"Keith wake up!" Oberon shouted. Keith bolted awake looking around. "We're not being attacked" Oberon said. "Then why..." he groaned. "If you don't get ready you'll miss the flight" he replied. Keith looked at the clock. "11:09? Shit" Keith hissed as he got out of bed. He quickly got dressed and checked out the hotel. He turned in the car and waited to be helped. "Leaving so soon?" the borrower girl from yesterday asked. "Finished my business...sort of" he replied. "Very well. Sign here...oomph!" she huffed as she picked up a pen heavy even for her. "Easy cutie. I got it" he said taking it from her. She rubbed her back as he signed the paperwork. The girl sat down to rub her nyloned feet. "Feet hurt already?" he asked. "Up and down since 8 this morning. People going on vacation here" she replied. "Just be sure to pace yourself. This is a big change for you" he said petting her hair. Things was she didn't like to be petted. Customers had done it constantly since she arrived. And God the kids...

But he had encouraging words for her yesterday. Concern for her today. She let the petting slide. "You got someone to take care of you right. Not in the pet kind of way" he asked. "Kind of. There's a guy at my shelter. But he's a human and I don't know what his feelings are about" she replied shyly. "Ask. Take my advice and ask. My future wife is like you. You'd be surprised where true love lies" he said. "You're getting married to a borrower?!" she asked. Keith didn't bother to say she was Yaksha. "Yes. We complete one another" he replied. "That's so sweet! Maybe I should ask him" she muttered. "You're pretty and got a spunky attitude. He'd be stupid not to fall for you" he said. "You hitting on me? You just said you're getting married" she giggled. "Getting married not dead. I acknowledge beauty when I see it" he replied. She wagged her finger. Keith chuckled at her. "Got to get going. Take care of yourself" he said leaving. "You too! You too...wish more humans were like him" she sighed.

Keith got through security and made it to his gate. He sat down to take a breath. "Not here" he muttered not seeing Lawan's parents. The song "The way it is" by Bruce Hornsby and The Range. He listened to the lyrics looking out at the Tarmac. "That's just the way it is. Some things will never change. That's just the way it is. Ah, but you believe them..." Keith nodded. "Maybe so. Maybe so" he muttered. "Now boarding Flight 779 service to Madrid. Gold class members and rear seating first" the announcer said. Keith looked at his ticket. Seat 17A for Madrid. Seat 22F for Athens. Seat 13B for Bangkok. "This is going to be a long flight" he sighed. He stood in line and waited for his section to board. A borrower girl in a tiny stewardess uniform greeted the passengers. Most of them didn't even acknowledge her but the kids smiled. As he got near he spoke. "It's the kids that make it better isn't it?" he asked her. "It does" she replied. "Maybe some things do change" he thought. Keith sat in his seat and buckled up. When everyone was seated he found it odd the plane hadn't departed the gate.     

"Holding for late passengers" a stewardess muttered. "Well I'll be damned. Things really do change" he said seeing the passengers boarding late were none other than Lawan's parents. They saw him and sat in adjacent seats. "What changed your mind?" he asked. "The thought of dying and never seeing our daughter again" her mother replied. "Fair enough" Keith said. The plane took to the air and about a half hour later, Lawan's parents moved to sit next to him. They placed their drinks and peanuts on an open tray table. "Fi rugged we should talk more son in law" the father said. He and his wife joined hands and the air shimmered. After that they shrank to their natural sizes. Keith quickly looked around. "Easy. We casted an illusion.  To everyone else it seems we are asleep" the woman said holding a very large peanut. "So, this Ebonheart plans to decimate the world?" the man asked. "She plans to use Etherion, my child to cast an infection curse on humanity. At its height she will EMP the world crippling its ability to fight it off. No hospitals, medicine shipments, cars or trucks. Humanity will be cast 500 years back technologically. When it's all done 90% of humanity will be dead and she will reign over the survivors. 6.84 billion people dead*" Keith replied.

