbed whatever could be a weapon and came to her. Hope lowered her hood and they paused as they did not expect a white teenage girl. "Do not be afraid. No harm will come to anyone" she said in their language. "This is no place for a westerner. Leave here before someone makes you a sex slave" one said. With a gesture, every knife, pole, machete, and gun was forced to the ground. The people jumped. Hope gathered the weapons, shrank them, and handed them to a random person before walking to a table where an Aziz stood. They were terrified of the woman who made things glow and smaller. The old adage "white devil" had been spoken before but not so literally until now.   Hope sat down at the table across from a young man. In front of him the Aziz who seemed no older than 13. Neither was able to move out of fright.

"What do you think of this?" Hope asked him looking at the Aziz cowering in his hand. He said nothing until Hope squeezed his free hand and smiled. "You made my sister beautiful" he replied softly. "Are you upset she is not human anymore?" she asked. He didn't answer. Hope motioned for his sister to come closer. "What's your name?" she asked. "Uhura" the girl replied softly. "A pretty name for a pretty girl. Are you angry you are this way now?" she asked. "I feel different. Like I have purpose. It's confusing" she replied. "I know how you feel but are you angry?" she asked. "...no" she replied. "Good. I was hoping you wouldn't be. I'm still learning how to think things through before I do stuff" Hope giggled. "You...you did this?" Uhura asked. "Yes. To give a balance to things" she replied. There was doubt in their eyes until Hope took it upon herself to shrink down and stand beside her. Everyone gasped. Uhura bowed before her as did everyone around. "The great creator!" one shouted. "No! I am no such thing. I am just a girl with magic unknown to you. I am no goddess" she said. She had Uhura raise her head. "Come! Everyone come so I can explain" Hope said. People crowded around the basic broke down restaurant to listen to her talk.

She spoke of how each continent, except for Australia and Antarctica had a magical race of their own. She told them why she split the seed among two tribes that disliked one another to promote harmony and family. How the humans here should serve as guardians like the olden times. How their existence should be kept hidden. They revered her. Her gentle voice, her words, her smile, how she cared for the Aziz. Two days had passed, and Hope found it was time to go. Hope laid on a soft thicket of grass staring at the stars. "So, I can have kids right?" Uhura asked lazing about on Hope's tummy. "Of course, silly. A species can't survive without kids. I did split the males and females between the tribes though. Tutsi's have males, Hutu's have females. You'll have to get along though" Hope said smiling as she rubbed her tiny feet. "I have to leave you" Hope whispered. "No great one! You cannot leave us. The people are afraid they are not up to the task you laid out" she said. "You will be fine. Now and then I will check on you and your people just have to call on me if it is dire" Hope said sitting up. Uhura fluttered onto her shoulder as she walked back to the center of town. People felt something was different. "I must go" she said. The people begged her not to in jumbled speech. "You know what you must do, what I hope you must do. Let this mark the beginning of a new race, a new tradition, the end of violence" she said. "We don't even know your name" someone said. True. Hope had not told them who she was in all of this. Hope realized at that moment, if she was going to live in this new timeline, she couldn't use her name anymore. There was already one Hope McCormick in the world. She chose one similar yet different.

"Faith. My name is Faith" she said. Uhura flittered off her shoulder crying. "Aww. Don't cry" she said. "I'm not crying! You are!" Uhura said childishly sniffling. Faith wiped the tears away she did shed. Faith kissed the girl softly. "You promise you'll come?" Uhura asked. "You're a literal part of me. I will feel you all wherever I go. Goodbye for now Uhura" Hope said. She translocated away. 

Faith had checked the date twice. An important day in a slew of important dates in her borrower inherited memory. October 7, 2018. It was the day Susan almost committed suicide. In her timeline, Rose had opened her door just moments before she stuck the blade in her throat. Rose left moments later not sticking around. Faith theorized if she had, Susan wouldn't have stayed in depression nearly two months longer. She had changed her appearance as she would be recognized easily if not as she made her way to the sunroom. It irked her that she had to prepare and concentrate for hours just doing so. Before, Etherion would've made the change effortless and instantaneous. Her skin the color of sandalwood, her hair was black now and her eyes a gentle hazel. Her clothes were simple enough and she checked her scent. She shed a tear as no trace of her inherited father or mother's scent remained. The time was 9:44 pm. She entered the sunroom and found Rose drinking hot chocolate. "Excuse me. Ms. Durmont?" Faith asked. "Hello miss. You can just call me Rose. What seems to be the trouble?" Rose asked putting her cup down on the table. "Well. I was walking outside for fresh air and heard someone crying from that room down there" Faith replied pointing to around the hallway. "You did?" Rose asked. Faith nodded. 

"More like heartbroken sobbing really" Faith said. Rose nodded and left the room. Faith listened in. "Susan you sure you're okay. Your eyes are red and you're holding your sword funny" Rose said. "Just having a hard night. Nothing to be worked up about. If you could I'd like to be alone" Susan said. Rose closed the door and returned to the kitchen. "It was my friend. Since my mom died, she's been very depressed" Rose said. "Sounds like she could use company" Faith said. "Well she wants to be left alone" Rose shrugged. "What we want isn't always what we need. I think you should go back" Faith said. Rose thought for a moment.  Faith hoped she'd reconsider. She didn't want to risk using too much of her magic here. Just concealing her magic from her other self was challenging. "You're right. I didn't like the look of hoe she was holding that sword. Dammit I shouldn't have left. Thanks..."

"Faith" she finished. Rose nodded and left the room. Faith listened in. "I said I wanted to be alone Rose" Susan said. "Tough luck. Now why don't you put the sword down and hold me for a while. You don't have to act tough around me" Rose said. Faith heard a faint clunk as the sword was dropped onto the floor. "I miss her too. I won't let you hurt all alone Suzie" Rose said. Faith figured she did what she could for that moment as Susan cried into Rose's shoulder.

Later that night, Faith snuck into Susan's room. She smiled to herself to find that she was not alone. A giantess Rose sleeping soundly with a tiny Susan next to her on a pillow. Faith hovered onto the bed. She loved them like family. She really did consider Susan an aunt and Rose a big sister. It was hard to be there and not be "there". Her new persona made her feel like an outsider to them. Rose's feet poked out from the bedsheets. Her left sole towering over her. Long slender toes unpainted but neat and trim. Faith gently felt her bare sole. Smooth, warm, the smell of lotion and feet. Rose's scent. Her heart ached to be with them again as she kicked herself for taking for granted them being in her life. She afforded herself a kiss on her giant arch. That much she allowed herself. Faith scribbled out a note and placed it on the nightstand. It was the address of Susan's father. If events were to change, then the events leading to her finding her father would too. Faith left them and went back to what she called home now. 

She sat in her bathtub longer than usual. The hooting of owls outside her window the only sound. She lived simply in a cabin not far from Tacoma Washington. Nice, quiet, and off the grid. It was then she came to terms that the people she loved most of all she could never be with them again. Her parents most of all. Faith cried softly as it felt she lost her father for a second time. She could never tell him he was going to be a grandfather. A little while later, as she lay in bed, she went over what to do next.

October 13, 2018

Faith made a call to social services in Miami about Tracy's foster parents. When they saw the conditions, she lived in she was immediately taken out of their custody. Faith had plans for Tracy but one thing at a time. She was still crafting her new identity which included a livable bank account.

October 19, 2018

Faith waited patiently outside her dressing room. Celine Cruz also known as the Zodiac Aries had come into Tacoma for a concert. A very brief pause in time let her enter after enough had left Celine alone. With a bit of magic, Faith made sure nobody could hear what was going on inside. "Excuse me but any interviews will occur at the after party" Celine said. "Not here for an interview Aries" Faith said quietly. Celine's eyes went wide. "Adet!" she said summoning her artifact. Faith quickly clamped down her hand over her mouth. Celine found out fast this woman was way too strong to be human. "Easy. I'm not here to hurt you. On the contrary, I'm here to help you" Faith said touching Celine's forehead. With a memory recall spell, Faith forced her repressed memories out into the open. The songstress doubled over in shock. Faith sat down next to her. "How could've I have forgotten? Oh god the things I did for him. What kind of person forgets all that?" she muttered crying in shock. "A person so brutalized her mind did what it could to save her. He broke you to build you into his weapon" Faith replied. She could see a building rage in her eyes. "No. Leave that to me" Faith said hearing her thoughts. "He murdered my family! Crushed my boyfriend under his shoe like he was a bug!" Celine...no Alicia spat. "And he tricked me into killing 50 million people and helped turn my daddy into ashes. Besides, I'm probably the only one right now that could kill who can't die" Faith said. Alicia looked at her dumbfounded. "Who...who are you?" she asked. "The one that was once known as Hope" she replied.

Faith spent the next two hours telling Alicia everything.  The gravity of what Alicia was working towards and the consequences made the girl puke into a trash can. "Yes, it's jarring to hear" Faith said handing her a bottled water. "In a way I feel better telling you all this. I don't feel so alone right now" Faith said. "Can I come with you?" Alicia asked. Faith was taken by surprise. "I can't go back to ZODIAC and they'll come looking. That and I want to see his face when you kill him" she said. Faith saw she made a good point. Libra and the others would come looking for her eventually. "Okay but I kinda live isolated from everything. No cable, spotty Internet, and the incessant hitting of owls..." Faith told her. "I'll manage" Alicia said. Faith looked at the door. "And your fans?" Faith asked. "Not a word. This...all of this was as front anyway" Alicia said angrily tossing her heels away. Faith took her hand and translocated home.

October 23, 2018

Faith had tracked her down to this location. She could sense the borrower in the ancient castle ruins of Castle Roche. The sun hung low overhead as she sat down on a stone. Faith could smell the unwashed girl hiding from the giantess. "Ruby? You don't have to hide. I won't hurt you" Faith said loudly. She could hear the tiny girl move hearing her name. Faith knew full well her location now but knew it was better if she came out of hiding on her own. With a bit of magic, she made a small fire and skewered chunks of lamb bought at a butcher shop down the road. Faith listened to the sizzling of meat and the now and then movement created by tiny bare feet. "I know what it's like to lose family. To feel so alone you wonder if it's better to die" Faith said softly. She pulled off a cooked chuck of meat and tossed it down near where Ruby was. The girl darted out and snatched it like a mouse. "What if I told you of a place where borrowers lived in safety. No murderous humans, food and shelter, a person more than willing to make you her family" Faith said. "It's a lie told by a human. You want to hurt or eat me” Ruby said. "I'm many things but human isn't one of them" Faith said bending down and exposing her hand. Ruby nearly ran off into the night until she caught her scent. She was pregnant and not human judging by her overly strong pheromones.

"How? How are you so big?" she asked finally coming out. "Magic" Faith grinned. Faith poured some water into a cup and heated it. With some reluctance, she had the girl bathe. "When was the last time you had a good meal and a bath?" Faith asked watching the girl close her eyes and prop her little feet in the rim of the cup. "Not since my parents died" she replied. Faith knew that was three years ago. "What it like there?" Ruby asked. "In the colony? It's like a city with a lot of borrowers. Thousands of them with kids your age. They live in small houses and homes with baths, toilets, phones for TVs" Faith replied. "Sounds like you're fucking with me" Ruby snorted. Faith had to stifle a laugh. "No, it's completely true. It's run by the daughter of a borrower philanthropist. They opened schools, public libraries, even pools" Faith said showing her pictures on her phone. Faith sensed a troubling thought in that tiny head of her. "No. Don't ever think that. Any parent would want their kid to have a better life than them. You surviving is NOT something to be ashamed of" Faith said.  The girl sobbed quietly in her little bath. When she calmed down, Faith dried her off. "What if they don't like me? What if nobody wants me?" Ruby asked bracing herself on her giant finger as the giantess dried between her legs.

