Keith sat nervously on his bed. Claire would soon be coming to his room. It had been nearly two weeks since Claire and he had agreed to father her child. Aspen grinned at the news and was very supportive. In fact, she seemed more enthusiastic about the decision that Claire was. Keith and Claire had planned for it to be today. Her cycle would have her ovulate today and tomorrow. The more he thought about it the more he became aroused. Claire waddling around heavy with child. Her tiny breasts swollen with milk. Aspen and he had joked about who would take turns doting in her. "Hey" Claire said causing Keith to nearly jump out his skin. "Wow you're really wound up" she said. "Just slightly nervous is all" he said. "You weren't all that nervous with Hikari and Klara if I recall" she said. "This is different. You're different" he said back quietly.
Claire climbed onto his bed and sat down in front of him wearing just her lace nightie. "So I got this eyedropper here. I just inject you with it. That how humans sometimes breed borrowers...but of course we have more "natural" options" Keith said pointing to his size watch. "I would prefer the natural option" Claire said too embarrassed to look at the giant. Keith nodded and took off what little clothes he had on. He pressed the button on his watch and shrank down to her size. Claire sat looking down as he approached her. He sat in front of her and held her hands. "It's okay. You can change your mind anytime" he said feeling them shake. "It's not that. This will be the first time I ever had sex with a man. I worry I won't be good" she said. Keith put his fingers underneath her chin to raise her head. He kissed her gently and moved her blonde hair out of her eyes. "Please don't worry about that" he said.
"It's bigger than I remember" she said looking at his cock. "Well I am extremely close to a very pretty ovulating girl" Keith smiled. He pushed her onto her back and gazed at her. "Please don't stare" she said. "Can't help it. Never got such a good view of you naked before. Tiny yes but not like this. Aspen is so lucky and you remind me of..." he said stopping himself. Claire was still nervous of the affair as Keith took ahold of her tiny foot. Borrowers have sensitive feet so it's not a surprise that Claire began to get wet as he sucked her tiny toes. His hands traveled up her toned legs and he parted them. A neatly trimmed bush of blonde pubic hair crested her intimate place. "You didn't have to go that far" he said. "Aspen said men don't like to go down on a tumbleweed" Claire said trying to smile. Keith pulled her ass up slightly and dove in face first.
Her heels of her bare feet rubbed his back as his tongue invaded her wet pussy. She was as sweet as sugar water. He stopped before she could cum. Her face flushed, her nipples hard as tiny rocks, Keith lined his cock at her entrance. "I'll be as gentle as possible" he said as he parted her. Claire had been penetrated before. Hell, she lost her hymen with Aspen when she was 14 but that wasn't exactly intimacy. Even after Claire got her first dildo ($14.99 at Save-Mart) fuck shortly afterward, it still wasn't like being fucked by a flesh and blood penis. Then seeing his soft brown eyes, that sincerity in them. Being there for her. No tiny plastic dick could give her that. Keith grunted as he parted her. He never betted on her being this tight. Claire nodded for him to keep going as he pushed in and bottomed out.
Claire was taken aback seeing a tear fall from his right eye. "Keith what’s..." she was saying before he leaned in to kiss her. She moaned in his mouth as he began to fuck her. His hands explored her body. Tracing her delicate ears. Making tickling circles around her nipples. Feeling the blood pulse along her cartiroid artery in her neck. Harder and harder he slammed into her but his eyes didn't leave hers. The tiny male borrower had his mate underneath and she WOULD carry his child. Claire squealed as she came. Her greedy pussy clamping down and milking his cock for seed. Keith blew his load deep in her, but he was not sated.
He flipped her onto her back and yanked her butt up. Keith slid right back in and fucked the tiny girl doggy style. Claire didn't say anything. In fact she was pleased he got rougher. She didn't want to be treated as glass. She clenched her fists as he shot off inside her again. On the third and final time he had her ride him. Her toes tickling his balls as she fell down his cock before sliding back up. Keith hugged her tightly as he came again. His watch beeped. They had been fucking for two hours. "Sorry for kissing you like that. Didn't mean to use tongue" he said lying next to her. "Don't be. It was sweet. Made it more normal. Why did you cry?" she asked concerned. "I was just happy is all. I get the most joy making you two happy" he replied. Claire kissed him sticking her tongue in his mouth. "Consider it a tip for services rendered" she said. Keith grew back to his normal size. "Can I stay here tonight?" she asked. Keith made a tiny snuggle hole on the bedsheet for her. "I warn you. I kinda snore" she said. Keith hovered over her. His face inches from her tiny well fucked body. "I'll eat ya if you do" he grinned licking his lips. "Oh you would you perv. Just playing the nice guy to get me alone and gobble me up" she grinned.
Keith traced his finger along her bare chest. "You're going to be happy about this right?" he asked. "Keith. You're going to father a beautiful and sweet child. I know it. Stop worrying about me" she said. Keith tucked her in. "I love ya Claire. Not in the marrying kind of way...aww you know what I mean" he grumbled as he got comfortable. "I know you big doofus" she said closing her eyes. Claire didn't fall asleep right away. She felt something as they fucked. Well other than his penis. Like the other side of a coin. Aspen made her feel loved and doted on. And Keith...Keith made her feel natural. Now Claire had a secret she never shared with anyone. She felt guilty for being a lesbian. She understood what her mother had said about her duty to have kids. One just had to look on YouTube to see how easy it was for borrowers to die. It wasn't entirely impossible for borrowers to go extinct one day. So fucking a man and getting knocked up made her feel easier about being with Aspen.
