Smiling didn’t come natural to Kyla.

Sure around Sienna it was easy for her to relax enough to smile, but then she was extremely comfortable around her wife.

Here she was, attempting to smile warmly at the little people standing round her boots. Curious little things, these devolved humans, the largest were nearly as tall as a mini, most quite a bit smaller, on Kyla’s scale maybe half as tall as one of her fingers.

It had taken some time using nonverbal cues to reassure these tiny people that the giants before him meant no harm. Mostly they had moved slowly, when speaking had done so softly. Unfortunately there was a bit of a language barrier, the vernacular of these people was mix of very little English, with new words from their tongue only. The other problem was simply hearing them; one had to listen carefully to hear their high pitched shouts at this height.

She had ordered no other colossi, save the ship’s doctor, to be near the village. Having a crowd of giants standing together, could be overwhelming to these people, better to allow them to get used to the size differential in small doses.

“How did this happen? How did the people on Earth come to be so small?”

“Well they aren’t exactly small Empress; really they are 19 to 25 feet or so. It just what we’ve grown tremendously large in comparison, after all you stand at 370 feet now. “

“Actually she’s 375 feet now, large enough to set of tremors every time one of her big clod-hopping boots slams down,” Sienna snickered.

“You are not exactly petite either.” Kyla smirked as her wife blanched a bit at the truth in those words.

“I have a theory Empress, but it is just that, I need more time to study the data we’ve received.” Kyla looked to the Ship-board doctor. Xelce was around Sienna’s height, her head right at Kyla’s waist. Dressed in a grey imperial tunic and trousers short cut blond hair, with green eyes, she looked to be highly efficient, least by appearances anyway.

“Well, a theory is better than nothing, let’s have it.”

Xelce nodded, shifting a bit on her feet. Kyla watched as the doctor panicked a bit, worried she’d inadvertently hurt the small people standing near. As Xelce checked that all was indeed okay, Kyla though it best to have the Minis work with these villagers. At least they were somewhat near the same height.

All due to the effects of the war, Xelce gestured to the barren landscape surrounding them. “Much of the food producers killed off by the fighting, crops and animals laid waste. The result was these people took in far fewer calories, their immune system weakened and—“

“And the shrinking virus reduced them in size.” Sienna finished.

“Or kept them from growing, Xelce continued, problem is this planet is nearly incapable of supporting life. These people will continue to die, and continue to get smaller in size with every new generation, unless something is done to alter the circumstances.

“We could save them, take them off planet and back to ours.”

“I do not think that to be a good idea, Lady Sienna.”

“Why doctor?”

Xelce, looked down at the little village for a long moment. “These people have devolved over a thousand years; to bring them into our world would create a massive cultural shock.”

“They would not be able to adjust.”

“Precisely, their beliefs, their traditions, all would be torn asunder by them being taken to our world.”

“Then if we cannot take them back with us, then at least we could feed them and---“

“No…”

“No?! Kyla you can’t be that cruel!”

“Sienna,” Kyla clasped her wife’s hands within her own. “If we feed them, then we create dependence, and dependence is just a step away from slavery. We need to find a way to allow them to…discover… new ways of farming, how to raise crops, how to build more
advanced cities, only then they will progress as a people.”

“Kyla what you are saying is that, in essence, we make the Earth into a gigantic terrarium, an entire world in a metaphorical box. What you, and the good doctor here propose is that we who are giant, use our technology to manufacture ways for them to discover farming, to domesticate animals, to gain understanding in how to build a large civilizations.:

“It would appear to be the best solution available.” Xelce stated soft.

“Then I can only say, congratulations my love…”

Confusion marked Kyla’s features. “Why congratulations?”

“Kyla, should this plan be carried out, you move up from the rank of Empress to that of god.”

**

From their various hiding places, those of the White Mountain Tribe watched with fearful awe as the massive black boot of the goddess easily shifted tons of Earth and debris.