"Trust me that won't be a problem. You're an easily lovable girl. Pretty feet and toes. That red hair and cute booty" Faith said tapping her bare butt. Ruby giggled. "What if I want to stay with you?" Ruby asked. "No can do. That's not meant to be" Faith replied softly. "But why?! You just said I'm easily lovable! I'll lick your feet, your pussy, even let you suck on me! Please don't pass me off!" the girl bawled. To say Faith was tempted to bring her with her was an understatement. Being pregnant, her motherly instincts screamed to take care of her. This was not the plan. Susan and Ruby were the perfect match for one another. Being in each other's lives gave them meaning beyond mother and adopted daughter. With a wave of her hand, Faith transmuted simple clothing for the girl which made Ruby immediately stop crying. "There are things in life that have to happen a certain way and some that don't. Saving you was one. Not being your mommy is another. When I tell you everything is going to be okay. You can bet on that. It doesn't seem that way now, like I'm abandoning you, but it will get better. I... I wish I could be your mommy, but I can't sweetie" Faith said crying and looking away. Ruby saw it was just as tough on the giantess to deny her request. 

Faith made a translocation portal. "Step through and ask for a woman named Susan. Ask her what you asked me. She might refuse but she's in an emotional place where she probably won't. Tell her everything about you. You'll find she has a very good heart" Faith said touching her tiny head. For good measure, Faith snuck a temporary charm spell on the girl to find her more...alluring to Susan. Cheating in a way but Faith didn't care as long as they found one another. Faith was left alone and ate the leftovers of her makeshift meal. "Now that's done. Time for the really hard part" she muttered translocating a few hundred miles south. 

Faith was anxious as this was her first real fight since giving up Etherion. There was no reasoning with this one. She quietly stepped into the makeshift church. "By your will my lord" Virgo said on the phone. She hung up. "Nobody is coming to this abomination" Faith said to her. Virgo turned around. "And who may you be child?" Virgo asked. "Still trying to figure that out. A monster, a redeemer, a wanderer, or pariah? Tell me Mother Bloom, or Virgo, or maybe you prefer Countess?" Faith asked. Red light came from Virgo's eyes as she fried off a lightning spell. Faith dodged just in time for it to miss and blow a hole in the wall. Faith began charging an attack spell. "Come out child" Virgo said blowing apart pew after pew. "Susan decimated her last time with close attacks. Gotta close the distance" Faith muttered. Virgo exploded another pew as Faith shrank down. "Fool" Virgo muttered firing off lightning right where Faith was moving. Due to her small size, the blast was more potent and sent her flying. The giantess watched Faith crash into the holy water blessing bowl. "And now you die" she chuckled freezing the surface of the water.

The temperature plummeted causing Faith to go into shock. She could barely move, and her tiny fists couldn't crack the inch-thick ice. The giantess watched amused and then touched the ice with a finger. An electric shock conducted through the frozen water numbing Faith. Her three-inch body sank to the bottom. And as she faded into death, her spell was finally ready. She let lose a powerful blast blowing the bowl and ice to smithereens. The shivering and gasping girl floated into the air. Faith looked at the astonished woman and held out her palm then curled one finger out of five. "Cluster spell! Gravity!" Faith shouted letting lose the second spell and curling her second finger. The force of 50 g's slammed the giantess into the floor shattering it and caving her into the dirt underneath. "You little..."

"Cluster spell! Inferno!" Faith shouted engulfing the woman in a blaze so hot it turned some of the sand in the dirt to glass. It quickly set the floor on fire. The blaze seared the false plaster skin of Virgo. "Cluster spell! Freeze!" Faith yelled curling her fourth finger. The fire burning Virgo was extinguished instantly but covered her in a layer of ice. The rapid shift in temperature cracked and fractured the magic artifact imbued skin. Faith grew to human size. "Cluster spell! Miniaturization!" Faith said curling her pinky and how having a fist. The uber powered up shrink spell overwhelmed the necromancy zodiac shrinking her to barely an half inch tall. Faith plucked her up. "You...won't get away with this! He'll come for you! They all will!" Virgo screamed as Faith put pressure on her. "That's the point. Go to hell. They've been waiting for centuries" Faith hissed squeezing. The woman squeaked as Faith crushed her body. She spent several minutes grinding her plaster and philosopher stone bonded bones into powder. With a sigh, she blew the dust from her hands. Faith walked outside. She let out a good bit of frustration blowing the compound to bits. The main house including the artifact, the church, the living quarters. All blown to splinters and burned. ZODIAC's effort to spread the false belief in Markus was turned to ashes. No necromancy borrower puppets, Ruby dying, Susan making a choice that would plague her conscience (no matter how much she denied it didn't). All stopped before it could happen.  Faith returned home.

"How did it...ohmygod!" Alicia said seeing Faith shivering and soaking wet. "It came and went. Virgo is out of the picture" Faith replied stumbling. Alicia caught her before she fell. "Hot bath. Now” Alicia said to her. Living off the grid, hot water was a rare commodity (although fire magic helped). As so, Alicia and Faith both bathed at the same time. Faith soaked in the sink while Alicia soaked in the tub. "You sure you're okay?" Alicia asked. "Just not used to spell casting this way. Before, just a gesture or even a thought was enough. Now, it's like swimming in mud. A lot of effort and concentration" she replied. "That and you're pregnant. You should take some time off to rest" Alicia said raising her leg and watching the water run off her skin. "A lot to do in little time. But you're right, the next job will be easier...in theory" Faith said. Alicia climbed out of the tub and dried off. "Let me help" the giantess said holding a dry cloth. Faith let herself be dried, smirking as she did a similar thing a few hours earlier. Later that night, Faith could hear Alicia talking in her sleep. She got up and checked on her. "No...no please.... don’t...DON'T!" Alicia screamed. Faith shook her awake. Alicia gasped and shot up. "It was just a dream" Faith said. "I could feel his breath on me. Saying he would make my life living hell for betraying him" Alicia said crying. Faith sat down on the bed and scooted to her left. 

"He can't hurt you. I won't let him get within a mile of you. I swear" Faith said sternly. Alicia could see the glow in her eyes in the darkness. Alicia felt herself being surrounded by warmth suddenly and as her eyes adjusted to the faint light, found herself shrunk in the hands of Faith. She looked at her. "Oh shit. Sorry. I'm used to my father holding me in his hands when I had bad dreams. I'll cancel..."

"Don't" Alicia said. Faith petted the girl listening to her sighs. Within minutes, Alicia had fallen back to sleep. Faith chose to sleep in Alicia's bed just in case the girl had another nightmare. She placed the still shrunken girl on her pillow and laid down. She had a naturally keen sense of smell already but being pregnant made it stronger. Faith found herself drawn to the girl. She could smell the sweat of fear on her body. Faith didn't want her to be afraid of anything. She experienced enough fear for a lifetime. Alicia was ovulating. Faith wanted her to have a chance of making a family. Faith pulled the covered down a few inches exposing Alicia's body. She looked peaceful as she slept. Faith leaned in smelling her tiny feet. Her lips quivered as she caught scent of her little pussy. She backed off. "No. I don't have the right. Not after what I've done. It would be wrong anyway. She doesn't love me" Faith thought. Faith covered her again and laid her head back down. Was it loneliness or being pregnant that made her feel infatuation for her? Faith didn't know. 

October 26, 2018 Taipei Taiwan

"You don't have to do what they want Banshen" Faith told her as a spell bound the Mogwai agent. Banshen struggled against the ethereal chains on her ankles and wrists. "Orders" she said coldly. "And who would order the murder of an 8-year-old boy? For what purpose?" Faith asked holding the shrunken child who was about to be eaten by the Asian girl. Banshen didn't answer but Faith didn't need her too. A simple reading of her thoughts gave the answer. "Because he's the child of a human mistress. A dirty little secret of a Mogwai noble. That's his crime? Being born? Similar to you being born with a speech impediment and learning disability? Well maybe not similar but both out of your control" Faith said looking at the frightened boy shivering in his pajamas. Banshen looked astonished as Faith. "How..." she muttered. "How is not important. What's important is what is said next. There's a place where you can live freely without the fear of being euthanized for being different. Where you don't have to eat innocent kids for a man who doesn't have the courage to get his hands dirty. A place you don't have to let yourself be raped to please your superiors" Faith said snapping her fingers and canceling the binding spell. "...where?" Banshen asked. "Yorkshire England. The Durmont Estate" she replied. Banshen laughed at her. "We fought! Died there! They take a Mogwai?!" she yelled. "You will find that there are people there that don't harbor hate and prejudice like Mogwai. It won't be easy at first but nothing good in life comes easy. That much I learned the hard way. It will take time for them to know you as Banshen and not the Mogwai" she replied. Faith walked over to her. She unshrank the boy. 

"I want my mommy" the boy cried shivering in the cold rooftop air. His toes scrunching from the cold concrete. Banshen looked at the child sobbing then looked away holding her breath. When her gaze returned, tears ran down her face. "Take me. Please" she begged. Faith opened a portal. "Step through and tell them you want asylum. Tell them how you feel but leave me out of it" Faith said. "Why? Who are you?" Banshen asked. "Just a friend" Faith replied. Faith watched her step through and then turned to the boy. She cast a sleeping spell on him and very discreetly returned him to his bedroom. 

She returned him where Alicia had lunch ready. "Mission was a success" she sighed sitting on the couch and taking her shoes off. She rubbed her tired sweaty feet before resting her back. She was visibly pregnant now with the baby due in two weeks. Alicia plopped down next to her. "Come on. Shrink down" she said. "No, I'm fine" Faith said. "Nuh uh. You need it. Look at your shirt" she said. Faith glanced and saw her milk soaking the top. Faith took off her clothing before shrinking down. She blushed in the hand of her giantess roommate. "I'm sorry to have you do this" Faith muttered. "Shhh" Alicia said bringing her to her lips. Faith made a squeak then a deep sigh as the giantess sucked the milk from her swollen breasts. She was spent within a minute and Alicia pulled her back. With a smirk, Alicia showed her a shiny slick finger used to steady her. "Oh god" Faith muttered smelling her juices on it. Alicia brought her finger to her mouth. "Don't..."

