Allow me, Mr. Strobel”

“Please, do call me Dietrich.”

“Very well… Dietrich,” Amarice had to lean over to gently grip the older gentleman’s arm.

“My wife, Cathrin.” He introduced as the three walked along the corridor.

The process of waking up from stasis was a slow one, especially when the person has been dormant for well over a millennia. The muscles are sluggish, thoughts foggy.

“We have a bit of refreshment set up for you.” Amarice said cheerfully.

“That would be delightful dear.”

Amarice could feel the trepidation from the older woman, both where being polite, but there was an undertone of fear. Understandable, they weren’t sure as to what to expect.

“The horrible war, ended?” Dietrich asked while looking up at the tall woman.

“Yes.” Amarice said soft, “long past Mr---“

“Please, Dietrich.”

“Of course,” Amarice already liked these people they were warm and very kind. She could see where Sienna got her gentle nature. “Dietrich, the war is long over.

“You are quite tall for a Colossi.” Cathrin looked up to meet the lovely young woman’s eyes.

“I’m not a Colossi.” Before more inquiries could occur, Amarice continued. “I know you must have many questions, but all will be answered in time. First, I’ll take you to a shuttle craft which will transport us to a ship in orbit. There a bit of food is waiting for you both as I know you must be hungry after so long a time.”

**
The troops arrayed in the landing bay braced at attention as the Empress appeared.

Kyla pulled on Sienna's hand stopping her as she exited the shuttlecraft.

“What are you doing?!”

“Sienna, you can’t just go barging in there, think of your parent’s welfare.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Our size my love, you go up there now and your parents will get quite a shock. Let Amarice ease them into their new reality.”

“I—I hadn’t thought of that.” Sienna dipped her head. “They will take one look at me and think I’m a gigantic monster.”

“No.” Kyla moved to walk beside her wife. “They will be happy to see their daughter, but they probably will need time to process your size don’t be hurt, okay? It is only natural they would be scared at first.

**

“By all the Gods! The ship is huge!”

Amarice had to smile knowing the reason why the Empress’ Super Star Destroyer was so enormous. That being the Empress was enormous…

“Both of Lady Sienna’s parents watched wide eyed as the shuttle landed in the hangar bay. This particular area was usually reserved for the Colossi craft, but Amarice, with Parcrya’s permission, had asked that they be allowed to land here. She wanted to give some clue to Dietrich and Cathrin as to the scale of Colossi now.

Course, the crew had been instructed to keep well out of sight.

“The ceiling, it… it…” Dietrich gasped looking up, and up, and…up.

“Some 30,000 feet from floor to ceiling.” Amarice said pleasantly to accommodate star craft such as fighters.”

“I feel so small in here…” Dietrich said off hand, causing Amarice to smile knowingly.

“Is that a door?” asked Cathrin after they’d walked quite a fair distance.

“Yes.”

Detrich absently raised a hand, idly scratching his head, “Another landing bay for ships?”

“No.” Amarice gestured to the transporter craft and they clambered aboard. “It leads to a corridor.”

“Oh a repair area.” Cathrin said with surety.

“Not Exactly.”

Both looked horribly confused, both wanting to ask questions, but before they could the massive door rumbled open starling them. The small craft flew through and down the corridor toward the private suite of rooms reserved for the Empress.

**

Sienna paced, her arms crossed over her chest, head down. She hated this waiting.
Kyla had decided it best not to appear in her usual tunic and black boots, deciding it may well be a bit overwhelming for Sienna’s parents. Instead she’d cleaned up and put on her usual workout clothes, without, shoes, just socks. Something she hoped would be a bit softer in appearance when meeting the parents again.

Sienna was her usual beautiful self, garbed in a different sundress with slip on shoes, her hair and make-up flawless.

“Do I-?”

“You look wonderful my love.” Kyla smiled reassuringly.

Sienna stopped pacing a moment. “I probably don’t want to be there when you… greet…the Empress.”

“No, let me handle that alone.”

“She’s still in stasis, right?”

“Yes.” Kyla smiled darkly. “I’m looking forward to personally reviving her.”

“Show mercy my Empress.” Sienna clasped her hands in front her head down as she made her plea.

“Even after all she has done?”

“I know what it must sound like, she deserves a painful death. Yet, there are punishments which you can devise which would make her prefer death.”

“Devious, Sienna…” Kyla smirked. “Very devious.”

**

“Was the food, not to your liking?”