(Authors note: as of March 2018, there are approximately 7.6 billion people in the world)

They looked at one another grimly. "She has already formed a coalition according to Yaksha spies. One paid me a visit last night" he said. "A spy appeared to you?" the woman asked. "A Mogwai" he replied. Now they were very concerned. "I was forced to kill her. Kill her very...messily" Keith whispered before sipping on ginger ale. "We...we don't condone the taking of life" the man said, Keith rolled his eyes. "Then you should find a way to. You don't have the luxury of that anymore. When humanity has been brought down you think Yaksha will be safe? From what I heard the Mogwai want you deader than dead. If you don't want to end up like the dodo bird, I suggest you start learning how to do more than illusions to defend yourself" he said. "You're asking us to do something we have sworn not to for thousands of years" the man said to him. "And I get that. Let me put it to you this way. What if a Mogwai stowed away on this flight? Snuck into that lady's purse there and popped out ready to kill me. Kill me by blowing this place to bits. Would you attack her to stop it? Under the old way you're talking about no. The plane and all 60 or so people onboard die. That boy there might grow up to cure cancer. That girl might be president and advert a nuclear war"

"My point is doing nothing can be more harm than killing out of necessity. I've killed people. Killed one woman to save my life, my friends, and innocent people on a train in Germany. Killed an insane Fae Queen to again save my life and my friends. Killed a Mogwai woman last night. Fucking ate her to save my life. Am I proud of those things? Fuck no. Am I sorry I did them? No. I am sorry I was put in that position" Keith solemnly replied. "We will think about your words more later. In the meantime, has anyone gone over the marriage ritual with you?" the father asked. "Only that it takes place under a new moon and in the forest. Why a new moon?" Keith asked. "The absence of the moon symbolizes the void of the beginning. The phases that reveal it symbolizes the cycle of a new life" the woman replied. "That and the story of the first Yaksha wedding" The man said sipping a drop of Coke. "The first wedding?" Keith asked. "Ah yes that. You are expected to know this as the ceremony is a reenactment of it. This will take some time to explain so if you have questions please ask" the man said.

Nearly a day later...

Keith couldn't wait to see Lawan again. It felt like he'd been gone a year and not two and a half days. Tonight, they would be wed and as a wedding gift he had brought her parents. "It has been a long time Aat" the woman said looking at the temple entrance. "Too long Boonsri. Will she be happy to see us? Will she resent us?" Aat the father of Lawan asked. His wife held his hand. "We shall see" she said leading him up the steps. All three entered the portal and were back home.  "The air. The people. We are home" he muttered. Keith walked ahead. "I'll make sure she's okay" he said walking briskly forward. He shrank down as he got near. "I heard there was a pregnant girl here missing someone" he said loudly. A mash of footsteps came from behind him. He turned to see her. "...welcome home" Lawan said bowing.  She was trembling. "No need for formality. Missed you too" he said raising her head. Lawan hugged him tightly crying. "Silly girl. Told you I'd be back in time" he said. She playfully punched him. "The baby kicks constantly! I worried you would not make it back before it arrived!" she yelled. "Had to take care of business" he replied. "What business was so important you had to leave me!" she shouted. A series of heavy thuds and Keith looked over her shoulder to see a pair of giant toes neatly painted. "Why don't you find out yourself by going outside?" he asked. Lawan eyed him curiously and turned around. "Whose toes are those?" she wondered as she stepped outside. Lawan gazed up at the giantess looking down. "...mother?" she asked with a gasp.

Boonsri wrapped her fingers around her tiny daughter and brought her to her face. Lawan was speechless at first. Her mother worried what would happen. She could see she was very swollen with child and saw herself in her. "Look at my precious child. Days from being a mother herself" she said stroking her tiny belly. Lawan said nothing. "Your breasts are swollen with milk. You must be milked to avoid that" Boonsri said placing her little tits in her mouth and began suckling. Lawan closed her eyes as her own giantess mother drank her milk. Slowly, the emotions began to break free. Lawan held her nose and began sobbing. Sobbing so hard she had trouble breathing. "Mother! Mother!" she sobbed over and over. Boonsri stop suckling to hold her. It broke her heart to see her child cry so. Aat took her from her hand. "Papa! PAPA!" she shrieked. He held her tiny feet between his fingers. Her breasts slick with his wife's saliva. "...you look so much like your mother" he said softly. It had been some time since he cried. He was a giant right then but seeing his tiny child crying his name over and over. Hugging his finger so tightly. Aat felt so small. Small due to the shame of cutting her from his life. Aat placed her on the ground and they shrank down. Aat carried her in his arms into their home. He sat her down on the sofa while his wife made tea.