"Lick it" Faith said as she did. Alicia said nothing as she parted her little legs. Faith groaned as the giantess licked and sucked her tiny pussy. "Yes...yes...oh fuck yes" she moaned as she ground her pussy on her lips. "Eat me...fuckin eat me. I love you...uhhhgh!  Faith groaned cumming. Alicia drank her juices and wiped her lips. "What was that last part?" Alicia asked. Mortified, Faith hopped off her hand and ran. She hid underneath the chair. "Stupid! Stupid!" Faith cursed herself. "Faith it's okay. Please come out" Alicia said. Faith didn't and just sat there crying. Alicia bent down and wrapped her giant fingers around her and gently took her out of her hiding place. Faith couldn't bear to look at her. "Just pretend it never happened" Faith muttered. A giant finger turned her head and giant lips kissed her face. "No, I won't" Alicia said. Faith shivered as the giantess licked her feet. "Alicia no. Stop" Faith said. Alicia ignored her and planted kisses on her body. Faith made a squeak as a giant tongue licked her bare ass. "You can't...you can't love me" Faith sobbed. "Why?" Alicia asked very worried. "All the things I did. I can't...I'm not worthy of that. Not this, you, or it" she said touching her belly.

"How can you worry about fixing others and not yourself? It begins in here. You showed me that" Alicia said pointing to her heart. Faith quietly sniffled to herself. Alicia carried her to her bedroom and placed her on the bed. "What..."

"We're going to have fun silly" Alicia giggled as she took her clothes off. She laid on the bed, her legs encircling Faith. "Come on my silly little borrower. There's a pussy that needs licking" Alicia said spreading her lips. Faith buried her face in her folds licking and slurping. Alicia moaned softly and placed her finger in the small of Faith's back. She didn't push or force the delicate girl within a few minutes, Alicia groaned and drenched Faith. Both girls bathed not long after. "Thanks Alicia" Faith told her as she rinsed her hair. "For what? The honor of licking my pussy?" Alicia chuckled. "For reminding me I have to learn to forgive myself in order to move on" Faith replied. "I'm learning myself. I did things...I can never forget. One fan pissed me off and I..." Alicia said before shutting her eyes. "And that's nothing compared to what I did to the humans in Markus's city. Faith, if all of this ends well, what do you plan to do about them?" Alicia asked. "I haven't figured it out yet. The possible father of my baby lives there" she replied. 

She turned the lights off and laid down her head. "You know I can go for another session. Slip you right in sweetie" Alicia said to Faith in bed. Faith was sound asleep. She petted her belly and felt the baby move within. "Another time then" she sighed closing her eyes.

October 30, 2018 Alexandria Virginia

"Now give me the server address for the National Geospatial imaging data bank" Libra said. "Please...let them go. I'll give you what you want" the older man begged. "Not until you do as I asked. Now stop stalling" Libra said. The middle-aged man typed on his encrypted laptop, but it kept failing to connect. "Jennifer Anders then placed her shrunken daughter into her mouth and swallowed" Libra said writing in her artifact. "No please!" the man yelled as his spellbound wife placed their screaming child in her mouth. The sound of fingers snapping wasn't even heard. Faith casually walked over as time had stopped and yanked the child out before her mother could swallow her alive. Then time resumed its flow. "What the hell?!" Libra yelled seeing a woman seemingly appear out of nowhere. Faith unshrank the girl and put the family to sleep. "Who...who are you?" Libra asked seeing an extremely powerful Mage in her midst. "Nice try Libra but I'm not telling you who I am. I know that's how it works" Faith said coldly. Libra immediately opened a portal to retreat and was struck in the back by a shrinking spell. What was just inches away from safety now turned into half a mile. She was barely taller than the carpet fibers now. Faith couldn't hear her begging as she slipped off her shoe. "I almost felt sorry for you. You're barely a teenager and then I remembered how you played into my feelings. How you smiled when I killed them" Faith said as she took her sock off. The sweaty swollen sole of the monolithic titaness filled her gaze. Micro drops of sweat the size of her entire body came down like rain on Libra. Faith slammed her foot down.

"Another one down" she said barely feeling the minuscule body implode. 

November 3, 2018

"Push!" Alicia said using a torn piece of paper towel to swab the sweat off Faith's head. Faith let out an almighty scream and then the next sound was the crying of a newborn. "It's a girl! A girl" Alicia said holding it. "Wait...something isn't...AAAHGH!" Faith cried out. "Twins! Faith you're having twins?!" she asked. They got their answer within minutes. "It's a boy!" Alicia said. Exhausted, Faith used magic to heal themselves. Alicia handed them to her before unshrinking. An hour had passed before Faith spoke again. "It's both" she muttered. "Come again?" Alicia asked. "They're both the fathers. Markus and Theo" she replied. "Is...is that possible? *" Alicia asked. "I can smell it. Theo is the father of the boy. Markus the girl" she replied. Faith looked frightened. "Do you love them?" Alicia asked. Faith cried softly and nodded. "Then that's all you need to worry about right now" she said. 

(Authors note: Yes, it's possible)

November 6, 2018

"You should've waited longer Faith. You're still recovering" the shrunken Alicia said as she rocked the twins to sleep. "They were on the move. Now that he lost more members, I can tell he's being more cautious. They had powerful arcane barriers in place" Faith replied taking her socks off. "So, Gemini is dead?" she asked. Faith showed her two ominous splotches of blood on her right sole. "I'd say so" she replied. Alicia placed them in their cribs. "Good riddance. They were creepy as hell" she muttered. Faith picked her up. "Thanks so much for agreeing to shrink down to care for them. I know it isn't easy" she said. "It's not so bad besides the constant crying and pooping. I thought about having kids until Markus told me I couldn't. Public image and it could interfere with the plan" Alicia said. "Do you still want one of your own?" Faith asked. "I... I don't know. I'm kinda content with yours" she replied blushing. Faith gave her a wicked grin. "A foster mom? That's more than just a girlfriend thing" Faith said. Alicia turned beet red and looked away. With a snap of her fingers, she made their clothing disappear. Faith blew her breath on the tiny girl. She moved her face closed to her. She could smell how tired she was and yet didn't really complain. "You smell yummy" she giggled. Alicia squirmed as giant lips planted kisses on her nude body. "Teasing me all the time saying I'm your little borrower. There was more to that wasn't it?" Faith asked. 

She enveloped her feet first. Those tiny toes wriggling as her body was slowly sucked into her mouth. Faith gave her a gentle suck and Alicia sighed. With a smirk, Faith eased the tip of her tongue into her small pussy making the girl squeak. "Oh...oh god" she muttered as she was drawn deeper into her mouth. Faith had begun fingering herself rapidly as she played with her body. Faith had shrunken people in her mouth before but there was something different about Alicia. She tasted so much sweeter. Maybe it was because she loved her so much. To taste her body. Her sweat, pheromones, her flesh. Alicia gave a yelp as she closed her lips encasing her in her mouth. She sucked on the girl exacting every bit of flavor until an explosion of sweetness. Faith let her out of her mouth and placed her on the bedsheet. Alicia wiped the saliva from her eyes to see the giantess finger fucking herself over her body. And when she came there was a small shower of her juices on her.

"I wasn't too rough, was I?" Faith asked later as they cleaned themselves up. "You definitely had some pent-up feelings" Alicia said washing the stickiness off her. "Borrowers feel emotions stronger than humans. We can be...intense" Faith said. There was a silence. "I wish I could" Faith said. "To what?" Alicia asked. "To marrying you. I'm a nobody Faith. I'm an orphan to a dead timeline" Faith said. "Borrower get birth certificates all the time now. You can too" Alicia said. Faith was quiet. 

"I'm just saying you could if you wanted to" Alicia said later in bed. "I shouldn't" Faith said. "Why the hell not?" Alicia asked annoyed. "Because I'm afraid of what I might become again. Alicia, I dominated hundreds of humans. Ate a bunch of them and while it nagged my conscious, it felt so fucking good. The bodies wriggling down my throat. Their puny lives at the mercy of my toes" Faith said with a heavier breath. "I have to go back there eventually and what then? What if I fall back into that? Can you be a wife to a sociopath?" Faith asked. "This really bothers you" Alicia asked looking at her. She carried her cheek. "If you have to ask then you're not a sociopath. The difference this time is you're not alone" she said. Faith kissed her deeply. Alicia watched the tired girl go to sleep thinking about the things she had done herself. She dreaded going back to that place, but she knew she had to. As strong as she was, she knew she was no match for Markus in her current form. Faith would need her help. 

November 17, 2018

Faith was nervously straightening her dress as she waited. She sat on the table of a judge working out of the state court In Olympia Washington. Here she would become a US citizen. "Afternoon. Shall we get started?" a court judge asked. "By all means sir" she said to the giant. "So you look young. Your age?" he asked. "...15 sir" she replied lying. "I see. Mother? Father?" he asked. "Never knew my father. He was a breeding stud. My mother was eaten when she could no longer bear children" Faith replied. The man cringed slightly. He had heard of similar things before but never got used to it. "Any uh...kids?" he asked. "A son named Matthew and a daughter Grace" she replied smiling. "Okay. Let me see. Your full name is Faith McCormick and your mailing address is a PO box in Tacoma. Between houses?" he asked. "Yes sir" she replied. "Well it seems to be in order. Sign here and um...take off your shoes" he said handing her a pen. She signed it balancing the giant writing tool and took off her shoes and socks. He placed an inkpad before her. "Handprints here and footprints here" he said pointing underneath the signed line. Faith pressed her hands into the ink and then the paper. She followed by stepping onto the pad. Her weight made it sink a little. She squirmed slightly as the ink soaked between her little toes. "Oopsie daisy" he said plucking her up and helping her make the prints without tracking it around. He put her back down and handed her a wet piece of paper towel. 

"How often have you done this?" she asked. "A few dozen" he replied. "So, I guess you heard some stories" she said. "A few" he replied softly. She glanced over to see a picture on his desk. Him, his wife, and a tiny girl in his hand. "Who's that if I may ask" she said. "My daughter" he said. She looked at him curious. "She was our...umm...pet. When my wife died five years ago, I was left with just her. We bonded over grief and I came to see her as my daughter. That's her in a better picture" he said pointing to a picture on the wall. It was taken so well one wouldn't know she was really a few inches tall. "When the law went into effect. I was the one that made her a citizen. I even put her in my will" he said. "Did anyone give you shit?" she asked. "The state is liberal but giving her kind rights was a step too far for some. I lost the election this month" he muttered. "She's adorable" Faith said. "I'd do it all over again. My cute, rambunctious, teenage daughter makes my life livable" he said. He touched the photo. "Who the hell cares if she no taller than my thumb? She's mine and I love her" he said. Faith put her shoes and socks back on. "Damn right" she said. She stood up and he picked her up. "You'll get the copy in the mail soon. Umm...you smell smoke?" he asked. "Oh, I was eating BBQ for lunch" she replied. He chuckled and placed her on the floor. She waved bye to him and left. 

"I got it done!" Faith said. "Got what?" Alicia asked. "I’m a citizen" Faith said hugging her. "Sweet! And... Jesus you reek of smoke!" Alicia said. "Hehe. Well, before meeting with the judge, I had to stop Sagittarius from killing that Swiss banker. Killing her was easy. Popped right in and ran her through with an icicle. Problem was she wasn't alone. She had a bunch of mages with her. One thing led to another and we set the roof of a hotel on fire. They went down and I helped put out the fire. Easy peasy" she said. Alicia eyed her. "You're getting overconfident" she said. "I happen to know how to take them out one by one. I know their weaknesses. If anyone is overconfident it's them. Come on. Don't be mad at me. I did get you something while I was in Switzerland" she said holding out her hand. She opened it to reveal a tiny box. Faith opened it revealing a ring. She bent down on one knee on the coffee table. "Will you marry me?" she asked. Alicia burst into tears and hugged her. "...yes, but first bathe. You smell like arson" she chuckled. 