“Oh, no, no dear.” Cathrin soothed. “The food is wonderful. It’s just…just that everything is…”

“So large?” Amarice smiled.

“Yes…” Dietrich “I’m on a table top in a massive room, I…”

“You are in the personal quarters of our Empress.”

“He is—“

“She is,” Amarice corrected gently. “Quite tall.”

Both parents took a shuttering breath as they looked round.

“You mean…”

It was time, Amarice signaled...

The massive door opened.

Both gasped in fright!

Natural instinct told them to run, run away as fast as possible before the giant came near.

“It will be alright.” Amarice soothed while reaching out to clasp both their arms.

Sienna only moved forward enough to allowing the double sliding door to close. When it did behind her, she did not move for some time, allowing her absolutely tiny parents to adjust to her new size. When she finally did move, she did so very slowly, and stepped quite softly. Her heart broke seeing the fear on both her parent’s faces. Settling in a chair a fair distance from the table, she couldn’t keep the tears from falling.

“Papa…Mama…” she sniffed.

Amarice couldn’t help but tear up herself at hearing the wavering hesitancy in Lady Sienna’s voice.

“Daughter? Is that you?” Asked Cathrin who then glanced at Amarice who nodded in conformation.

“How did you get so big?”

Sienna so wanted to come nearer, but forced herself to hold back. “It’s a long story Papa, one I’ll be happy to tell you, if you like.”

“Do you serve the Empress?” a bit of a coded question, to see where loyalties lie. His little girl had never been little, but now she was monolithic!

“I do,” replied Sienna, “And I have loved her with all my heart since before we were married.”

“You mean? Kyla.... she’s an Empress!?” Cathrin felt the need to stand, Amarice helping the older woman to her feet. Dietrich moved to do the same.

**

“What is blazes is taking so damned long!”

Kyla was anxious, now it was her turn to pace.

“I’m so glad you find this so amusing.” She barked at a smiling Parcrya.

Parcrya braced at attention, her smile fading instantly.

Kyla halted her step. “I apologize, that was uncalled for.

“I can sympathize with your plight Empress, you assumed they were long gone, now they are here and—“

“It’s like having to meet them all over again, like I’m once more Sienna’s suitor coming to ask their approval.”

“Not like before,” Parcrya said low. “You are an Empress. They will be proud of who their daughter chose as a wife.”

The door to the suite slid open. Momentarily Kyla bit her lip in anxiety before stepping through and into the room.

“My Empress.” Sienna fell to one knee.

Amarice did the same.

Kyla wanted to stop her wife’s parents from taking a knee, but Sienna specifically wanted this to occur, wanted her parents to understand who held power in this New Empire.
With features locked in impassiveness, Kyla stepped into the room. Padding forward softly in her socks, a good call not to dress in her full Imperial uniform. She was imposing even without it.

“Dietrich Strobel.” Kyla began in a commanding tone, one which the two parents found terrifying. “I hereby grant you the title of Duke of Yollentha, and you Cathrin Strobel are now Dutchess of Yollentha.”

“I’m a Duke?” asked Dietrich in disbelief

Cathrin swallowed hard, “She can do that?”

“Oh, yes my lord Duke and Duchess.” Amarice said cheerfully, “I’ve found her Imperial Highness can do anything when she sets her mind to it.”

“Normally, I’d ask you to step forward to accept your chain of office, but it might take you some time, and well, It’d be a bit too big and rather heavy. I’ll just wave that bit of formality.” Kyla smiled thinly. "Rise."

“Mom, Dad… may I still call you that?” Kyla’s voice abruptly changed to being rather timid.

“Of course dear!” Dietrich spoke first and was rewarded with a beautiful smile from Kyla.

“I am so glad to see you both. May I, ah, step nearer? Kyla gestured to a chair at the table."I know my size must be frightening to you.”

“Please do.” Cathrin marshaled her courage as her gigantic Daughter in Law approached slow.

Kyla tried not to loom over the little people, but at her size it was impossible not to. She sat gracefully. They were so incredibly small, At 500 feet, Kyla knew her fingers averaged 25 feet in length in the old Imperial measurements, her parents were barely half that by appearances.

Sienna slid in the chair opposite.

Their miniscule parents startled when Minya approached to serve the Empress and her consort tea with practiced grace.

“Empress, if it please you, I’ll take my leave.”

“No, no!” Dietrich grabbed Amarice’s arm. “Please stay.”