"Take a deep breath child. There you go" he said rubbing her back. "This is why you left? To bring them back?" she asked Keith. "I wanted to do something extra special" he replied. Lawan sat in his lap. She put her head under his chin. She had no words to express such gratitude. Keith wrapped his arms around her and listened to her make a purring sound. He could've choked on her pheromones right then. "God you smell delicious" he muttered as his instincts set his body ablaze. "Ah...youth" her mother sighed as she set down the fresh tea. As the hours passed, he watched Lawan get acquainted with her parents once more. She spoke highly of her students. She spoke of how empty the home felt. She spoke of the snake. And talk grew quiet as it turned to how society treated her. "We won't abandon you ever again. It was a foolish and prideful. It was NOT of the Buddha" her father told her. Lawan nodded as this meant all the world for her to hear. Her mother warned her to stay calm for the baby. Lawan walked out to the veranda where Keith was quietly watching the sky turn reddish orange as the sun began to set.

"Soon it will be time" she said sitting down. "Yep. I have to get ready shortly" he replied. "You memorized your lines? The choreography?" she asked. Keith nodded. She prodded him with her toes. "What's on your mind? The wedding?" she asked. "I can remember the days that served as a change in my life. The loss of my parents was a rainy day. The loss of my sister was a cold autumn night. Meeting Claire and Aspen was a rainy night in spring. The birth of my first child was a warm spring chaotic day. Today? The sun shone, the breeze was gentle, not a dark cloud in sight" he said. Keith held her left foot in his hands. He caressed her second toe. "Lawan, I'm not a warrior, I'm a scientist. I can tell you how the joints in this toe works. I can tell you why your feet are so ticklish. I can even tell you why your pupils dial ate when you look at me. What I can't tell you is why out of all the possibilities in the universe...we ended up together. Everything happens for a reason. I believe that now. So, I ask what fate has in store for us. I can't be for us to die in a few weeks. More...it has to be more" he muttered.

Lawan was worried he had cold feet but quite the opposite. He was like a child that constantly asked why. "Maybe this is what is more?" she asked touching her belly. Keith smelled her foot before putting it down. He placed her in his lap and looked deep into her almond eyes. He sniffed her neck before licking it. His eyes were soft. His fingers gentle on her breasts. He held her head and pushed his tongue into her mouth. It was a kiss Lawan would remember. He broke it and pushed her hair out of her face. "Ready to start our new life?" he asked. Lawan held his hand. "...yes" she replied.

The ceremony was held in the forest. Right at the edge of the barrier. Keith was human sized and stood 200 ft. away from Lawan. Dressed in just a loincloth he stood firm and tall.  Lawan stood human sized as well wearing sashes of silk and nothing else. In the center of the two standing aside was an old woman of similar height. It was explained to him she was the Yaksha version of a Dali Lama. The high priestess of their people, the religious authority of her kind. She would oversee the ceremony and give narration. If you wonder what the narration is then understand that Yaksha marriages were not strictly ceremonies. They were the retelling of their origins. There were bridesmaids and even a best man in theory but nothing like western roles. They served the groom. Keith waited for it to begin as magical light illuminated the area for those attending. The priestess spoke...

"In the time before words were written, there lived a god in an eastern kingdom beyond the horizon. A god of power, a god of authority, a god that made mortals his amusement" she said. There were a series of drumbeats that signaled Keith to walk forward. When they stopped he did. At his feet was three girls from his class. Malai and her friends were proud to be part of this and thrilled as they knew what their roles were. Arat served as best man and tossed a tiny spear to him. It grew in midair and Keith caught it. In his hands was a ceremonial weapon. It looked familiar to him for some reason. A spear with a curved shallow blade on it. "The name of this god was Yakio and he delighted in plucking women from homes and fields with his magic and mating with them" she said. Keith reached down and picked up Malai. "Jesus" he muttered as he pulled off her little loincloth and began rubbing the tiny girl along his shaft.

Keith remembered the bitter concoction given to him by Lawan's father. He said it was a libido booster like a natural Viagra. Keith couldn't believe the reason why he would need it. Keith was about to cum and held her to his cockslit blasting her full of semen. His worry was elated until she smiled and gave a thumbs up. Keith put her back down and grabbed another. He did this again until she was literally pumped full of cum. And then there was the last. She knew she was to do nothing but she couldn't help by moan and lock her little legs around his shaft. When he came she kissed his drooling cock. Keith embarrassingly placed her back on the forest floor. “Bridesmaids...every culture is different Keith" he muttered.