Alicia admired the beautiful gold ring on her finger as Faith held her kids and breastfed them. "How many are left?" Alicia asked. Four. Pisces, Cancer, Capricorn, and Aquarius. The others are dead" she replied. "Who's next?" she asked. "Capricorn. I can find her in Atlanta" Faith replied. "You sure? You are changing the timeline" she asked. "Yes. Some things did change like the fight with Sagittarius but because of his plan, some things are locked in place because of his little schedule" Faith replied.

November 20, 2018

"I have a daughter! Please don't...*GULP*" a hooker was pleading before she was sent down his throat. "Interrogations really aren't my thing. Annoying and it makes me peckish" he said grinning. He grabbed Faith by the chin. "Still won't tell me who you are?" Aquarius asked empowering his artifact. Faith whimpered as she felt her left femur break. "Did that feel bad or just hurt a little? Increasing blood pressure on a fine point can be a bit tricky" he said. Faith had tracked him to a hotel on the Miami strip and went to kill him. However, she was not counting on witnesses. Five in fact. Call girls he had bought for some fun for the night. Her hesitation gave him a window to subdue her. As for the call girls, two were in his stomach, two more squashed flat on the floor. The last one overdosing after he gleefully buried her in a small mountain of coke. "The Master informed me someone was knocking us off. Thought it was Keith and his do gooders but they haven't moved from that mansion of theirs. So tell me, who sent you?" he asked. Faith spat in his face. With a rage, he incited the blood vessel running through her eye to explode. Faith shrieked in pain as she lost her left eye. "I can do so much worse. Hmmm...you're lactating. That means movement and I'm good with movement. Faith went rigid as she felt the milk in her glands freeze. She could barely focus her magic. Old iron handcuffs blocked most of her attack spells but not all of them. She knew the fatal flaw of his artifact. The air grew very cold and the sound of crackling increased. Aquarius turned his back as a shower of icicles raced towards him. 

His power could control anything that moved but its flaw was he could control only one thing at a time. He stopped one but not the other six. He fell to the floor dead at her feet. It took a few minutes for Faith to get free. She collapsed onto the sofa and began healing her wounds. She checked on the shrunken girl in the pile of cocaine. Dead. Faith didn't touch anything. The police would find this eventually and just think it was a drug binge with hired borrowers gone wrong. Nothing magical about it. Speaking of, she destroyed his artifact. Faith returned home and fell into Alicia's arms. She just asked to be held. It was clear her task of eliminating ZODIAC was reaching a climax. She didn't tell Alicia that her eye had been exploded, her leg broken, the frostbite in her tits. She didn't want to trouble her. It was enough to watch Alicia looking at web blogs saying she was dead, pregnant, on drugs, or whatever the excuse was for her disappearance. That face that said she wanted to scream that she was a fake, that her life was a made-up ruse to further the plans of a madman.  "If this is going to work, you can't keep secrets" Alicia said as they lay in bed. "It was just a bad fight" Faith said. Alicia touched her with her giant finger. Faith nearly jumped. "Then why are you so jumpy? You came home with blood on your collar and smelling of pee. Don't tell me it was just a bad fight" she said.  "He tortured me for a while. It hurt" Faith said. Her finger went down her body and Faith flinched as it touched her leg. "Where else?" she asked. "My eye and both breasts" she replied. Faith felt large teardrops fall on her. "No more. You're not going alone anymore" she said. "I need someone to look after the kids" Faith said. "We can hire a borrower babysitter but you're not going alone" she said. "I can't put you..."

"This! This gives me the right! This isn't just a ring. It's a symbol. A promise" Alicia said showing her 

 the gold band given to her. Faith chose not to argue any further. "It's your day tomorrow. What would you like?" Faith muttered. "We can skip my day. You need it more" Alicia replied. "In that case I want a pedicure. A real good worshiping session" Faith said. "That's it?" Alicia chuckled. "No, one other thing. I want you to sit naked on my nose and look me in the eyes. Tell me you love me" Faith muttered. "I tell you...oh. I see. Consider it done my borrower lady" Alicia smiled.

November 25, 2018

"That was easier than I thought" Alicia said taking her coat off. "Only because your song boosted my magic" Faith said putting the kettle on. "It was your idea to use gravity magic to trap Cancer. All that defensive magic doesn't mean squat if you're pinned to the ground" Alicia said. "Yeah. It went easier this time" Faith said taking her boots off. "How did it go last time?" she asked. "Really not sure. Some alternate version of Susan stabbed her through the mouth. Then Susan died and faded away when her timeline was erased" Faith replied. "Whoa. Why haven't you faded away?" Alicia asked. "Very high-level mages like Etherion users are immune to that. Their magic places them kinda out of step with reality" she replied. "Then you really did lose everything" Alicia muttered. "...except my babies. Speaking of which. Lucy! We're home!" Faith said. Minutes later, a small borrower woman trotted out of the bedroom. "Welcome back" Lucy said bowing. "Oh come now Lucy. We said we don't like that formal stuff. Come rest those feet. I got tea brewing" Faith said sitting down.

Lucy climbed onto the coffee table and rested. "Thanks for looking after the kids on short notice" Alicia said. "And thank you for keeping our secrets" Faith said sitting and shrinking down. "A good paycheck doesn't hurt" Lucy told them. "That arcane. You're not abusing it right?" Faith asked. "Truth be told I'm scared to use it. I mean growing to be human sized. Most of my life I spent being used by them. To grow and walk among them. Not just yet" Lucy said looking down at her socked feet. They had been careful not to ask her about her earlier life. Not everyone was willing to talk about it with just a few sweet words and conversation. But looking at how pretty the small young woman was, it was a good bet she was prized. Long black hair, fair skinned, rare blue eyes, and nice feet. Yes, a good specimen for breeding as some humans might say. "Well I'm glad you answered our ad Lucy" Alicia said extending her finger to shake. Lucy flinched and Alicia pulled it away. "Umm...I’ll be back later. I'm going to make sure the twins are still sleeping" Lucy said leaving them. "She's scared of me" Alicia said.

"She doesn't know you and she smells borrower on me. Give her time" Faith said. "She had the same look in her eyes others did. It reminds me of what I was. I don't want to remember that" Alicia said shedding a tear. Later that night, Alicia got up to get a drink. She found Lucy in her nightgown watching tv on the coffee table. 

"Can't sleep?" she asked. "I get that way sometimes. Used to being restless" Lucy replied. "You mean defensive" Alicia said. She sat down on the sofa. "Look at that shit. You can bet that fucking drug is going to part of a lawsuit in a year. I mean the side effects include anal leakage. Can I have the drug that supposed to help with my blood pressure? Leaking from my ass you say? Win some lose some" Alicia said mockingly. Lucy chuckled. "I get why you're scared of me" she said softly. "Does that bother you?" Lucy asked shifting her foot on top of the other. "I guess it does. It reminds me of when I wasn't a good person. I'm trying to leave that part of me behind and I still have nightmares about it" she said. "What...what did you do?" Lucy asked. "Killed people for a guy. Killed people for fun. The things I did...sometimes I fell this phantom feeling in parts of my body. The soles of my feet, my pussy, my asshole, my stomach" she replied. Lucy looked at the giantess with fear. "People like me?" Lucy asked. "The really pretty ones I tended to rape and when they stopped moving, I'd eat them" Alicia said shaking. She looked at the borrower. "If Faith didn't stay that night or let me come with her, I would've killed myself" she said softly. "Why? Why would you do such things to people?! Why?!" Lucy asked. "...because I was tortured into believing it was my right" she replied. "Torture?" Lucy asked unbelieving. Alicia told her everything. 

"8 years. 8 years of him whispering in my ear and telling it was our right to use humans. I can't even ask God for forgiveness" Alicia said to her. "If you want me not to be afraid of you, you're not doing a good job" Lucy said. "To not fear someone is based on trust. Trust is based on being truthful. And an omission can be a lie. I'm very tired of lies in my life" Alicia said softly. The giantess stood up and went for a drink of water. "Goodnight Lucy" she said. "Goodnight Ms. Matherson" Lucy said to her. Lucy really questioned what she had signed on for now. Just a week ago, she was living in a shabby borrower shelter in Tacoma when she saw a flyer for a live-in borrower nanny. High pay of $500 a week all expenses included. Must be very discreet. Every borrower female there said it was a scam. That it was a trick to force borrowers into some kind of sex trade...if they were lucky. Lucy went for broke. She was tired of living in a drafty shelter with a sock as a sleeping bag. Ragged clothing. Food nearly spoiled. And talk of the shelter closing due to lack of donations didn't help. Lucy was on her toes waiting for the catch as the human women interviewed her. And then the bombshell about magic. Faith probed her mind to see if she was lying about keeping it a secret. Lucy was too desperate to turn the offer down. By that evening, she had moved in and was rocking the twins to sleep. And as she sat on the coffee table wondering what kind of woman Alicia was, she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt...for now. 

December 1, 2018

"He can see you. He can find you now" Capricorn hissed as her broken shrunken body lay on the floor. "Good" Faith said typing on the master terminal in the main lab. "Warning. Emergency decontamination protocol level 3 has been activated. Evacuate the building" the computer sounded. "No. How did you...I hope he kills you slowly! YOU AND THE FUCKING TRAITOR!" Capricorn screamed at the giantesses. "Time to go" Faith told Alicia. She took ahold of her hand and dragged her out of the building just as the blast shutters closed a minute later. "I don't care about her but those poor people" Alicia said. "Were a lost cause. Susan found them last time and remarked that they were totally insane and feral. If released, they would've mauled every human on this block to death. This is how it ended. With fire" Faith said softly. Shortly afterwards, there was a heavy boom as the thermobaric pulse burned every organic thing inside to ashes. "That leaves Pisces and Markus" she said. "Faith. She said he saw you" she said. "Clairvoyance no doubt. I prefer it that way. Focuses on me then he leaves Hope and the others alone for now. Let's go home. I expect he won't waste time coming" Faith said.

December 3, 2018

"The arcanes are in place?" Faith asked. "Every single one of them" Alicia replied. "And Lucy and the kids?" she asked. "Safely tucked behind a barrier. She looked terrified Faith" Alicia said. "She ain't the only one. I've felt his prying eyes searching in the region. The only thing keeping him from finding us I'm about to drop. Get ready. And Alicia...I love you" Faith said touching a high level arcane on the ground. "I love you too" Alicia said watching her lover erase the perception spell keeping them hidden. It didn't take long for Markus to appear. "You. I'm going to kill you so slowly you'll beg for death's release. And you my dear Aries. You're lucky I still have use for you. I'll just erase your memories. We can go right back to the way things were" he scowled. "I'll die before I let you brainwash me again and the name is Alicia!" she screamed firing off a lightning attack. Markus deflected it easily with Ea. "...he shouldn't have that sword yet" Faith muttered. He fired of a lightning bolt far greater that Alicia had, and Markus was pushed back but not by much. He raised his hand and a magic force blew Faith off her feet crashing into the mailbox. "I expected..."