As she lay in bed watching Keith sleep. She swore she could feel herself getting pregnant. When they first met she hated him. Claire didn't want him living there with them and showing up on her doorstep in a rainstorm at night. Hell no. As she put it "I've seen this movie already. Know how it ends". Now after their adventures, he telling them his past. How he treats them. It was clear that Keith was the kind of man who'd die to protect the women in his life. He was supportive of their decisions. Protective of them. Stood up for them. Willing to give them a baby. And as Claire thought about how Keith fucked her, her heart fluttered. Claire tended to sleep far away from Aspen as the giantess tended to move about in her sleep. Claire saw Keith not moving at all and was trusting enough to stay put. "Love you too" she muttered drifting off.
"So I’m dying to know. How was it? Gentle or full on animal?" Aspen grinned as Claire nibbled on a piece of toast. "Bit of both. He made sure I wasn't hurt during the whole thing" she replied. "And?" Aspen asked. "And what?" Claire replied. "Oh come on! Details girl! Did he just stick it in? Foreplay? Even a kiss?" Aspen asked. "He did suck my toes. He took his time putting it in. Held my hands. Looked me in the eyes. Kissed me a lot. He did get kinda...vigorous later. Taking me from behind. Holding me down. Wait...are you masturbating?" Claire asked seeing Aspen flushed and her right hand underneath the table. "No of course not!" Aspen replied. "Then why do I smell your pussy juice?" Claire asked sniffing the air. "Probably just the maple syrup on the French toast" Aspen replied. "Show me your right hand" Claire said. Aspen raised her right hand clenched in a fist. "Open" she said. Aspen sheepishly opened her fist. Claire narrowed her eyes seeing her juices glistening in her fingers. "What? It was hot" Aspen said.
Claire shook her head. "Morning girls!" Keith said walking into the kitchen. He bent down to get into the fridge and Claire snuck a peek at his ass. Aspen grinned at her. Keith stood back up and turned to see Aspen smiling at Claire blushing. Keith petted Claire head before sitting down. "It's very sweet what you did" Aspen said squeezing his hand. "Uh thanks. I know how important it was to you two" Keith said. "It was" Aspen said grazing her big toe along his bare leg. Keith nearly spilled his orange juice. "I'm very grateful" Aspen said putting her hand over his. Keith pulled his hand back. "Just happy to help" he said sort of coldly. Claire was surprised but contended that he gave her the cold shoulder. "So, what's our next adventure?" Keith asked. "Well if we're done with breakfast, why don't we take a look?" Aspen asked.
Aspen sat at the desk and opened the next volume. "Volume 4. The Brownies. Chapter one. Out of all the species of homo smallicus, the Brownies are probably the most enigmatic. Only a handful of accounts have been documented over the last 400 years leaving a great deal of what we know to passed down folklore. Average height was said to be 3.3 inches and their lifespan unknown. Brownies were said to be guardian spirits of the various Native American tribes living in the United States. The earliest account of a Brownie came from a Samuel Connors living in Salem Massachusetts in 1630. He came across a village of the Naumkeag tribe. A tribe of Native Americans living in that area of the time. He hid and watched a group of young men take turns dancing and holding what appeared to be a tiny girl. A girl small enough to fit in one's hand."
"As more and more settlers arrived in the Colonies, more stories began to appear about tiny native people. Each tribe called them a different name, but it was the settlers that gave them the name famous today. Brownie after their skin color. Brownies are very mortal beings and can die just as easy as borrowers or humans. One report had a Brownie found dead from smallpox as her entire tribe fell victim to the disease. A Brownie seems to thrive among her tribe but if removed she will slowly die. Why is unknown. One unique aspect of a Brownie is all of their kind is female. One has to ask how they reproduce. Brownies are said to be experts in good magic. Good as in luck, healing, crop growth, and even rumored to be skilled in magic unlike anything else thought of. Maternal to a fault, Brownies are very fond of children going so far as to kidnap them if they see them being abused or in mortal danger. Documented in the case of Frank McCullen, this has proven to be true."
"Frank was a cattle farmer living in Kansas in 1872. His daughter, Caroline was 14 at the time helping her mother clean clothes at home. Known by those in the area to be an abusive drunk, Frank beat his wife and daughter frequently. One day after drinking, Caroline spilled soap water on the floor. Frank beat her so bad, her mother stepped in with a frying pan to stop him. Frank left the house only to get a few feet before he heard a scream. He returned to the house to find his wife babbling about a giant hand and his daughter gone. Thinking she somehow ran away, drunk organized a posse to search for her."
"The posse saw a village of Pawnee and as they neared it a dense fog swept over them. By the time they got to the village it was gone. No trace of it remained except a white shoe. Frank recognized it as Caroline's. Story spread of what happened and a Osage chief told them that Brownies were responsible after putting the clues together. Caroline was never seen again. The last known sighting of a Brownie was on February 25, 1911 at the Battle of Kelly Creek. After the conclusion of the battle, four children had survived along with a small tiny teenage girl. The Brownie in question was visibly weak and seemed to be dying. When a soldier reached out for a child, the Brownie attacked him by astonishingly punching him to the ground. Keep in mind the girl was no taller than an adult middle finger. The soldier fell and was impaled by impossibly sharp grass leaves. His friend took vengeance by crushing her under his boot"
"This incident gives credit to the theory that Brownies can only live among members of their tribe and become weaker if such tribe is depopulated. Since a clear majority of native Americans don't live in traditional tribes any longer and no sightings of Brownies have been seen since, it's considered that their race to be extinct now" Aspen said.