Amarice looked to her Empress, who nodded sadly. Amarice and the other Minis were used to being small, Sienna’s parents needed time to adjust. Amarice was a security blanket of sorts for them, a buffer against being left alone with two giantesses

“There is much you need to get used to.” Kyla prefaced. “But first, please tell me how it came to be you were both placed into stasis?”

**
Aged Eyes fluttered open, the old Empress being terribly disoriented. Blinking she let out a groan as she lifted herself from the containment unit.

Bars… she was surrounded by bars on all sides, stumbling forward, she slid her hands round two of them, using them for support as she continued to peep about.

To either side, black walls rose up as far as she could see. An odd type of wall, they had bulges and ripples, there was a texture to them.

“Enjoying the view?” a voice boomed from high above.

Instantly, she knew who it was.

“I order you to free me from this prison! I am your Empress.”

Suddenly the walls on either side groaned and squeaked. Old Agathe realized they weren’t walls, but…giant boots!”

“You…are…nothing!”

Kyla’s voice was so loud, Agathe had to cover her ears. A scream as her world shifted, and she was sent tumbling backward to slam against the far row of bars. Her stomach dropped, as she moved upward at an incredible rate.

Agathe barely managed to keep from wetting herself as a face filled her entire field of vision. She wasn’t in a cell in a prison building, she was in a cage!

“Nothing but a bug.” Huge lips parted, a flash of perfectly white teeth and a wash of hot breath hit the old woman as Kyla spoke. “Let’s take a closer look at you, shall we?”

Agathe screamed as the lid of her prison was easily pried off by gigantic fingers. She continued to scream as she was pinched between a thumb and forefinger.

The cage she had once been in dropped away, to slam onto the floor far, far below.

“Unhand me!”

“Very well,” Kyla smirked… “Empress.”

The fingers holding her let go, Agathe shrieked as she fell and fell, finally landing in a huge palm.

“Be careful what you wish for, bug.” Kyla’s laugh boomed overhead. Next thing the old woman knew she was tumbling head over heels across a padded surface.

Shakily, the woman gained her footing, falling back in shock as first one gigantic boot, then another crashed down. The sheer weight of those boots created a depression into which Agathe rolled.

Kyla smirked down at the plight of little woman upon her ottoman as she slowly crossed her feet.

“I am your Empress!” Agathe yelled as loudly as she could, while climbing up out of the canyon she’d fallen into.

Kyla laughed, “Get it through your head now, your world, your Empire, and your power are long gone. By exiling us you are to blame for destabilizing your Empire. Your asinine belief that we Colossi were some kind of a master race was the cause of your down fall. In the end, you couldn’t survive without the smaller peoples.”

“The war? It is over?” asked the tiny woman as she continued to climb up, hands clawing at the fine leather.

“Long over, your dimwitted minion’s followed your final order and unleashed Armageddon upon innocent billions. The use of primitive fusion bombs destroyed Earth and would have ended your miserable life had you not scurried into your bunker like a cockroach.”

Agathe launched into the air as massive boots lifted away and the giant springs in the ottoman released their tension. With a huff, she landed near the corner, her momentum, carrying her over the edge.

Grasping at the leather, she chanced a look over her shoulder, the distance to the floor was hundreds of feet.

“Help! Help me!"

Kyla’s beautiful yet terrifying face moved close. Puckering her lips just a bit, she exhaled the gust of breath loosening the hold of the toy Empress.

Once again Agathe screamed as she fell.

Her salvation came in the form of one gigantic yet elegant finger, which she landed upon and clung to with all her worth, pulling herself up upon a perfect fingernail, legs still dangling over the side.

She found herself before one gigantic, blue eye.

“Rather than share power, you selfishly lead your people into a word ending war.”

“Ludicrous! Sharing power with stinking rabble!”

“Says the teeny woman clinging to the very tip of my finger, Kyla retorted, “How worthless you are!” she hissed, “a pathetic little worm deserving to be trodden on then discarded as trash.”

Kyla leaned back in her chair. Casually she flicked her finger sending the little thing high up in the air to once again land in upturned palm.

“Please, please no more…no more!”

How the mighty have fallen, mused Kyla. In the New Order, Agathe was quickly learning her place.

“Oh, there will be more.” Kyla took a deep breath, then casually exhaled, amused as how it blew Agathe back upon her ass.

“That brings me to your punishment. You deserve no mercy, none at all for murdering billions, and destroying the beautiful Earth.”

“I thought I’d make it quick, just swallow you and be done with it.” Agathe began to quake in fear as Kyla gigantic tongue slithered out to drag across plush dark lips.