"Diamond dust!" Faith said firing off thousands of ice needles. Markus feel to the ground shocked she knew such a high-level spell and did it without arcane. Faith closed the distance to begin her plan. "Not quite!" he yelled getting up and reading his sword. Her momentum carried right into his attack and then a gunshot. Markus fell to the ground again. Faith turned around to see Alicia holding a smoking .45. "Where did you get a gun?" Faith asked. A flash of light and Faith screamed as the beam burned clean through her shoulder and into the house. Markus staggered to his feet as Alicia began singing. Her power sped up Faith's healing ability as she went back on the attack. 

The fight was a close draw. His experience versus her raw boosted power. She didn't dare get close with him holding a soul killing blade. Foot by foot they fell back as he pressed on. A lightning bolt missing Faith barely blowing a hole into the roof. Lucy comforted the screaming infants and then the entire house shuddered. Alicia saw the backup plan go into effect to protect Lucy and the kids. It was clear that Faith was losing ground now if she did that. Then a mighty gravity blow knocked them on their backs and Markus leaped into the air to skewer Faith. She threw up the most powerful barrier she ever did to hold him back. "Lucy...we need your help. He's...he's too good for us to take on by ourselves" Alicia said over a magical link. Lucy jumped out of her skin hearing her voice in her head. But hearing it in pain and desperation convinced her it was very real. "What the hell can I do?! I just know that one spell!" Lucy shouted. "Grow yourself. Go...go to the attic" Alicia said. "But you said never to go in there. That you have dangerous stuff up there" Lucy said. "Please" Alicia begged. 

Lucy placed the babies in their cribs, grew with arcane, and ran to the attic. There was nothing unusual in there she could see at first. "I'm here but it's just old blankets and boxes" she said. "Go to the for back to a wooden box with iron sides. Open it quickly" she said. Lucy found the old oak box and cracked it open. "There's some kind of tiny metal clothing like armor here" she said. "Scratch the engraving underneath it and then...put it on" Alicia said firing lightning bolts at Markus. His sword was cracking her barrier. Within a minute, Lucy had out the armor on. It was lighter than she thought it would be. "Now what?" she asked. "Go to the front door and jump" she replied. "Jump?!" she yelled. The link was cut when Alicia was shot by a light spell through the leg. Lucy ran to the door and opened it. "Holy shit..." she said seeing what had caused the house to shudder earlier. 

Faith had placed a spell on the home to prevent it from being destroyed. If it was damaged by a strong magical attack, it would shrink and translocate to safety. In this case close by 50 ft. above the ground nestled in a pine tree branch. Anyone looking at it would think it was a VERY elaborate birdhouse. Lucy figured she was barely a quarter inch tall right then and tried not to think how small she was before. She literally took a leap of faith and dived off of the porch. Once passing the safety of the spell, Lucy began growing. The ground rushed up faster than she thought and when she landed on her feet (barely), she was human sized. "Oh god" she muttered seeing Alicia barely conscious and a grinning nutjob on top of Faith. She charged him with inhuman borrower speed and punched him solidly in the face. Two of his teeth landed in the dirt. Faith staggered to her feet. "I… I think I killed him" Lucy said. "No, he can't die" Faith said picking the teeth from the ground. She wiped the blood onto her fingers. "The armor of Cancer...on a borrower. Fucking vermin!" Markus screamed firing off a bolt of lightning so powerful it seemed to tear the air asunder. Lucy screamed and threw her arms up instinctively. The bolt scattered. 

"I'm not dead?" she asked. "The armor excels in defense. It's almost invincible" Faith said. Lucy grinned. "I need a minute" Faith said. "I'll get you two" Lucy said attacking him. Faith gathered every drop of his spilled blood on the ground and began her work. Markus found himself on the defense as attack spells did nothing and his sword made just scratches. "Then I'll just aim for the soft bits!" he yelled slashing at her feet. Lucy barely dodged and she lost her footing. Markus raises his blade and was skewered by an icicle fired by Alicia.  Faith sucked the free-flowing blood into her hand and closed it tightly. Her fist glowed brightly until she opened it revealing a soul gem. Markus yanked the icicle from his chest.  "Lucy hold him!" Faith screamed rushing them. Lucy held him   from behind until Faith slammed the stone into his still gaping wound. With a howl, Markus felt his soul torn from his body and encased in the stone. His soulless shell of a body slumped to his knees. Faith shrank him and then opened a portal. With a cold kick, she sent his body through. "Heal from that" she spat as it closed.

"Where...did you send..." Alicia groaned. Her skin was pale from blood loss. "Mariana Trench. The subzero temperature and crushing pressure will continually destroy him for eternity*" Faith replied as she began to heal her. "And the gem?" she asked. "I would toss it onto the moon, but I can't do that anymore" she said looking at it. A very tiny Markus beat his fists on the inside. Faith snapped her fingers and the gem disappeared. "Whoa. Where did it go?" Lucy asked.  "Shrank it to Planck scale*. Uh...that's very fuckin' tiny" Faith replied. Alicia was healed but still unsteady on her leg as Lucy held her up. Wearily, Faith returned the hose back to its location and size. After that...she promptly fainted.

(Authors note: The Mariana Trench is over 7 miles deep, a pressure of 15,750 psi, and an average temp of about 34 degrees Fahrenheit. While that's not subzero temps at sea level, it is for there as the water is squeezed so tightly, fluid dynamics gets weird. As for Planck scale, it's the smallest unit of measurement possible. So tiny it's theorized if you were shrunk that small, the fabric of the universe, quantum foam, would "drown" you. To give an idea how small Markus was shrunk, compared to an atom, if you counted off a measurement of Planck scale every second until you make the difference...it would take longer than the universe itself has been around. So in a nutshell, Markus got pretty fucked up...)

Faith awoke feeling sore and groggy. "You're awake?" Lucy asked her rocking the swinging bassinets. "How long was I out?" Faith asked. "Almost three days. Alicia stayed up for two of them" she replied pointing to the sleeping woman sitting in a chair nearby.  Faith groaned as she sat up. "The...the pump please" she said taking her nightgown off. Lucy handed the small device to her. Faith sighed as she milked her swollen breasts. "The babies" she said. "Clean, fed, and sleeping. Good thing we had some of your milk stored up" Lucy replied. Faith was quiet as she pumped. Thoughts running through her head. "Alicia told me about herself. What she did" she said. "Did she say why?" Faith asked. "She wanted an honest friendship. Honestly, it put me right off until I saw how she doted on you while you were asleep. There was a panic in her eyes. A hopeless look. I never believed a human could change until I met her. They're evil or they're not I used to think" she said. "Thought that way too until I became what I was fighting against. Anyone can change. It just takes something to encourage them" Faith said finishing. She placed the small bottles aside and grew to human size. "Thank you Lucy" she said. "Just doing my job" Lucy shrugged.

"No. Don't do that. You were our shining hero. A beautiful borrower coming to our rescue like Captain fucking America" Faith giggled. Lucy blushed. Faith picked her up and kissed her. "Because of that, you deserve to know the WHOLE truth and not just the bits we told you earlier" she said. Faith spent two hours telling Lucy everything. "That's...that's a lot to process. The end of the world. Resetting time. Etherion and the stuff you guys did. It's crazy" Lucy muttered. "Trust me I know" Faith said looking out the window as the sun began to rise. "And you still trust me with all this?" Lucy asked. "Well yeah you're family now" Faith shrugged. "Family?" Lucy asked. "We do love you silly and you saved our lives. I always wanted a big sister" she replied. "Love...wait big sister? We're the same age right?" she asked. "Uh...nope. I'm actually about six months old. I can talk and reason like this because of magic enhanced learning. Especially in the last three months" she replied. Lucy's jaw dropped. "I left that part out didn't I?" she asked. Lucy nodded. Faith explained the spell Ebonheart used on her and how she used similar spells to speed up her learning comprehension. She grew tired of being treated like a child. "The fatal flaw was knowledge isn’t the same as experience. That's how he tricked me. He said the right things, but I never learned how to see the bigger picture. Daddy was right" Faith said.

"But you're better now?" Lucy asked. "I've learned what's truly important" she replied looking at Alicia. "She's sweet isn't she? Look at those cute toes" Faith giggled. "They are nice toes. So, is this thing with Markus now over?" Lucy asked. "I was going to ask that too" Alicia said quietly. "You're awake?" Faith asked. "I woke up somewhere about you wanting her to be your big sister" she replied stretching. "Not quite. Pisces is still around and then of course that Mage army and the human city. But without their leader, they're a paper tiger" Faith replied. "We'll see" Alicia said.

December 5, 2018

Faith shook off the snow on her head. "It's goddamn cold in New York" she said taking off her boots. "Thought you went to Georgia" Lucy said painting Alicia's toes. "I did. As soon as I dropped off the letter to Susan's dad telling him where she was, I popped over to Lawan's sister to do the same thing. So those angles are covered. Nice job Lucy, schedule me for one" she said admiring the pedicure. Faith sat down and sipped some coffee. "You were gone five hours" Alicia said. "I ran into Joseph. He's the father of Markus" she replied. Both of them looked worried. "He wanted to confirm that his son was dead. I mean dead dead" she said. "And?" Lucy asked. "He grieved like any father. No battle, no spells thrown" she replied. "You don't sound pleased" Alicia said. "Because it feels real now. I killed him. The father of my child" she replied putting the cup down. Lucy walked over to her and leaned on the cup not thinking. She recoiled expecting to be burned but found it ice cold. Faith had not bothered to heat up the cold old liquid. "It feels like a violation doesn't it? Like a taboo" Lucy said. Faith looked at her with wide eyes and slowly nodded. "He was a bastard" Alicia scoffed. "Alicia. You're not a borrower so we don't expect you to understand. The father of our offspring is a very close emotional tie to us. We instinctively memorize their sound, smell, even their body language. Killing them is like killing a part of our heart. It can be...traumatic" Lucy said.

"You sound as if you've done it" Alicia said. Lucy sat down. "Me and a bunch of other girls belonged to a human man. He was kind, very kind. We were kept in a terrarium and now and then he would take one of us out to play with. I remember being scared the first time. He didn't rape me, suck on me, make me jack him off. You know the usual non-lethal stuff. It was more like a date. A home movie, dinner, nice clothes. With no males of our own, we found ourselves attracted to him. Then one day one of us said they wanted a baby. Our owner jerked off and used an eyedropper on her" Lucy said softly. "That's illegal. Inseminating a borrower with human sperm carries a two-year prison sentence" Alicia said. Lucy nodded. "Well none of us cared. All seven of us wanted to carry his child. We were about a week apart. Me being the last and by that time the first of us had given birth. Beautiful baby. He even took pictures. A few weeks later something changed in him. He was nervous all the time. Three of us had given birth leaving the four of us heavy. And as happy as he was in the beginning, he just got more agitated. He took one girl out for a date. She hasn't returned the next day and when he saw us, he cried and said she died in childbirth. A week later the same thing. And the next week. Then he took me. I was terrified. He looked manic. Dinner, movie. Some intimate time with me. I still remember him crying as he sucked the milk from my breasts."