"That's kind of depressing. Guess we struck out this time" Claire said. "Maybe. Or maybe they hid themselves like Fae. Let me try something" Keith said opening his MacBook. Keith navigated to a web page and loaded a map. "What's that?" Claire asked stepping up on the corner of the keyboard. "A listing of all the missing children in the last 100 years. Part of their lore was to take children away from abusive environments right?" Keith said. "My god. All of those dots are missing kids?!" Aspen said looking at the map. "So many dots..." Claire mumbled. "Yeah...now to narrow it down. Take away cities...now take away kids that were found" Keith said. Aspen couldn’t keep staring. Even just a fraction of the dots missing wasn't enough for her. "I know it's heartbreaking" Keith muttered. "Let me plug in a search pattern. It'll flag anything unusual" he said.
They waited patiently. Aspen cuddled Claire to her upset over seeing so many kids gone missing over the years. Keith stood up and squeezed Aspen's shoulder. " I can't imagine the pain those parents felt. The worry and crying. Claire, you having a baby...I'm starting to get scared" Aspen whimpered. Keith put his hands underneath Aspen's whose was holding Claire. "I won't let anything happen to it. I promise. You're going to be just fine" Keith said kissing her head. Aspen buried her head into his chest and cried a little. "One big happy family!" Keith chuckled. "Guys I don't even know if I'm pregnant" Claire said. "You'll know one way or another in about two weeks" Keith said. "How long is a borrower pregnancy?" Aspen asked. Claire shrugged. "You never asked?" Keith asked. "No. After the sex talk I was too mortified to ask mom" Claire replied. "Just over two months. If you don't know the specifics, then I should warn you that..." Keith was saying before his MacBook dinged.
"It found something. Okay that falls under weird. Billings Montana has had a case of a missing child fitting a similar description like clockwork every 25 years. Similar age, skin color, all female and from homes with bad environments" Keith said opening windows for each description. "Keith. I hate to say this but that sounds like a serial abductor" Aspen said. "Look at the timeline Aspen. May 19, 1992. May 11, 1967. May 14, 1942. May 12, 1917. Unless out abductor is immortal, I doubt that's the case" he said. "Wait...the last one was 1992? That's 25 years ago" Claire said. "Yeah and today is May 9th" Aspen said. They all gave each other looks. "There's one other thing that makes this stand out. Only 10 miles away is a Crow reservation" he said. "Book the flight" Aspen told him.
24 hours later...
"Uh guys...the welcome center days this reservation is huge" Aspen said reading the plaque. "So I noticed. Let's poke around here a bit" Keith said. Aspen and Claire giggled at the pretty necklaces and dreamcatchers. Generic trinkets to lure tourist money. Not truly Crow heritage but the average person didn't know that. Besides government funding, tourism was the big money maker for the fifth largest reservation in the country*
(Authors note: this reservation is real. 3.6 million square miles big and extending even into Wyoming)
Keith singled out a woman behind a register. "So I'm into Crow folklore. You ever heard of Brownies?" he asked not so subtle. "Hmmm...I've heard of such tales. Admittedly I'm not the one to ask. Anna Redleaf is the one to ask about folk tales" she replied. "Oh? Where can I find her?" Keith asked. "Take the main road and follow it 7 miles north to a wood house with a lone tree in front. Anything else?" she asked. "No thank you. You've been more than helpful. Actually, can I borrow you for a moment?" he asked leading her away from the register. He placed a beaded necklace around her neck. "Wow. Pretty" he said. "The beads are high quality glass" she said. "I meant you" he said. The girl blushed at the compliment. Keith had her ring it up. His ears picked up the tapping of Aspen's foot. She was seeing the girl blushing and smiling at him.
"Finished flirting?" Aspen asked annoyed. Keith didn't answer and placed the necklace around her neck. "I needed information and a model" he said. Aspen sheepishly smiled. "So apparently this old woman knows about the local folklore" he said as they got back into the car. Keith began driving down the road. "It's nice out here" Claire said riding Aspen's shoulder and looking out the window. "Yeah but I bet it snows its ass off here and that's coming from a Bostonian" Aspen said. "Fuck that. I hate the snow" Claire said. "Only because you had that one bad experience" Aspen said to her. "That one time was enough! I was nearly a borrower-sicle or have you forgot?" Claire huffed. "I do remember that snowball rolling over you" Aspen chuckled. "It was funny" Aspen shrugged. "How would you like it if a 12-ft. snowball rolled over you?" Claire asked. "Aspen?" Keith asked.
"It's one of those things you laugh about afterwards. The first winter me and Claire spent together. A snowstorm dropped a huge amount of snow and me and grandma cleared the front so we could walk. Me and Claire here went to play in some of it. I was making snowballs and one rolled over Claire. I didn't see her, and she was buried for about a minute or two" Aspen said. "Try three minutes Aspen! Three minutes is a very long time for a tiny 9-year-old girl in heavy frozen darkness!" Claire yelled. "I did find you and warm you up" Aspen said. "...that you did. I remember you cradling me in your hands and you breathed on me" Claire said softly. *
(authors note: The snowstorm they're talking about was a real one. On Feb 11, 2006, a huge blizzard swept through the northeast part of the United States dropping a foot of snow in Massachusetts where Aspen, Claire, and Keith live. I can only imagine what a foot-tall snow looks line to a three-inch person...)
"Think that's the house" Keith said pulling over and parking. Aspen knocked on the door. A woman every bit of 75 years old answered. "Sorry for bothering you but a nice girl at the welcome center said you'd be the one to talk about Crow folklore" Aspen said smiling. "You couldn't check Wikipedia?" the woman asked. "The questions we want to ask we can't find the answers to in Wikipedia. We wanted to hear the full truth from someone who lives this culture" Aspen replied. The woman cocked and eyebrow as she looked at Claire. "Well I had nothing going on anyway. Come inside" she said. The three followed her into her home. Rustic but well maintained is a good way of describing it. Stained wood floors but bare wooden furniture. A ceremonial head dress hanging on the wall. Old pictures next to it. She had them sit down. "I see you have a borrower. Don't see many in these parts. Not even in the city. She looks well kept" the woman said looking at the borrower standing on the coffee table. "I do spoil her. She is my fiancée after all" Aspen chuckled. The woman looked surprised. "You intend to marry her?" she asked.