"But this only gave him some amusement as he sired MANY children...none had his gift of immortality. He watched them grow old and die. His power would not pass to them no matter which woman he chose. Yakio began to wander outside his kingdom in search for a woman who would suit his needs" she said. Drumbeats and a flute sounded. The flute signaled for him to speak his lines. "Surely there is a woman who can pass my power to my offspring! One who can spare me the loneliness of immortality! For what good is eternity without family to share it with?!" Keith yelled as he walked. "Yakio felt a tug of power in the west. It took him across lands he never seen. And as his search continued, he found himself more desperate and agitated" she said. A low flute like an oboe sounded signaling Lawan to come forward towards him. It played for three full minutes as Lawan gracefully skipped and pranced as if she was content with nature. When she got within 20 feet of Keith it stopped. Their eyes met and she blushed as he still had an erection.

"And when it seemed his search was for naught he found her.  A beauty he had seen before. Her hair reminded him of fresh stalks of wheat. Her breasts large and suited for breastfeeding children. Her hips good for birthing. Her feet clean and meticulous like polished stone. But most of all, she radiated power of her own. Keith’s flute sounded. "What is your name goddess so I may know it before I take you as my mate?" Keith asked. Lawan chuckled but straightened up. "I am Shana of the western realms and I do NOT recognize your claim. Begone eastern god" Lawan said. Yakio didn't take kindly to being refused. He immediately went to subduing her thinking he would take her by force. However, that was easier said than done. Every attack he used was dispersed" she said. Keith used some post it notes stuck to his leg to cast very weak spells that Lawan could easy stop. "Yakio used wind in an attempt to knock her on her back so he could mount her. All it did was brush her hair"

Keith casted a weak wind spell that only did what the woman said. Lawan moved as if she blocked it. "Ice to freeze her in place so he could take his time. She turned it into gentle snowflakes. This continued for over an hour and Yakio grew more annoyed as to how this goddess could deflect the attacks of a god. Surely, he was superior he thought. In truth Shana was no goddess but a semi immortal. A being that lived for centuries that commanded a power superior to even he. The power of Etherion. But as their fight continued, Yakio gained ground for as an immortal god, he was immune to fatigue, and she was not. He cast all his godly submissive might into his spear to shatter her defenses. One cut would break her will and thus enslave her. It crackled with magical authority. Shana used her hands to block his swings as she devised a way to end this"

Keith slowly swung the spear and Lawan made a dance of evading it. "She looks so happy" he thought. "Shana realized the spell that would stop this confrontation before she lost. With a clap of her hands magic shot forth from them striking the eastern god" she said. Lawan did just that striking Keith. Within seconds he was shrunk down staring up at his pregnant giantess soon to be wife. "Shana quickly went to subdue the god with her foot" the old woman said. Lawan gently pressed her bare foot on Keith. She was chuckling as she rolled him around a little. Then she grimaced. Keith looked up from between her toes to see fluid running down her legs. "She's wet? Naughty...wait...she's not horny...aw shit!" he said. Lawan was sweating now. "Something's wrong" her mother said. The flute for Keith sounded but he didn't give his lines. "Do it" Lawan said seriously. Keith figured if he rushed it this could end and they could help her. "Spare me goddess! Do not crush me like a common bug!" he yelled quickly. "Give...give up your intentions and I will spare you" he said trying to keep it together. Lawan lifted her foot off him and picked him up.

"Yakio immediately agreed and as she held him saw the bitter loneliness in his heart. She began to reconsider his motives. "I will take you as a husband if you give up your godhood and live among mortals. Together we can live as equals among them and learn the ways of true love" she said. It was a bold request. For a god to live as a mortal? Live among them? Yakio agreed. Within a year they sired twins. The name of this new tribe was a combination of the names of their parents....Yaksha" she said. Lawan unshrank him. She held his hands and immediately cringed to her knees. "What is happening child? Oh! The baby comes!" the old woman said. "Finish the ceremony!" Lawan said. "But The child!" the woman said. Lawan's eyes flashed with power. "FINISH IT!" Lawan hissed. "Ummm...as They watched their first children die of old age a thought occurred to Yakio and Shana. "What if we give up our lifespans and lived truly as them? We would keep our magic but live only as long as they do" Shana asked. Yakio pondered it. Over the years he had seen the love his children shared with one another blossom to its fullest with their limited mortal lifespans. "Very well. As all things have a beginning, they too have an end" he said. Both flutes began playing. Lawan was in obvious pain but mustered the strength to pull a tiny fragment of her soul out her body. Keith held her as the blowback was harsh. Keith did the same thing with Oberon's help. With each other's hand on another's chest, they pushed the sliver of soul into their partner's body. Truly, they carried a piece of their loved one inside them. "With their very magics combined, Shana and Yakio became fully mortal and loved out their days watching the people they created out of a love that spanned the world" the old woman said. Lawan kissed Keith so roughly their teeth collided.