"What's wrong?" I asked him. He looked at me sadly. "A few weeks ago, there was a data breech of my cloud. Someone got ahold of the pictures I had and found out I broke the interbreeding law. He thrusted to turn me in if I don't give him money. I... I don't have anything left to give. Lucy I'm sorry. It's the only way" he muttered as he opened his mouth and lowered me in. It was clear what he had done to the others. He ate them alive trying to get rid of evidence and I was next. I slipped on his tongue as he angled his head. And I went right into this throat. The only reason I didn't slip down was I went in at a weird angle and got lodged in his throat. I felt his finger trying to push me down and I bit it. He started jerking around as my body cut off his air. I don't even know how long it took before he fell to the floor. The crash dislodged me, and I crawled out of his mouth. He was dead" she said. "Lucy that was purely self-defense" Alicia said. "I loved him with all my heart even after he tried to eat me. They others, after I freed them and told them what he'd done...they didn't believe me. Said I was a monster. As for his baby..." she said stopping. The tiny woman shook where she sat. Faith whispered to Alicia and they both nodded. Faith got up and returned with a deck of cards. She began to deal a poker hand. "Best of out of five wins Lucy" Faith said. Alicia nodded. "What the hell are you two doing?" Lucy asked sniffling. "Well, thing is we need you for something but it's clear me and Alicia would be fighting over you. Best out of five hands gets you to be our bridesmaid" she replied. "Bridesmaid?" Lucy asked. "Well the only sister we have is you. You can't be a bridesmaid for both of us...can she?" Faith asked. Alicia shrugged.

December 9, 2018

"You're wearing that?" Lucy asked her. "It's warm in Indonesia" Faith said slipping her sandals on. "You sure you want to do this now?" Alicia asked. "I want this out of the way things get more out of hand. There are hundreds of mages there with no real leader. If they chose to leave..." she replied. "Fair enough. Don't wait up for us Lucy. We could be gone a few days" Alicia said. "Just...just be careful" Lucy said watching them leave. They arrived on his island. "She's there" Faith said sensing Pisces. "Should we go to her?" Alicia asked. "No need. She can sense us too" Faith replied. Alicia was nervous as hell as Pisces approached. "The traitor and the assassin. Your heads will make good gifts for the master" Pisces said. "Your master is dead" Faith said coldly tossing his tooth to her. "Don't believe her then use clairvoyance" Alicia said. Pisces ordered them to be surrounded by mages. Then she stood aghast at the vision she saw. "Surrender or be destroyed" Faith ordered. She fell to her knees in disbelief. "Destroy her! For the master!" A high-level Mage yelled. Faith snapped her fingers. There was a colossal bombardment of spells and when the smoke cleared, there stood Faith wearing the armor or Cancer. In her hands was a shrunken Alicia. Neither had been harmed. "It's true..." Pisces muttered seeing the armor. Faith snapped her fingers again and in the blink of an eye, each Mage that had attacked lay dead at her feet. Their necks had been snapped. The next contingent of mages, borrower sized ones, attacked her. "Stop you fools. STOP..."

She had been saying until the next blink found Faith sighing and looking at her blooded sandals. Hundreds of them were crushed into the dirt. Dirt now crimson with their blood and guts. "I surrender! Surrender you idiots!" Pisces yelled at the next lower level of mages. Each and every one of them bowed before her. Pisces knew she was utterly outmatched when she saw the woman using time stop magic. She would freeze time, kill her opponents, and then restart it. What seemed like three minutes was 20 to Faith and Alicia. 20 long minutes of killing. "Surrender your artifact and have every Mage gather here. Every damn one. Alicia will be watching your every move. You hurt her or try anything funny; your deaths will be measured in days" Faith said coldly as she placed Alicia on the ground and grew her. "Excuse me. I have to see someone" Faith said. 

Faith had made her way to the human city. She left her bloody sandals at the entrance not wanting to terrorize them. She walked calmly to his house and knocked. "How shall we serve you?" the father said. "I wish to speak with your son" Faith said. The proud father pushed his son forward not even considering what Faith wanted. Clean her massive feet, die in her pussy, or be just a morsel he didn't care a bit. None did. Faith plucked the bug sized teen up and walked to where they could talk. Three hours passed before Alicia contacted her. "Faith. I know you're in the middle of something but..." she said. "I know. I'm coming your way" Faith said. "Theo? I know this is a lot to take in. You have any questions?" she asked. The boy didn't respond. "Okay. I'm going to take care of some stuff. Just...just wait here" she said walking away. Theo didn't move from where he sat. To find out he was a father in another timeline, that he died, that Markus and most of the ZODIAC was no more. 

Faith and Alicia had counted how many mages were left. Just over 4000 and easily contained at their size. Now came the task of changing them. They were given a choice, harm no human and keep their magic. Or, have it sealed away along with their memories and return to the outside world and live like ordinary humans. Faith gave them three days to decide. Theo didn't say anything to Faith when she returned. She told him if he wanted to know more, to be a part of her life, all he had to do was come to her. Faith sat quietly at the entrance on the second day. Of course, the humans swarmed her feet cleaning them. She didn't shoo them away. Reprogramming them would take some time and effort. Even now they had problems believing Markus and the others dead. That only Faith and Alicia were the only ones allowed to come here. She looked at her toes watching the humans clean between them. Part of her wished it was Theo. As for Theo, he hadn’t come.

The third day she sat there again. The people wondering why those that worshipped her all came home alive. At least a few would end up dying in some way usually. And as the day moved to night, Theo had not come, and Faith sat there crying. Seeing what they considered a goddess crying was not usual. And when she mentioned his name, it came back to him. "Son, the goddess wants you to come to her. The neighbors are talking" his father said. "I know dad" Theo replied playing with his food. "Don't you like cleaning their feet? She's prettier than most. Don't you want to swim in her pussy?" his mother asked. "It's...complicated mom" he said softly. "What's so complicated? We live to serve them. If she wants you, you go. Clean her toes, crawl around inside her pussy, and if you're lucky she might eat you" his father said gruffly. Theo finished dinner and went to his room. Since Faith was so huge compared to them, he easily saw her from his bedroom window. All she had said to him frightened the boy. Having a baby by a goddess was the biggest shocker. He was taught to serve their whims and die by them if need be but never being a father to their kids. He hadn't even thought of being a parent even though some his age were. And as he stared at her he slowly understood how it was possible. She loved him and her heart was begging for him to see her. Theo left his house. 

He walked to the titaness and sat on her toenail. With so many others worshipping her feet, she hadn’t noticed another buggy human at her toes. Large teardrops fell as she cried softly. The street coated with her breastmilk as she had not pumped for days and her nipples leaked. She wasn't looking too much like a goddess then. "You wanted to see me?" he asked. She suddenly stopped thinking she was imagining it. "Theo?" she asked. "Down here" he replied. She restrained herself as snatching him up would crush his little body. She shooed everyone away leaving them alone. "I thought about what you said" he said. "And I'd like to see her" he replied. Faith nodded and smiled. The next day Faith told Alicia that she was going home but would return. She took Theo with her.

December 13, 2018

"He's doing pretty well" Lucy said watching the shrunken yet larger Theo rocking the babies to sleep. "Yes, I was worried at first but the look in his eyes when he saw our daughter" Faith said smiling. She looked closer at Lucy and grinned. "You like him" she said. "He's an okay guy" Lucy shrugged. "Nuh uh" Faith said picking her up. She sniffed her. "Knew it. You're attracted to him. I can smell it. You're even wearing makeup. And is that nail polish on your toes?" she asked her. Lucy blushed. "But he's yours" she muttered. "No, he isn't. It's clear he doesn't feel that way for me. He likes me. He cares about my feelings but love? No" Faith said. "But he did love you in that other timeline" Lucy said. "Yeah he did but some things you can't replicate. The right time, the right moment. If you want to date him by all means" Faith told her. Lucy looked worried. "Don't worry about me. Your happiness is more important" she said. Lucy looked down. 

"I try not to poke around in people's heads for privacy sake but sometimes I hear thoughts anyway. More often you think about intimate things. You want to be cuddled. Kissed and licked. Your toes sucked. You want the feeling of being filled up. You're jealous of me and Alicia and you hate yourself for it" she said. Lucy broke into a whimpering sob. Quietly, Faith took her to her bedroom. "It's okay. Let it out" Faith said cuddling her. "I feel so ashamed. All you gave me, and I was so jealous" she sniffled. "Just means you're not perfect. Daddy once told me something when I was very upset once. It's okay not to be okay. It's why we have friends, people we love and love us back" she said. "Thank you for saying that" Lucy said. "Hmm. Your makeup as all smeared now. Why don't I draw you a bath and you can relax?" she asked. Lucy nodded. Faith drew a warm bath in the sink and placed her inside. Grinning, she returned to the living room. "Hey Theo? Why don't you take a bath while the water is still hot in the water tank" she said. Theo shrugged. Faith carried him to the bathroom and took his clothes for washing. "Here you go" Faith said abruptly dropping him into the sink. "Faith! Wait a... minute.... hey Theo" Lucy said blushing. "Hey" she said shyly as he sat down. Faith shrunk down to tend to the babies smirking and chuckling to herself.

"So uh...getting used to being outside your city?" Lucy asked. "It's...different. New sky, wooden walls, trees. Then of course my daughter" he replied. Lucy nodded and soaped her body. "That's good. You're doing good. You'll make a fine daddy...WHOA!" she yelled as her bare feet slipped underwater. Theo reached out and caught her. "Thanks" she muttered. His eyes focused on her breasts. Their eyes met. "Sorry" he said. "Don't be. I... it’s okay" she said blushing. Both smiled. Theo helped her wash her back and she returned the favor. "Wish I was pretty as the others" she muttered. "You're pretty too" he said. Lucy shifted as she was sitting and bumped into his cock. He blushed. Lucy turned around. "Sorry again" he muttered. Quietly, she raised her body and slowly slid down his shaft. She leaned forward and sniffed him. "I... I shouldn't. You've been here barely four days. Humans are like..." she was saying until he thrusted into her. The sound of splashing water mixed with their grunts and groans. "They've been in there awhile" Faith said looking at the clock. Then the sound of an open drain she could hear. They returned to the living room not long after like nothing happened. Faith looked at them the entire time during dinner and into the evening. Theo slept in the guest room while Lucy slept with Faith and the kids. 

"So? You're going to tell me, or do I have to read your thoughts?" Faith asked. "About what?" Lucy asked. "Oh, you know. How many times did he cum in you? He do that thing when he nibbles your earlobe?" Faith asked. Lucy didn't answer. Faith used her fingernail to ease her tiny panties down. She sniffed her. "Wow. He never did anal with me" Faith said. Lucy swatted her nose. Faith rolled her onto her back. She planted tiny kisses on her bare feet. "Between us girls?" Faith asked. "Three times and yes the earlobe" Lucy replied. "Why aren't you with him now?  Faith asked. "I'm scared alright?! Last time I was this happy. I mean happy with a mate, it ended really bad" she replied. "I know how scary it feels. I felt that with Alicia. You don't want to be without that special someone forever do you?" she asked. "...no" Lucy croaked. Faith leaned in and quickly sucked her tiny pussy. "Stop...stop...fuck..." Lucy groaned as the giant tongue tickled her labia. Then Faith stopped just before she came. "Why...why did you..."