"When the laws permit. Does that bother you?" Aspen asked narrowing her eyes. "Not in the bit. Borrowers should have rights. Just because they’re tiny doesn't mean they don't have feelings...or desires...or dreams" she replied. The woman sat in a rocking chair. "So, what was it you wished to know?" she asked. "About Brownies. There's so much lacking on them" Keith replied. "They're extinct. Been so for a hundred years. The white man saw to that...no offense" she said. "That's the thing. We don't think so. They're have been abductions like clockwork every 25 years in Billings. Legend has it Brownies spirit away endangered kids. I'll show you" Keith said pulling his phone out. He showed what he had to the woman. Last one was in 1992. A Candice Birkner. Before that a girl named Tera Cullings. Huh...you know she looks like you. Especially the eyes" Keith said puzzled. "I can assure you I'm not her. My name is Anna Redleaf. If she has...had Crow blood its possible she could resemble me. If there was a Brownie...what would you do?" she asked. "We're a documentary team. We would film her and present the video to the public. We're trying to push for borrower rights by alerting the people to their suffering by comparing different species less fortunate. Kind of a cautionary tale" Aspen replied. "It's for a good cause" Claire smiled chipping in trying to be as cute as possible. Anna tapped her finger rapidly. "I'll fix some tea. I'll tell you what I know of Brownies" she said.
Anna returned with a fresh pot of tea minutes later. She even had a tiny cup for Claire. Strangely enough her cup wasn't a toy at all. Antique china and a perfect scale for her like it was made for someone her size. Anna said not one word until they began to drink their tea. "Brownies are a people with a very long tradition. They serve as guardians against those who would do us harm. Any harm..." she said coldly. Just as she finished her sentence, the three began to get very drowsy. Aspen collapsed on the couch. Keith turned to her and dropped his cup. He passed out on top of her. Claire could barely keep her eyes open. "What...have...you done?" Claire asked trying to walk to Anna. Something was walking to her. Looking down with no energy to raise her head, there were a pair of bare feet. Feet her scale. Claire fell forward and felt someone catch her. "Never seen someone resist dream grass so long" Anna said. "Neither have I Anna. You were right to summon me. They're dangerous" a female voice said. "What will you do?" Anna asked. "I don't know. I shall think on it. In the meantime, take them to my house" the voice replied after touching the size watches on Aspen and Keith.
Claire was the first to awake. She was sitting on a couch her size and next to her was Aspen and Keith...also her size. Their surroundings were very similar, but everything was her scale. "Aspen! Keith! Wake up!" Claire shouted shaking them. Keith began to awake but Aspen was still out of it. "Ohh...my head. Claire? Claire! What's going on?" Keith asked seeing her his size. "I don't know. Last thing I remember was you two nodding off and this voice other that Anna's talking" Claire replied. Keith looked troubled and shook Aspen hard. "ASPEN!" he yelled close to her ear. Aspen began to awaken now and gripped her head. "Fuck..." she said. "Where...why?" she asked seeing Claire her size. Keith looked at his wrist. His size watch was gone. "It's not here!" he said glancing at Aspen's wrist. Aspen's watch was gone too. The room shook and the roof came off. "They're awake" Anna now giantess sized said looming over them. "Really?" a voice said. Joining Anna was a woman in her mid-30's. "Thank you Anna. I'll take it from here" she said.
"Are you the one who took our watches?" Keith asked. "Yes I did Keith. You, Aspen, and Claire here has put me in a difficult spot. Having you shrunk solves half my problem" she replied. "How do you know our names?" Aspen asked. "My dear Aspen. I've spent the last few hours learning more than just that" the woman giggled poking Aspen. Keith went to defend her and pushed her finger away. "Don't fucking touch her" he growled. The woman flicked Keith hard and he slammed into a wall. Aspen yelped and ran to see to him. "You are in no position to dictate orders. Believe me when I say I have authority to dispose of you. Especially you Aspen. I have very little love for human white folk" the woman said pushing Aspen on her back and cruelly grinding her index finger into her chest.
"PLEASE STOP IT! YOU'RE KILLING HER!" Claire screamed yanking on the giant finger and sobbing. The woman took her finger off Aspen. "Maybe we should better introduced" the woman said snapping her fingers and disappearing. She reappeared in front of Claire her size. "Much better. Being human size can drain the magic. Collect yourselves and sit down" she said. All three sat down scared of the being in front of them. "Are you a Brownie?" Keith asked. "I despise that name! A name given by humans too arrogant to learn what is different from them! A name given just by the color of our skin" she said. Aspen, Keith, and Claire wanted to say something about that but wisely held their tongues. Thing was, the woman in front of them didn't have the skin tones of a Crow. She wasn't white either but of third generation mixed heritage. Her hair was black and her eyes brown similar to Crow, but her skin was of creamed coffee. Not the almond color of a Crow. Even her clothes were not Crow in the slightest.
"Then what do you prefer?" Aspen asked. "Finally! A good question! We have very many names dear Aspen. The Crow call us Nirumbee. My name is Bentgrass. Pleasure to meet you...we shall see" she said ominously. "How do you know our names? Where are their size watches?" Claire asked. "How I know your names? The Earth knows all things and she speaks to me at the holy place. Your size watches are in safe keeping. Don't worry. You still have five hours remaining. Five hours to decide what to do about you" Bentgrass replied. "What do you mean by that?" Claire asked worried. "You being here is a possible threat to the existence of Nirumbee. If I deem you an actual threat I will kill you. How I haven't decided yet. Crushing you? Eating you? Many things can happen at your size. But you already know that don't you? Your run in with Titania wasn't exactly a vacation was it?" Bentgrass asked grinning. It was really fucking with them that she knew so much.