She broke the kiss to make a pitiful groan that made Keith's blood run cold.  "Please tell me it's done!" Keith yelled. "It is boy" the woman replied. Keith wasted no time scooping Lawan into his arms as he raced off. The distance from there to the city was a 10-minute walk. Keith crossed it within two. People in the city thought it was thunder they heard but it was his footsteps so powerful they left deep prints in the dirt. Keith barely remembered to slow down as he approached to avoid crashing through buildings, squashing people of just knocking them on their asses from the tremors. It didn't help that Lawan shrank in his arms as her stamina was too taxed to keep her growth spell going. "OUT OF THE WAY!" Keith yelled as he tiptoed around people in the street. He damn neared crushed a young boy flat as he stood in awe in the street. They had of course known who they were and more than some were not sold on Keith. That changed as they saw his terrified face and the pregnant woman in his hands. The very streetlights illuminating the night sodden road flickered with each step he took to the hospital.

Keith bent down in front of it thrusting his hands forward. "Help me please!" he yelled. Nurses ran out and took Lawan from his palms. Keith fished for his post it notes. Gone from his 40 mph. dizzying sprint. Oberon took ahold of his body as Keith was not in his right mind. Oberon had him bite his finger hard and use the blood to draw arcane on his bare chest. Keith shrank down to their size. "Now calm yourself! You can't help her in this state! She needs you to stay calm!" Oberon shouted. Keith took deep breaths as he was in control once more. Keith entered the hospital and like a bloodhound followed her scent. Lawan lay in a bed. Her legs and feet resting on high bedposts. "My husband...where is my husband?" Lawan asked. It was a shock to hear that for him. For it was the first time he was referred to as such. "Right here baby. Right here" he replied holding her hand. His heart ached for her. She looked scared, hurt, helpless. He kissed her lips. "I'm ready my wife. I'm ready" he said looking at her belly. The Doctor stood ready to deliver. The nurses cast fortification spells. Lawan calmed down. "Doesn't hurt so much now" he muttered weakly.

Her hand felt the goosebumps on his skin. The raised hairs on his arms. She looked worried. "It's nothing. A borrower thing" he told her. In reality, Lawan was releasing a certain type of pheromone right then that he was detecting. During The birthing process, females release all kinds of chemicals and hormones. Dopamine, cortisol, and pheromones. When combined, it triggers a primal instinct in a borrower male. Protect your mate at all costs. Keith was jumpy as fuck as his adrenal glands were working overtime. Sights, smells, even hearing was boosted beyond normal levels even for his kind.

"It's okay. Mother and father are here" her mother said as they finally arrived. Her father got on his knees to hold her other hand. Her mother petted her forehead slick with sweat. Lawan wasn't afraid anymore. All the people she loved were in one room there for her. Another dream of hers made reality. She screamed out in pain. "Push!" the doctor said.  Lawan did. "Now rest. Get another nurse in here" he said. He put his ear to her belly. "We're good. She's got spirit" he said to her parents. "We know" her mother said looking at her. "Mommy....I'm sorry. I'm sorry I killed them..." Lawan babbled. Her mother started to cry. "Hush now. None of that talk" she said. Keith heard her father praying. Another nurse entered the room. "Make sure she doesn't clench her toes!" he yelled. Both nurses held her feet. One hand on her sole and the other at the base of her toes. "We don't want her tearing a tendon" he explained. Lawan yelled out and she pushed.

"My wedding gift is coming Keith. It's coming..." she smiled. Keith was so anxious he didn't even notice that she had broken two of his fingers just moments ago. * The doctor was diligent in healing her between contractions. Still, the toll it took on her was enormous. She was half conscious by that point. Her breasts leaking milk. Her eyes fluttered. "Here...it...comes" she barely said before screaming. Lawan pushed with all her might and collapsed. A tiny cry filled the room. "Praise Buddha. It's a healthy girl" the Doctor said.  "A girl Lawan. You gave us a girl" her mother told her. Lawan nodded weakly. "Help me..." she said. They pulled her up and she held her hands out. The doctor handed the baby over. "What is her name?" her father asked looking up. "Kannika. Her name is Kannika" Lawan smiled cradling the newborn to her chest.