"Let him finish" she said. "Aw fuck you" Lucy growled as she got out of bed. "You'll love me in the morning" Faith chuckled. Morning did come and Faith found Lucy human sized quietly sipping coffee. "Morning" Faith said flittering to the kitchen counter to find a cup her size. She hadn't grown to human size yet. Lucy put her cup down. "I know why you did that, but some things have to work out their own way" Lucy told her. "That they do but it's hard to ignore the thoughts of others when they just wash over me" Faith said. Lucy helped her get coffee but still looked annoyed. "Did you ever consider what someone is thinking might not be what should happen?" Lucy asked. "Every goddamned day for the last three months. Now did you consider he wanted you to be with him last night? You were conditioned to have pleasure taken from you but what about giving it?" Faith asked. Lucy put the cup down and sat in the sofa. Faith regretted her words hearing her softly cry. "That was a low blow. I'm sorry" Faith said fluttering onto the coffee table. "I’m used to doing things in a scheduled way. It's strange for me to wait things out. Not to mention earlier events have left me...worried about people I love. Watching people I cherish being sad isn't my thing" Faith said softly. Lucy picked her up and snuggled her. "Forgive me?" Faith asked. Lucy eyed her. She tore her tiny panties and nightgown away. Lucy gave her a wicked grin. Faith was shoved into her mouth. Her lips closed.

Lucy slipped a hand down her panties and fingered herself while she sucked on the girl she considered her employer and sister. It was a first time having someone small enough to fit in her mouth. The sweet taste of her flesh stunned the borrower. He was tempted to swallow her. And when she came, her moans rattled Faith's bones. She spat her out and caught her breath. "Now I forgive you" Lucy said.

December 31, 2018

"Shit my hands are so sweaty" Alicia muttered wiping her hands on her dress. "Your hands? My whole body is sweating" Faith said standing on the desk. "Bet you're not as sweaty as my damn feet. Where is this guy?" Lucy asked patting her stomach. "He's a busy man. He has a lot on his plate getting things ready for his replacement" Faith replied. "Sucks ass he lost his seat because he likes borrower rights" Alicia said. "It is what it is" Faith sighed. Finally, the door opened, and the judge entered. "When I saw the paperwork, I couldn't believe it. How did you snag a celebrity?" he asked. "Just lucky I guess" Faith shrugged. "She was just in here last month applying for citizenship" he chuckled. The judge looked at the documents and then them. "Okay. We can proceed" he said. "Do you, Faith McCormick take Celine Cruz as your lawful wedded wife?" he asked. "I do" Faith replied nervous. "And do you, Celine Cruz take Faith McCormick as your lawful wedded wife?" he asked. "Yes! I mean yes I do" she stammered. Lucy chuckled. "Then by the power vested in me by the State of Washington, I pronounce you wife and wife. You can kiss now" he chuckled. Alicia grabbed Faith up and kissed her leaving a large lipstick mark on her face. The man smiled and nodded as Lucy popped a giant confetti popper. "Now if you ladies will excuse me" he said. "So soon?" Faith asked. "Still have some stuff to attend to" he said glancing at boxes.

"For what it's worth. Thank you" Alicia said looking at them as well. "It's not so bad. Gives me an excuse to retire to Baja California" he said. "What about your daughter?" Faith asked. "Well, she'll be at an age where she wants to find a mate soon. Between you and me, her needs are...unique" he replied blushing. "Celine? Can you and Lucy pick up the marriage license. I'll be on my way shortly" Faith said. Shrugging, they left them alone. "I get how...unusual it can be for you. Human society says one thing, borrower biology says another. What you have to understand is she wants you to do those things because she loves and trusts you. I'm sure you've seen her when she's...in heat?" she asked. The man nodded. "She's looks like she's suffering" he said. "Because she is. Borrowers crave intimacy during that age. If you really love her, you’ll give her an orgasm" Faith said.  The man turned red as a tomato. "Okay. I can see how hard this is for you. How about starting slow. Gently rub her little feet for a while" she said. "I can do that" he said. "Later on lick them. Suck on her feet. You don't have to jump all in on the first try" she smiled. "I knew it would hard raising her, but I never thought I'd have to lick my daughter’s feet" he mumbled. "Wait till she starts looking for a mate. Especially if it's a human" she snickered. The man cringed. Faith took ahold of a pen lying on his desk and wrote down her number. "If you need anything, I mean anything. Give me a call" she said seriously with a slight glow in her eyes. The judge watched her easily jump down onto the floor and walk out of the office. How she did that would raise an eyebrow but for some reason he felt compelled to hold onto the scrap of paper with the phone 

number on it.

Later that night, Alicia sat on the sofa looking at her Twitter. Someone had tipped off the news that Celine Cruz married a female borrower at the courthouse. As one could imagine, her page was exploding with messages. Many thought she was crazy. Marrying a borrower was one thing but a female one. Parents said she was going to hell. LGBTQ supporters congratulated them. Her agent, furious she disappeared and then popped back up demanded answers. Alicia had nothing to say. She closed the app and looked at the pictures they took. She chuckled at them. Faith awoke beside her laying on a cushion. "Uhhhgh...how...how long was I out?" she groaned. "Six hours but you're awake just in time to watch the ball fall in Time's square" Alicia replied. "I don't remember anything after the fourth glass" she said. "Not even me...nevermind" Alicia said. "What? What did you do?" she asked.  "Well um...you stripped naked and jumped on top of the cake to make a frosting snow angel. After that you began making out with the bridal figurine on top. And then I was sucking the frosting off your body and you umm...slipped down my throat" she muttered. "YOU ATE ME?!" Faith asked. "Just for a minute! I coughed you back up" Alicia sheepishly replied. "Water. Get me water" Faith said. Alicia returned with some water in a bottle cap.

"Didn't think you be so fucked up on just four glasses of champagne" she said. "Borrowers are more susceptible to alcohol than humans. Can't believe you ate me" she muttered. "Hey, you're on the Internet" Alicia said changing the subject. She showed her pictures from TMZ. "Wait! Let me read it" Faith said as Alicia pulled the phone away. Faith sat there quietly after a minute of reading. "It's no big deal. I said that it was a front" she said. "You're lying. You like singing" Faith said quietly.  "You're more important than some singing career" Alicia said. Faith flew to the window looking at the snow falling in the night. "It's fine really" she said. Faith began to glow. Her anger was building. "Every last one that called you a fag, a harlot, and a fake Selena. I should shrink them down and..."

"Faith. Forget it" Alicia said sternly. Faith returned to normal and wiped her eyes. "Come here creampuff" Alicia said to her. Faith flew into her hands. "It doesn't matter. The recording deals, the platinum records, Grammys. They're things. They can't love me. This here is what matters to me" she said. Faith looked into her giantess' eyes. She felt a little better. "How umm...did it feel to eat me?" she asked. "I soaked my panties. And then when I realized what happened and panicked, I soaked my panties a different way" she replied softly. Faith chuckled and then burst out laughing. "Look" Alicia said pointing to the tv. They counted down together and shouted in the New Year for the East coast. "And now we wait a few hours and do it again" Faith grinned. New Year’s did come for them and they went to bed. "Last time, millions were dead, almost all the zodiac was dead, my dad, Hikari, and the world was turning to shit. It worked but...so many other things changed too. The Mogwai, the Xi, so many lives they touched. And I can't fix it" she muttered. "You tried. Faith, like you saw with Theo, some things just happen because they happen. He's alive this time and he even fathered a kid with Lucy" she said. "True. Dissent in the Mogwai is growing and with Aquarius dead, the Xi will have the chance to grow on their own without interference. Maybe, maybe I can invite those that want to leave to come to the island" she said. 

"Didn't you just say something about interference?" Alicia asked. "Just a slight incentive" Faith chuckled. "And speaking of the island. Barely any took your offer to the up magic and return to the mainlands. Don't we have our hands full policing a shitload of mages?" she asked. "Okay okay! One thing at a time!" Faith yelled. "Happy New Year’s" Alicia said closing her eyes. "Happy New Year’s my pretty giant wife" she replied. "Wife? I'm the breadwinner in the family" Alicia said. "And I'm the strongest" Faith said. "And both of you are women. Toss a coin for god's sake" Lucy grumbled as she passed their door. Alicia and Faith giggled.

August 19, 2019

Faith sat perched on the rooftop a nice borrower couple shared with her to watch the opening ceremony. Her bare feet on the rough tiles kept her from slipping off but that wasn't her concern right then. Her worry was Keith and Hope sensing her presence. She had kept away from them since the day she helped Susan but today was an auspicious day. It was the one-year anniversary of the battle with Ebonheart. It also marked another occasion that slipped her mind at the moment. Her father stood at the giant podium overlooking the expansive city. Her father was still alive, Susan perched on Rose's shoulder gripping her hair. Alyssa, her human friend from college, by her side. Faith looked very pleased with her work. All with the chance of life and happiness because of pushing certain things into motion. "Afternoon ladies and gentlemen."

"We gather here today to remember those we lost. Those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for our world to remain free. We are reminded that freedom is not free and that even though they are gone, they are not forgotten. On this day the 19th of August 2019, we celebrate our first Remembrance Day. Let us not just weep for them. We shall laugh, sing, tell stories of how they made our lives better for being in them. And now a word from Rose" he said before stepping aside. "Wow. How to follow up on that?" she asked. People in the streets laughed. "Good. That sound there is good. Mom would want you guys to keep laughing. Once upon a time, I asked mom how she came to terms with my father's death. She told me it hit her very hard and she tried coping in odd ways but all it did was make it worse. She told me how she overcame it was finding the small things that gave her joy. Cooking her breakfast on Mother's Day. Microwaving her panties on cold days. Holding her hand during thunderstorms. In essence, she pushed the pain and grief out of her heart with the good memories. It gave her the strength to carry on. I look onto your little faces and I see some of the pain you're still holding onto. I ask you to focus on the good. Turn to the person to your left and tell them they're not alone. I'm serious. Do it" she said. Faith heard many talking. "You're not alone sweetie" the woman sharing her rooftop with her said suddenly. Faith bit her lip from crying. 

"Feel slightly better right? That's how it begins. The small steps people" Rose said before stepping back. Rose, Hope, Keith, and Lawan began marching down the Main Street to the newly built memorial. The giant and giantesses marching single file and then Hope turned her gaze right at Faith. Faith held her breath checking her perception spells. Full strength but it was clear Hope sensed something. Hope turned her gaze back forward and kept walking. Faith breathed a sigh of relief and watched as they lit the immortal flame of the memorial. A short time later she watched them fire off fireworks. "Guess that's that" Faith said leaving the rooftop. As she reentered the house, she was pulled through a portal. On the other side towered over her, Susan, Rose, Keith, Lawan, and Hope. "Bind her" Keith said. Faith was ensnared in a binding spell by Hope. "My daughter sensed a powerful magic out of you but can't pierce your perception spell. Even now I feel a compulsion not to look at you" Keith said. "The fact you got through our barrier is reason enough to hold you. I suggest you tell us who you are" Susan said. "I know you! You're the woman that told me to check on Susan that day" Rose said. Everyone looked at her and the Faith. "I don't mean anyone any harm. I just came to pay my respects" Faith said testing the spell holding her. "I can't break through her spells. Even her mind is guarded. Daddy she isn't normal at all" Hope said.