"Well I see no harm telling you about our kind. If you're trustworthy then all is well. If not, then our story dies with you. Many centuries ago, the Great Mother, the spirit of the Earth and Sky itself decided to gift the tribes of the lands with guardians. Canotila went to the Lakota. Jogahoh went to the Iroquois and so on. The Crow were gifted with the Nirumbee. We didn't always look like this. Before we were chosen we were foot tall cave dwelling dwarves. Fierce hunters in our own right. Then came a sickness that killed all but one. A lone girl. Her fever brought her to a Crow village where she was cared for. Moved by their kindness, she prayed to the Great Mother for a chance to pay them back. Answering her prayer, she was transformed. She shrank down to this size, her hair became like a normal human, and gained power over magic of the land. The condition agreed upon was she and her descendants would protect the Crow."
"As time passed, other tribes tried to invade Crow lands only to be met with razor sharp blades of grass, lightning, and snowstorms. Under their protection, the Crow prospered as well as the Nirumbee for the original gave birth to descendants. Blessed with a special power to shrink or grow herself and others, she could be mated with the kindest or bravest warriors. The daughter (as only females could hold this power) inherited not only the magic itself but the memories and experience of those that came before her. The moment she became of age and embraced her power, she would be a master of her power. An effective guardian with no need of training. And it was so for 10 generations...until one Nirumbee used her power for her own selfishness."
"She didn't guard her tribe. She ruled over it. Demanded they pray to her instead of the Great Mother. Shrank and killed those that opposed her. Crushed the chieftain under her bare feet. Devoured young warriors to see their mothers despair. Then one day the Great Mother decided to punish her. She would've killed her outright if not for the fact the Nirumbee woman was pregnant. She saw no need to destroy an innocent for the misdeeds of another and the matter of finding a guardian was troublesome as well. The tiny woman cowered in fear as the ground shook and the skies split with lightning as the Great Mother pondered what to do with her. In the end she decided she could keep her powers and her life on three conditions. First, no longer will Nirumbee bear children as the arrogance of importance by birthright had helped corrupt her. Second, the Nirumbee will have to pass her powers onto a worthy successor of Crow blood after 25 cycles of spring. And third, Nirumbee will use their power to protect young children as how their ancestor was protected once. The woman agreed. And ever since Nirumbee have used their power to protect Crow, children, and pass down their power every 25 years" Bentgrass said.
"How do you know who is worthy?" Aspen asked. "The Great Mother left us a gift to help with that. The holy place where questions are answered. The holy place we call Star Memory" Bentgrass replied. "You said you'd find out if we were trustworthy. How?" Keith asked. "Each will be given a test of my choosing. How you respond will tell me thus. We can start now if you prefer?" Bentgrass said. With no objections (as they dared not to) Bentgrass smiled. "Good. Claire I'll begin with you" she said snapping her fingers. Both her and Claire disappeared.
Claire reappeared on a gigantic bed and sitting over her was Aspen normal sized. "Where is she?" Claire asked looking around. "I don't know. Maybe this is the test. Claire, I wanted to talk to you about something" Aspen said. "Can it wait until we find out if we live or die?" Claire asked. "It's exactly why I want to ask now. I don't want anything hidden between us if we meet our end" Aspen replied. Claire nodded and gave her full attention. "I've been thinking the last few hours. I don't know if I can handle us having a kid. What kind of world would we bringing it into. I can't bear to think what could happen. The possibility of it dying. Me accidentally..." Aspen said shaking. Aspen laid down on her side and curled up sobbing. Claire walked over to her face and wiped her giant tears away. "What are you saying?" Claire asked. "I don't think we should have kids" Aspen replied.
This was a blow to Claire. "Aspen. Everything will be okay. You have the size watch. We have Keith" Claire said. Aspen shook her head. "Something will happen I won't be able to live with it" Aspen said. Claire knew what that meant. "Aspen, I don't have to have kids. A lot of couples don't have kids" Claire said trying not to shake. This was huge for her to say. In fact, she didn't believe she actually did for a moment. "But that's important to you right? I can't just ask that of you" Aspen said. Claire kissed her giant lips. "You're important too. Maybe we could adopt a human child?" Claire asked hopeful. Aspen gave her a peculiar look. "You would be fine not having kids not related to you?" Aspen asked. "There are kids out there that need a good home and good parents" Claire replied. Aspen stroked her tiny cheek before kissing her face. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. "You passed" she said as her image was revealed to be Bentgrass in disguise.
"Why...why would you do that to me?! Claire screamed crying. "I had to make sure of something. It is easy to say you love someone. It's harder to practice it in hardship. Love is sacrifice and compromise. And those that understand this can be trustworthy in other things. I need you to sleep now Claire" she said dismissing the borrower girl. Claire reappeared in front of Aspen and Keith asleep. Shocking them they went to see if she was alright. Aspen breathed a sigh of relief seeing her well but suddenly she was taken away.
"What did you do to her?!" Aspen yelled at the giantess. "Only what I needed to do. Be happy as she passed her test. Now for yours" Bentgrass said as she removed her clothes. "What the fuck are you doing?" Aspen asked. "What does it look like? I'm going to have sex with you" Bentgrass replied nonchalantly. "Oh hell no!" Aspen yelled up at her. "Well if you don't want to I can always use Claire or Keith. Preferably Claire. A tiny white person swallowed up by my pussy is what I want. You would suffice or her or him. Poetic Justice if I say so seeing how many of your race raped my people. I'll try not to kill them. Claire did pass her test after all and Keith hasn't taken his yet. But accidents do happen. Make your choice. Claire or Keith?" she said with a eerie grin. "...neither. Just...just leave them alone" Aspen croaked out as she began shedding her clothes.