(Authors note: this is actually a real thing. Nurses warn those there for a delivery NOT to hold their hands rather to hold their arms. Women going through the birthing process have amped up strength and can break fingers without even noticing.)

"Her eyes. She has my eyes" Keith muttered. "Already a cutie" Lawan giggled. She held her out for him to hold. Keith stretched his hands out and she gasped. "Your hand?!" she said. Keith held his daughter not caring about the pain. "Don't worry about it" he said. "I did that?!" she asked. "Mommy broke daddy's fingers. Yes she did" Keith chuckled. Lawan hid her face with the bedsheet. "Come on out" he said. She shook her head mortified she did that. Keith bent down and stuck his tongue in her ear. "Gross!" she said jerking back. "Got you to come out of hiding. Got to confirm...you're okay" he said. He was silently crying. Lawan saw him trembling as he passed the baby back to her. "I'll take her and get her cleaned and dressed" the nurse said. They sat quietly for a few minutes. As the adrenaline wore off, Keith started crying hard. "I thought I'd lose you both! You screamed so loudly!" he cried. She could see he was a total wreck.  "In it for the long haul like Shana" she smiled. Keith hugged her gently and rested. So worked up he fell asleep.

It was morning when he awoke. The sound of glass moving roused him. "Mother?" he asked seeing it was his mother in law. "Just putting flowers in a vase. Her father is about town bragging about his granddaughter" she said. He saw that Lawan was fast asleep. "Come sit down here" she said pointing to the foot of the bed. Keith scooted a seat down. Her mother lifted the bedsheet to expose Lawan's feet. "Swollen as I thought. A common thing among our kind. You take the right and I'll get the left" she said. Keith watched her rub and pull on her daughter's toes. Keith picked up her foot to do the same. "That story? Is it all true or myth?" he asked. "All true. Not long ago we put it to the test with mitochondrial DNA. Turns out we all share an ancestor. The last wielder of Etherion was descended from Shana' direct bloodline" she replied. She sucked her daughter's toes for a moment. "Something wrong? Oh...this would seem strange to an outsider" she said. "Not much of an outsider any longer" he replied before sucking Lawan's big toe. "This is true" the woman said nodding.

"So has the reality of being a father set in?" she asked. "Already did some time ago. I have a son" he replied. She looked at him. "A surrogate for a gay couple. Haven't seen much of him" Keith sighed. "This bothers you" she said. "You have no idea. We are very passionate people. Ruled by our emotions. Right now as I look at her sleeping face, I just want to steal her away from the world and keep her to myself. I'd die for her" Keith replied. She squeezed his hand. "I know you would. Take it from me. You will never be a perfect parent. You'll fuck up time and again, but the most important thing is...never give up. Not like me and my husband" she said softly. "You came back didn't you?" Keith asked smiling. She stopped rubbing her daughter's foot and got up. She kissed him on the lips. "I see why she loves you so. You have a good heart my son" she said before leaving. "...it was more than that. You have a nice penis and your semen tastes good" Lawan muttered. "You're awake I see" Keith said pulling his chair close to her. "The baby?" she asked. "Sleeping in the crib to your right" he replied. She glanced over and smiled.

Lawan sat up and yawned. "What are you so deep in thought about?" she asked. "The story. Your mother said it was all true" he replied. "It is" Lawan said. "That's...that's incredible. Do you understand the ramifications of this?" he asked. Lawan shook her head. "Okay, for a while now I had this theory that every homo smallicus tiny species out there are related to one another. A common ancestor way back in the past. Her story gives my theory way more credibility. Think about it. The way Shana is described. She had to have been a Fae!" Keith said. "Now that you mention it. Her attributes do fit. What about Yakio? He was a god" she said. "No, I don't think so. If I had to guess he was a koonago. A very powerful one" he said. "But koonago are tiny things!" Lawan said. "They are now. Himeko said that her species were once far more powerful in the ancient past. Cross breeding with humans could've weakened their bloodline to what they are now. We know they can use magic. Mostly water and wind magic but maybe much more long ago. The fact they can scry and use curses are evidence of that" he said.