“But, my wife, being wise, told me as foul as you are you’d probably give me one hell of a stomach ache. Then I thought it best to just crush you underfoot, easily done as you are…so…pitifully…small.”

Agathe went pale, even as big as she was, even Kyla could see it.

“But… I’d have to remove your filth from the underside of my boot. All and all, a bit unpleasant.” Kyla crinkled her nose in disgust.

“Finally, I thought I’d come up with the perfect punishment, just put you in a cell to rot, but not just any cell, a cage attached to a necklace. You’d make a nice gift to my wife I thought. Living out your days as a unique bit of jewelry she could show off to her many friends. Downside is she’d have to feed you and such.” Kya raised a hand gesturing flippantly. “Again, Sienna vetoed the idea, seems she didn’t want your stench so near.”

“No, you need a long lasting punishment, something to atone for the lives you’ve destroyed. Something which will cause you to reflect upon what you have done as well as reinforce how low you have fallen due to the evil you’ve wrought.”

Most casually, Kyla tossed the little woman into the air, only to catch her again. Her darker instincts reveling in the absolute power she held over the formerly fearsome Empress. A miss, and Agathe would fall to her death, or at the very least be terribly crippled.

“I tell yah, it caused quite the conundrum attempting to decide what to do with you. Sienna suggested I show a bit of mercy,” she stopped tossing the woman for a moment. “After all you did keep her parents from experiencing a nuclear holocaust.”

“That’s right… I did…I did do that.” Agathe was now grasping at anything to try and stay alive.

“If only because you wanted to use them as a possible bargaining chip against me.” Snarled Kyla who began to casually toss Agathe again. “Just in case I was planning an attack on Earth.”

“Speaking of Earth, is my personal possession now.” A dark smile on gigantic lips. “Actually Lady Sienna and I are building a vacation home on this little planet, course it will have to be quite large. You see I’m just a tad over 500 feet and still growing, thanks to your dosing our world with the shrinking virus. Your little plan to reduce us in size backfired spectacularly.”
Kyla crossed her legs, setting a very shaky former Empress upon her knee.

“In fact, Mini’s are bigger than you are, I do appreciate the irony, people you once called toys now larger than you. But I digress, to your punishment. You will serve my household here on Earth watching helplessly as both I and my… democratic… Empire grow in size and power.

When you become too small to be of any use or, even seen for that matter, I shall have you placed in a terrarium. You will live in a box, alone for the rest of your days.”

Agathe fell to her knees and wept, pitifully…

**
“Papa, do you like your new home?” Asked Sienna.

“Oh daughter it is magnificent!” Dietrich smiled. “Though we are sad you are unable to visit, being that our home is only slightly larger than the Empress foot.”

Sienna nearly snickered, at the mental image. Her parents were so tiny, but how she loved them. “Papa your house is in our garden, we can see you anytime we like.”

“Well, I meant, you staying over a night, we’d love to have you.”

“I know Papa, it will never be possible and count your blessings as Kyla snores.” That last got
Sienna a glare from her wife. “but our door is always open for you and mother.”

“And we appreciate it Sienna, you and our Empress have been so very kind. Your mother is out tending the garden at the moment, shall I get her?”

“Oh no, let her be, I know how she loves to work on her roses. Say hi to Kyla!” Sienna turned her view screen so her father could get a glimpse of her wife all sprawled out on the bed.
“Empress,” said Dietrich most reverently.

“Just Kyla, Dad. No Empress here at the moment. Just in public.”

“Will you be back to open Parliament?”

Kyla had to smile, Sienna’s dad was always so proud on ceremonial occasions, he loving the fact that his daughter was married to her Imperial Majesty, the high Ruler of the Intergalactic Empire.

“I’ll be there Dad. Sienna and I will be departing Earth, tomorrow morn.”

“Though we hate when our vacations on Earth end.” Sienna had turned the view screen back so her father could once again see her.

“I know you do, you both love those on Earth and they are lucky to have you watching over them.”

“I best get dinner on, your mother will be mighty upset if I don’t as it is my turn to cook.”

“Love you Papa, give Mama my love”

“Love you pops.” Said Kyla with raised voice.

Sienna sighed in contentment, when the transmission ended.

“Hey!” Growled Kyla. “You missed a spot so big, I can see it all the way from here!”

“Many apologies great Empress!” Agathe shifted in her rope held seat, moving over to the part of Sienna’s big toe that she had missed. With careful stokes, she used the brush to precisely paint the area with red nail polish.

The End.