Bentgrass stared at her as she stripped down to nothing. It gave her a thrill that this tiny white girl was offering herself up to be raped...but that was not her goal. Aspen stood at her giant drooling pussy lips quietly sobbing. "Well do it. Shove me in! Go ahead and rape me!" Aspen screamed shaking. Bentgrass reached her hand out and Aspen cringed. Her hand didn't touch her. Instead it picked up her discarded clothes and placed them at her tiny feet. "That won't be necessary. You passed your test. Just as Claire was ready to sacrifice her happiness, you were ready to sacrifice your dignity" Bentgrass told her. Aspen was speechless. She displayed her middle finger. "Yes, you're angry but tests aren't meant to be easy...or in this case kind. Be grateful you passed and can keep your life" Bentgrass told her. Aspen didn't look away from the giantess as she put her clothes back on. "And if I had said no or nothing at all?" Aspen asked.
"Then you be drowning in my pussy right now. This was the perfect test for you Aspen. How you treated Keith in Japan. How you took advantage of Ritchie back home. Oh yes, I know all about that. You got a good taste of the other side of those incidents. Most important thought you needed to understand even though they say it's okay. It might be just words. Just like saying I can trust you maybe just words" Bentgrass told her. Aspen's anger subsided. Her words had a good ring of truth to them. "And now for Keith" she said dismissing Aspen and in her place was Keith. "Naked already? What did you do to Aspen?" Keith snarled. "Nothing she won't bounce back from...if I let her live" Bentgrass replied. "What do you mean by that?" Keith asked wary.
"It's quite simple really. You will be given a choice. I will eat one of you. Choose" she replied. "Then me. Eat me" he said without hesitation. "Very well" Bentgrass said snatching him up. "You look surprised Keith. Did you think the test would be over if you said that?" she asked. Keith couldn't say a word as she opened her cavernous mouth. "You pride yourself on being smart and clever but some things you just can't win. You can still save yourself. I wouldn't blame you. Claire is just another borrower. Many thousands more where she came from. Aspen is just a human with no family. Nobody will miss her in the human world. You however could be the next Einstein. Your inventions and genius could help millions" she said. Keith, pinned between her finger, silently wept tears. "Eat me. FUCKIN' EAT ME! I'd rather give my life and die happy knowing they're safe than live on knowing one of them died because of me" he said. "That's your final answer?" she asked trying to gauge his heart. "Bon appetite" he hissed. Bentgrass tossed him into her mouth and swallowed.
Keith landed in her stomach. He stood there as her gastric juices soaked his legs. Pitch black and the only sounds he heard was her heartbeat and churning stomach. Keith weakly sobbed. Not because he would die painfully and become so many calories for this woman. No...one fleeting thought kept entering his mind. "I'll never get to see the baby" he thought. His legs stung as her stomach acids began its work. It's said that as one is very near death, one has their life flash before his eyes and it was no different for Keith. His parents, Lenora, Claire and Aspen on his mind. And even as the stinging got worse he smiled. Aspen and Claire would be safe. They would go on to be parents. Maybe even married. They would live their lives. "Goodbye" he muttered.
The floor of her stomach heaved, and Keith was shot upward like a rocket and squeezed up her throat. He found himself shivering as cold air assaulted his body. He opened his eyes to see Bentgrass looking at him with tears falling down her cheeks. "I had to take it as far as I could. You knew that answer" she muttered. Keith found himself not angry as he looked at her upset face. "The test wouldn't have worked if you said only what you thought I wanted to hear. I needed to see if what you said would hold true in the face of death. To see if your heart wavered as the last moments of your life ticked away. It did not as you didn't struggle in my belly. Only those content with their hearts do not shy away when death comes for them. The test is over, but may I ask a question of you?" she said. Keith nodded.
"How do you cope living with them as how you feel towards them? It's not just Aspen anymore that holds your heart" she asked. "Not easy but it hurts more not having them in my life than it does being around them" he replied wiping his legs on her bedsheet. Bentgrass gave his answer some thought before summoning Aspen and Claire. She waved her hands and they awoke. "Congratulations. You all passed your tests. As I explained to Claire, love can only exist if one is willing to sacrifice for it. And trust is the foundation to love. Without sacrifice or trust, love cannot exist. By proving your love is true, your trustworthiness is also confirmed. Claire, you showed you are willing to sacrifice your happiness. Aspen, you showed you are willing to sacrifice your dignity and safety. And Keith, you sacrificed your life to keep them safe. On behalf of the Nirumbee I grant you all the chance to learn about us without any danger to your lives. You are worthy of seeing our holy place and rituals and leaving with this knowledge. Or you can return home freely if you prefer" she told the three.
They all looked at one another. "We came to document your people. We can censor this knowledge like your location and faces. Is that alright?" Aspen asked worried. Bentgrass knew this was a risk. No telling what may happen if the outside world knew a near extinct race lived on Crow land or worse yet learned of Star Memory. "Agreed. Censor what you see and keep the Nirumbee safe" Bentgrass replied. Bentgrass got dressed in very traditional clothes. A feathered head dress. Moccasins. Loose hide shirt and pants. She handed them their size watches. Aspen and Keith quickly grew back to normal size as the counter was down to barely an hour. "You look pretty" Claire said. "Well even though it's the 21st century, tradition dictates I dress as this for where we're going. Speaking of tradition" she said before shrinking down. She sat on Aspen' shoulder. "You don't mind do you?" Bentgrass asked. "What? Sitting on my shoulder or threatening to rape me and my friends?" Aspen replied. Bentgrass cringed. "I guess I deserve that. I umm...I meant your shoulder. Being your size puts a drain on me and opening the doorway won’t help" she replied.