"So Yaksha were born from the Union of a Fae and an ancient koonago?" Lawan asked. "It's not so farfetched Lawan. Borrowers have certain physical attributes that Yaksha share. Your pregnancy very closely mirrored Claire's. Almost every change you went through she did. That cannot be coincidence" he said. "And Fae?" she asked. "What Lilly told me in some aspects yes but not much. Being mortal could've been the catalyst for changes like milk production, sensitive feet, very fast gestation" he replied. "So borrowers and Yaksha are related" Lawan said. "By genetics and a common ancestor related to Shana" he said. "Oberon agreed with this?" she asked. "Oberon said he has no knowledge of a Fae named Shana but he admits there were offspring before the fall he doesn't know then names to" Keith replied. She could see the curious grin on his face. "Please don't go off exploring your theory" she muttered. "Don't worry your pretty head about that. I'm a daddy now. My exploring days are over. Although...it does raise another question. One that worries me" he said. "What is that?" she asked.

"If my theory is true and every species is descended from an older one, eventually you'd be left with just one species that gave rise to all others" he said. "Sounds reasonable so what's the worry?" she asked. "My worry is this. Every species that was the foundation to another was more powerful than the latter. If there's one species, then my logic they had incredible mastery of magic. If that is true...then where are they? What happened to them? If they died out...why? If not...are they friendly? Or are they biding their time like Mogwai?" he asked. "Biding their time?" she asked. "...while I was out I was attacked by one. I beat her but they are looking for me. They're not sitting around anymore. They joined forces with Ebonheart" he replied. Lawan pulled him close. She was terrified of what he had just said. The Mogwai threat was ever present but to hear him say it sounded like the eve before war.

Two days later...

"Keith. The mirror is glowing. Aspen is trying to speak to you" Lawan replied as she fed their daughter. Keith sat before a mirror and touched it. "Claire! Happy birthday! Sorry I couldn't come to celebrate" Keith said seeing her. "I understand you've been busy" Claire replied. "An understatement to be sure. How's Aspen?" he asked. "Asleep. It's 2 a.m. here. She's completely stable. The baby is seeing to that" she replied. "...does she ask about me? She hasn't really called since she left here" Keith asked. "She doesn't speak about you much but she does think of you. The first few weeks were very hard" Claire replied. "You know why I had to do this right?" he asked. "We all deserve happiness Keith. Speaking of that, I'm calling you to inform you were getting married in a week. Please tell me you can at least come to that" she said. "Of course I'll come but I do have to inform you of something" he said. Keith moved out from in front of the mirror. "A baby! You two had a baby?!" Claire asked. "That's not all. We got married" he said. Claire looked hurt.

"And we weren't invited" she said softly. "Wasn't like that. It's very dangerous here right now. Hell, I went back to the States for something and got attacked by a flunky of Ebonheart's. She's pissed I disappeared. You and Aspen coming down here would endanger thousands of innocents. They're already combing Thailand. All they need now is to narrow the search by following you guys" he replied. Claire was wiping tears away. "Hey, you know I would've loved you both to be here. You are my family after all" he said touching the mirror. Claire silently nodded. "I'm not going to explain this to her. You will" she said. "Yeah...I know. See you soon" he said ending the conversation. 

"I'm coming too" Lawan said. Keith wanted to object but he could tell in her tone she wasn't going to change her mind. "Wouldn't dream of leaving you behind. I do have one question though" he said. "And that is?" she asked.  Keith sat next to her and held the baby. He breathed in her scent and sighed contently. "Will you be alright with me spending time with them?" he asked. It was a pertinent question for him. She knew that he was sexually bonded with them. Wasn't his fault. They were the mothers of his children. Instinct wouldn't let him just cut ALL emotional ties to them. "...I know where your heart lies" she said seeing him hold their daughter. Keith kissed her. "I'll try to be on my best behavior" he said. "Just don't get Claire pregnant again" she whined. "A reasonable request" he chuckled. Lawan lay on his shoulder. "I'm serious. You knock her up and I'll shrink you so small it'll take a week just to cross this room. Eating flakes of dead foot skin to survive. Licking up the sweat from my footprints" she said in a tone that made him shiver. "...yes ma'am" he croaked.

"Mommy is scary" he whispered to his child. Lawan giggled.