"What's the commotion? I... oh wow! I know you! You told me that Rose could use a friend a few months ago. So, you can shrink too?!" Alyssa said entering the living room. "You get around" Susan said grabbing her. Faith was still bound by ethereal chains but felt the giantess squeeze her. "Susan. Easy, there's something going on here" Keith said. "A powerful Mage that can even stand her ground against your daughter showed up without warning. Forgive my uneasiness" she said with snark. "And yet so far all she's guilty of is trying to make yours and Rose's lives better" he said taking her from Susan. Keith motioned for Hope to let her go. "There. Like she said we have some reservations about someone so powerful just showing up" he said. "I understand. The Mogwai and Ebonheart left a bad taste in your mouth but like I said I don't mean to hurt anybody. Quite the opposite really" Faith said. Susan sniffed her. "She's telling the truth about that" Susan said. Keith sat down on the sofa. "Can you at least tell us your name?" Lawan asked. "Faith" she replied. "A pretty name" Keith said smiling. Faith blushed and looked away. "So you can't tell us anything other than your name? Where you got your powers? Your race?" he asked. "No" she replied. "If you're worried about someone coming for you, we can protect you" Lawan said. "That's not it. Not it at all. If I told you, it would only bring you sorrow. I... I can't stay here" Faith muttered. "Why?" Keith asked. "Because it hurts too much!" Faith blurted crying. They all looked at one another. "Please...just let me go" she begged. "Okay" Keith sighed. Susan looked at him. "She's done nothing wrong" he said. He placed her on the floor. "If you change your mind..."

"I can't" she said cutting her off. She turned her back on them but before she left, she napped her fingers freezing time. She canceled the hold on Hope though. "Don't worry. I just froze time for a moment for us to have a quick word. I know what you're doing. Using magic to speed up your learning because you're tired of them treating you like a kid. Hope, that's not the answer. You have to learn from experience. It puts everything in perspective" Faith said. Hope eyed her hard. "And I also know you're tempted to kill humans you think are evil.... if you haven't already done so" she said. This time Hope looked scared. "It is not our...you place to be judge jury and executioner. And if you still want to do it, just remember you'll break the hearts of those that love you. Look at your father, you don't want him crying over you, do you?" she asked. Hope silently shook her head. "You can't tell me who you are? I won't tell" Hope said childishly. "I a person who made some very bad choices with the power she had. The same choices you were making. Goodbye" Faith said. She ended the spell and walked through a portal. 

The mansion was eerily quiet and dark when she arrived. Strange as it was only 9:18 pm. She rounded the corner from the front door to the living room. "SUPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Alicia, Lucy, Theo, and Juli (the former Pisces) yelled switching on the lights. Faith was startled at the surprise as Alicia grabbed her up and carried her to the table. There sat a gigantic chocolate cake with one candle in it. "I had totally forgot" Faith muttered. "Well we didn't" Lucy said holding her baby. "Well blow the candle out" Alicia urged. Faith took her sandals off and climbed the cake. Her little bare feet sank into the frosting as she took one step after another until she reached a candle taller than she was. She hovered into the air, frosting falling off her feet, and blew them it out. They all clapped. "What did you wish for?" Alicia asked. "Clean feet" Faith replied looking at them. Alicia grabbed her and sucked the sweet frosting off her tiny feet making everyone laugh. Faith smiled and grinned as they partied, she opened presents, and had a good time. However, when things settled down, Alicia followed her to the bathroom. "Now we're alone..."

Faith began sobbing. "IT HURTS SO MUCH! I WANT MY MOMMY AND DADDY!" she wept. Alicia knew this was her first birthday celebration and couldn't spend it with her parents properly. Alicia sat on the toilet seat and let her cry on her cheek. Faith told her what happened earlier. "I'm so sorry" she said. "I knew it could happen. I thought I was ready. I wasn't" Faith said to her giantess. "It's okay to not be okay remember?" Alicia said. Faith nodded and wiped her eyes. They returned to the living room. "We still have cake left" Lucy said. "Give it to the humans. I'm sure there's enough" Faith said softly. They looked at one another nothing her change in mood. "Allow me" Juli said. "I'll walk with you. I could use some fresh air" Faith said growing to human size. 

Faith followed her to the human settlements. "I'm glad you didn't kill me" Juli said. "Makes two of us" Faith replied. "Why did you spare me and not the others?" she asked. "Because I know you. Aquarius, Libra, Leo, Sagittarius, and the others. They reveled in using their power to kill and enslave. They would never give it up. You and Aries just went along to protect yourselves. In essence, you were slaves like them" Faith replied pointing to the bug sized humans going about the evening. Juli placed the cake down on the street. "Eat up guys. It's a birthday party" she said. Faith and Juli sat down watching them mob the pastry. "It's slow going but they're changing. Some still like to worship my feet" she said. "As long as it's their free choice by all means" Faith said sticking her feet out. "About this other thing you're planning. You think it'll work after all this time? Declaring humans to be off limits for fun and games is one thing. Policing the world is a whole other matter" Juli said watching a few human break off for her toes. "ZODIAC is a prime example that there are threats out there we're not aware of. THORN is a great organization of stave off problems concerning the abuse of magics by humans but, there are some things that are beyond their expertise. Personally, I want Susan, Claire, mommy, daddy, Lawan, and Hope to live quiet peaceful lives. Is that selfish of me?" Faith asked watching a tiny man lick her big toe.

"Not really. You told them there would be responsibilities if they chose to keep their powers. Being policemen sounds better than being conquerors. What will you name this force of yours?" Juli asked. "Tactical Analysis Response Organization Team or TAROT for short" she replied. Juli laughed. Faith punched her arm. Suddenly, everything froze. Time stopped all around them. "This is enough" a voice said behind her. Faith quickly turned around and was surprised as a force blew her onto her back. Faith found herself back to her normal borrower size and before her were giant bare feet. She followed them up eventually seeing they belonged to a young girl dressed in black. "Who the hell are you?!" Faith yelled willing magic within her. Strangely, it took all her might to grow human size. It was as if a counter spell was in place. "You cost me and my friends 50 million souls. And now you scheme to make a magical force greater than the world has ever known? No" she said. Faith took a step to confront her but was shocked to see the girl morph into a young woman. There was an aura around her. "How do you know how many died? Only a few do" Faith asked. "Disband this TAROT at once Hope" she said. Both things really gave Faith concern but what was more hair raising for her was the fact this woman knew her true name. "No" Faith growled.

The woman waved her hand at the thousands of tiny humans gathered to feast on cake, and seemingly random dozens dropped dead on the spot. "BITCH!" Faith yelled gripping the woman's throat. As she did, Faith was assaulted by a power she never felt before. Screams, wails, sobs, grief that would crush a mortal soul threatened to drown her own. Faith let go. "You...I know you" Faith muttered. Her fear was confirmed with the young woman turned into a middle aged one. "Morrigan. The Celtic deity of death. Etherion warned me..."

"Warned you that certain gods and goddesses wouldn't take kindly to you resetting the world. You have upset the balance between life and death...again. Those that be chose to sit back and see how things took its course but this army you're building is a step too far. Too far because they follow YOUR ideals. If you upset the balance by yourself, then what would hundreds that act in your name do?" she asked. "Hypocritical seeing you were nowhere to be found when Markus built his army" Faith said. "Markus never tried to raise the dead" she replied coldly. "That's the hill you want to die on? And what about your fucking balance if nuclear war broke out?" Faith asked. "A war brought on by you. Cause and effect is the nature of all things. You broke the cycle. Now disband your army or lose EVERYTHING" she warned. Faith summoned a weapon but not just any weapon. "Impossible. You destroyed it" Morrigan said seeing Faith holding the Bow of Artemis. "To anyone watching it seemed that way. Since I arrived, I never forgot Etherion's warning. Just in case I was being watched, I made it look like I destroyed some of the artifacts. I was worried I would be found out when Lucy wore the armor but thankfully not" Faith said. The goddess laughed at her. "You think that mortal crafted thing can hurt a goddess of death?!" she cackled.

"Funny thing about this artifact. It's most effective in the hands of a blood descendant but anyone can use it. That's not the funny thing though. What's funny is the power output of the bow is connected to the magic in the archer. Observe" Faith said drawing the bowstring back. A brilliant arrow arcing with lightning magic appeared. Faith's eyes glowed as the arrowhead seemed to grow and swell. Morrigan stared at her. "This is not over" she said before disappearing. Faith dismissed the bow and arrow as time resumed. "Hey. What's going on with them?" Juli asked looking as the crowd noticed people around them dead. White humans directly descended from the British Isles. Their souls under Morrigan's domain. "We're heading back to the mansion. Now" Faith growled.

"What's going on?" Alicia asked seeing Faith storm up the stairs to the bedroom. "Something weird happened. We were laughing and joking and then suddenly a bunch of humans just fell dead. Faith had us return" Juli replied. Alicia put down the plates she was washing and went upstairs. "Faith?" Alicia asked seeing her wife stuffing clothes into a suitcase. "I can't believe I get so complacent. I made plans but with it being so quiet I thought..." Faith muttered. Alicia stopped her. "Thought what?" she asked. "Etherion warned me that beings you would call gods and goddesses wouldn't take kindly to me resetting the timeline. One of them just showed up here" Faith replied. "It's a Mage. A very powerful one. If we all combine..."

"NO! Honey, I felt it when I grabbed her. Burning, drowning, crushing, fucking cancer. Every conceivable way someone could die I felt it in my soul. She was the real deal" Faith said trembling. Alicia sat her down and held her. "Did she say anything?" she asked. "If I don't disband TAROT, she'll kill every single person I ever gave a damn about. Saving me for last" she replied. "Then disband it. We can do good on our own" Alicia said. Faith shook her head. "It won't be enough. As long as these mages stay here, she won't back down. I'm not about to release thousands of rehabilitating magic users into the world. It would cause chaos. In fact, that's probably what she wants" Faith replied. "So, running away is the answer?!" Alicia yelled. "I'm not running away" Faith said coldly getting back up and finishing packing. Alicia sat there stunned as Faith showered. When she emerged, Alicia grabbed her. "Don't do this please. At least not alone" she begged clutching her cheeks. Faith bit her lip upset at the look in her eyes. "I have to. For any of us to be safe I have to" Faith said softly. Faith tried to ignore her crying as she got dressed. 

"Where are you even going?" Alicia asked. "To the one person that may know the answer my question. How to kill a goddess" she replied. Faith opened a portal. "Take care of the kids. I... I love you" Faith choked out before leaving. Alicia sat there crying her heart out after she left. "What's going on?" Lucy asked standing at the doorway. Alicia plucked her up and cuddled her sobbing.

Rain pelted her as a summer thunderstorm raged overhead. She walked up to the cabin door and knocked. The door creaked open. "You. What brings you here?" he asked. "Sorry for the unannounced visit Joseph. I need your help" she replied. "I'm just an old man now Faith. Magic and all the troubles it brings I left behind when Markus died" he said. "Be as it may, I need your wisdom not your magics" she said. He gave her a quiet look. "I need you to tell me how to kill a goddess" she said. His eyes widened. "Please. She'll kill them all" she begged. He motioned for her to come inside and when she did, he shut the door.

The End....for now