Bentgrass concentrated hard. The air seemed to ripple and distort. A portal began to appear before them and on the other side was a grassy plain illuminated by a setting sun. "Please step forward" she said. One by one they passed through. As far as they could see there was grassy plains with no end. However, a lone glowing boulder accented it not far away. Keith was curious as to where they were and looked at his phone. No signal. "Don't be surprised Keith. This place is not rooted in what you call reality. See what happens when you walk towards the rock" Bentgrass said. As Aspen and Keith walked towards the rock they noticed the sun would set. If they stopped so did the sun. And as they got within feet of the rock, the sun was gone filled with the starriest skies they had ever seen.
"Incredible. Absolutely incredible. Is this some kind of another world?" Claire asked. "No. We're still on Earth. This place is a pocket, a sliver of what was, is, and shall be. We're actually just outside the perimeter of the reservation but in a hidden place existing next to what you know as real" Bentgrass said. "I don't recognize any constellations" Keith said looking up. "Those aren't actually stars. What you see are fragments of the souls of those who have passed on" she replied. "All of them. Are Crow souls?!" Aspen asked. "No. ALL souls. Crow, European, Chinese. Every soul leaves a fragment behind as the pass on to the next world. The Great Mother makes no distinction like humans do. Star Memory is holy because here you can commune with these souls as well as look at events that have transpired. Would you care to try Aspen?" Bentgrass said. "What do you mean?" Aspen asked confused. "I mean talk to your parents. They're up there too" she replied. Aspen looked frightened until Bentgrass stood next to her ear and whispered. "There is nothing to fear. Just call their names" she said. Aspen looked to the sky.
"David and Theresa Collins..." she muttered. Two stars in the sky flickered brightly and streaked down to the ground and blinded them. When the light faded stood two very tall figures. A man and woman. "Why...why are they big?" Keith asked. "A person's soul is reflected against those they knew in life. This is proof of how important they were to Aspen. She literally saw them bigger than life" Bentgrass replied. The woman bent down and extended her finger. Aspen touched it and recoiled in shock. "I felt it!" she yelled. "Hi sweetie" the woman said. "Mommy? MOMMY!" Aspen yelled running to hug her leg. Keith and Claire watched Aspen hug the 15-ft. tall woman who looked so much like her. "It's okay honey" her mother said. "Hey. Where'd my hug?" her dad asked. "Daddy..." Aspen whimpered as he held his daughter in his arms like she was a baby.
"Daddy I'm sorry! I'm sorry for kicking your seat!" she wailed. "Shhh...honey it's alright. It was our time. All things happen for a reason. We're so very proud of you. Defending borrower rights. Helping those who need it. Me and you mother have been keeping a close eye on you" he said. "What about me and Claire?" she asked nervous. "About you being in love with her? Baby we don't care if you're bisexual. We want you to be happy. Besides, you could've done worse" her mother giggled and smiling at Claire. "I don't think we've met before. It's nice to meet Aspen's parents" Claire said politely. "Sweetie. It's not the first time. I once found you passed out after eating a cookie. You were probably 7 back then. I placed you at your entrance to your home" Teresa said. Claire blushed at her embarrassment. "Thank you for not squishing me" she muttered. "I don't squish cute girls. Anyway, I wouldn't miss one cookie" the woman chuckled.
"What's it like...the other side I mean" Aspen asked. "Ah. Well there's no way to describe it really. No point of reference. It's one of those things you have to experience to understand" her father replied. "So, I have to die to understand. Nice...real nice" Aspen huffed. Her father took her from her mother and nuzzled her close. "Hopefully not for a very long time" he said. Feeling him made her happier than she had been in a long time. "What about you Keith? Care to try?" Bentgrass asked. Of course, he did and one name was in his mind. The only name. He loved his mom and dad but it was Lenora that left him with things unsaid. Things he regretted. Keith looked to the sky and muttered "Lenora".
A twinkle of light fell from the heavens and landed at his feet. There she was just as he remembered her. Dusty blonde hair. Trim body with a light cloth over her chest. Keith sat down and stared. "Well you going to say something?" Lenora said. Her voice. That sweet voice he missed so much touched him. Keith held his face in his hands and sobbed. The pain and grief he had bottled up inside gushed out. Lenora climbed into his lap. "I get it baby brother. I get it" she said soothingly. Keith held her in his palms. His eyes red from crying. He rubbed his nose in her chest. Her unmistakable scent in his nostrils. "I should've been stronger. I should've protected you" he said. "That wasn't your job. I'm the big sister. I'm happy you made it. My death meant something" she said. Keith petted her. "When you died...I couldn't handle it" he muttered. "I know. I saw it and it was damn stupid! Killing yourself wouldn't have changed a thing!" she yelled.
Keith was shamed. Keith had told Claire and Aspen his backstory but left out a detail. Barely a week after his escape, Keith tried to commit suicide by jumping off a ledge in the woods. He survived only because of his borrower durability. Keith chuckled. "What’s so damn funny?!" she shouted. "It's been some time since you scolded me. Used to hate it but now it's like sweet music to my ears. Lenora...I love you" he said. The tiny girl looked up at her giant brother in understanding what he meant. A borrower male and female at that age were naturally attracted to one another and incest was not a stigma to them. Lenora took he clothes off. "And I love you" she said. Keith shuddered seeing her naked body. She seemed so perfect to him and her tiny size made her look as fragile as glass. He touched her left breast and cooed. This was some of the magic of Star Memory. To give a soul fragment corporal form.