“Not much left,” Said Kyla while placing hands upon hips.

“No…” Sienna stepped to her wife, reaching up slightly; she wrapped her arms around Kyla’s waist as best she could.

The grand home they had once lived in was long gone. Just a barely traceable outline of the foundation remained the formal gardens no longer recognizable.

“You’d be too big for it anyway.”

“I can’t help the fact I’m really tall.”

Sienna hugged her tighter, “I’m just teasing, honey you know I love your height.”

Taking her wife’s hand, Sienna led and Kyla followed. The two walked the short distance (for them) to the city nearest, within the only things taller than Kyla were some rusting beams of derelict skyscrapers

Unwittingly, they had moved from the territory of the White Mountain Tribe to the Shadow Moon Clan.

“Ruins… all ruins, such a terrible waste, everything in the old Empire is now gone.” Sienna lamented.

“Not quite everything, evidently some military and evacuation bunkers remained intact, we may be able to piece together what actually happened, given time.”

Down narrow path which once was a large road they walked. Kyla knew where they were going, but she remained silent with that knowledge. Sienna needed this, needed the closure gained by seeing it. Even with the desolation surrounding them, her wife knew the route by heart.

And then…

Both were looking down at an unremarkable patch of Earth.

“Mom and Dad were devastated we were being sent away forever…” Sienna didn’t look up from the spot where her childhood home had been.

Kyla placed her hands upon Sienna’s shoulders.

“They really loved you, you know.”

“I know, your parents gave me to the only family I ever had.”

Sienna chucked. “Dad was so very proud of you, Mom used to tell me stories of how he would tell anyone who would listen about his daughter in law the Viceroy. About how brave you were in battle, how strong you were in defense of the Empire.”

“Not everything I did as Viceroy was as noble as you father liked to paint it.”

“No...” Sienna leaned back against her wife. “But, was tremendously proud of what you’d become as I am proud now of what you’ve become.”

Kyla, never one to give in to emotion, was surprised by the need to blink away tears.

“You can create a better world here my love, you can—“

“As a god?”

“At first, yes.” Sienna was blunt. “But I know you will soon let these little people know who and what we really are when they are ready to hear it.”

“I’m going to need your help Sienna.”

“Always I am here for you, Kyla.”

Kyla found herself needing to wipe her eyes, Sienna loved her so.

“The Speck’s think they can use their technology to begin cleaning the air, water, and soil pollution, that they can keep the planet habitable.”

“For a people we cannot see, they are capable of so much. It is incredible.”

“I see that, you can see that, but Baroun will not.”

“Baroun refuses, due to his own greed and desire for power.” Sienna snugged up closer to her tall wife. “But, I tell you like many others of his ilk he will eventually make a mistake.”

Kyla leaned over, her eyes meeting Sienna’s when her wife looked up.

“Since when did you become such a shrewd contriver?”

“I learned it watching you my Empress.”

Kyla chuckled, “I’m glad you are on my side.”

Both women looked up to see Parcrya approaching at a run, those unseen members of the Shadow Moon Clan were physically lifted then slammed to the ground with each of the giant’s heavy footfalls.

“Empress!”

“Yessss?”

Parcrya paused to catch her breath. “We have received an urgent message from the Prime Minister, he commands us to return home immediately.”

“The jig is up,” said Kyla. “We’ve been discovered.”

“There is more Empress,” Parcrya steeled herself, swallowing hard. “He orders me to place you under arrest.”

Without hesitation, Kyla lifted her hands, ready for the restraining cuffs.

“Empress, I cannot—“

“You must, Parcrya. Remember, plausible deniability. We agreed on this before the operation began. Now, you must arrest me so that the blame will only fall on my shoulders. Either that or have the entire crew face punishment.”

“Very well Empress,” agreed Parcrya, “But I will not place you in restraints that is beneath you.”

Those in the Shadow Moon Clan watched with awe as the Giant Goddesses walked away.”