Keith smelled her sex. Sweet and musky and ripe for plunder by his giant tongue. His fingers traced her toned legs. Her muscles tensing from his touch. Licking her tiny feet caused her to squirm around and whimper. And looked into those giant eyes to see the softest gaze he ever gave her. "Please..." she muttered. Keith licked her like a Popsicle taking his time to roll her tiny tits around his palate. Sucking the lower half into his mouth he sucked on her gently. She came abruptly and had an apologetic look on her face. Keith wasn't trying to get off. No. He would please her in any way she wanted. He was her little brother and she was his goddess of a sister. The one he worshipped in life...and after her death. It was she who he gauged Aspen and Claire after. Claire had her looks and Aspen her personality.
He laid down on the grass and petted her back as she came down. "You got some good experience from being with Hikari, Klara, and Claire" she said. "You see all that?" he asked. "We always watch over those we love. I'm worried though how you keep tossing aside your feelings but never settling down with another girl" she said. "You make it sound simple" he said. "No. Not simple. Before we were captured I was set on having your baby. Raising it with you. Being a family. But when the final moments came I knew that all I wanted was you to be safe. You don't even remember me pushing you aside as she reached for me do you?" she asked. Keith shook his head. "If I could just buy you a few extra minutes of life I could die happy. That's what I thought. Sometimes you just have to be content that things happen and just keep going. Do you understand me?" she asked. Keith looked over at Aspen who was happy as a clam in her daddy's arms. "Yeah...I get ya" he muttered.
"And then we met a real fairy!" Aspen said. "We know honey. We were watching. Umm...Claire could we have a moment alone?" Teresa asked. Claire nodded and jumped down. They waited until she was out of earshot. "We got some concerns about you and Keith. It's not fair to him being hot and cold all the time. If you want to stay with Claire, then you need to make sure Keith stays a friend and only friend. Friends with benefits rarely work out" her mother said. "I know but...when Keith is around me I feel so safe like nothing will ever hurt me. When I see him with other girls I get jealous. I was even pissed he fucked Claire" she said. The Amazonian parents looked at one another. "Then you need to decide what's more. Your love for Claire or for Keith. It's not fair to Claire if you secretly fawn over him. Would you like it if the tables were reversed and it was Claire felling like that?" she asked. "Claire already does. I'm not blind. They're spending more time together and Keith touches her more, especially her bare feet. They're sensitive to borrowers" Aspen muttered.
"Claire is a borrower sweetie. The rules are slightly different" Teresa said. "Double standard much?" Aspen huffed. "Didn't say it was fair. I...we just don't want you guys getting hurt is all" she said. Aspen silently nodded. Claire stood alone looking at the huge rock. "Anyone you wanted to talk to?" Bentgrass asked. "Not really. My perverted brother is still alive. My parents are still around" Claire replied. "Nobody?" Bentgrass asked again. "Well I guess I could talk to grandma Lily. Always wished I could meet her" Claire replied. The woman gestured to the heavens and Claire called her name. Oddly though, nothing happened. "Why didn't it work? Because she's a fairy?" Claire asked. "No. That wouldn't stop. A soul is a soul. Very strange..." Bentgrass replied. She was getting tired as she let her guests speak to lost loved ones. "They have to go now" Bentgrass said. Aspen cried as she didn’t want them to leave but they said they was always watching which gave her some comfort. Aspen hugged Claire as they departed.
"Lenora...I'm happy I can say goodbye the right way this time" he said. Lenora licked his lip. "Me too and don't forget what I said. It's okay to love them but not at the cost of your own happiness. Don’t make me haunt you" she said smiling. "No thanks. A 3-inch-tall ghost would be just annoying not scary" he chuckled. Lenora disappeared into the sky to join the other stars. Keith stared up at the sky wiping his eyes. "She really did look like me" Claire said to him. Keith nodded. "Will you be alright?" Aspen asked. "With you guys around...I’ll be fine" he replied. "Tomorrow I can show you more. For now, we shall return home" Bentgrass said sitting on Keith's head.
Aspen stayed awake. After what had happened no way could she sleep. The urge to see her parents again weighed on her. She left Claire sleeping on her pillow and got up to go outside. It was cool outside. And Aspen shivered a bit. Her bare feet cold on the wood porch. "You're up?" Bentgrass asked her size. "Seeing my parents again got me wired" Aspen replied. Bentgrass nodded but cursed internally. She did not want any of them awake right now. "Could you take me back?" Aspen asked. Bentgrass frowned and then smiled as she had an idea. "Sure I can" she replied opening the portal once more. Aspen happily followed her in.
"Now I have to do something. While I'm busy why don't you try using the recall magic here" Bentgrass said. "Recall magic?" Aspen asked confused. "This place isn’t just to talk to the dead. All that happens is recorded here. Just think of what you want to see again while touching the rock" Bentgrass said. Ever so curious, Aspen did just that. She thought of her last birthday and a floating picture appeared. Like some surreal home video, it began playing. Bentgrass watched her and was content she was distracted. Moving to the other side of the rock, she touched it. "Under the contract of the Great Mother. I begin the ritual of Twilight" she muttered. Bentgrass took her time looking for who she was looking for. The one who would succeed her in becoming the next Nirumbee.
Aspen didn't know how much time passed after finishing another memory. She had seen memories she had forgotten and those she hadn't. Her last birthday. The day she was born. Her last Christmas with grandma. The day she and Claire first had sex. Aspen blushed at seeing her teenage body twitching as her 14-year-old tiny lover wriggled in her pussy. How they laughed at teasing one another about how they sounded. Aspen declaring her love to her. Vowing to protect her at all costs. She looked to the sky and saw a twinge of daylight in it as like the first few minutes before sunrise. Different from before as the sky was deep purple. "Bentgrass? Why is the sky different?" she asked. She didn't see her. Aspen stood up and walked around to find Bentgrass looking quizzically at a girl through a portal. "Jesus, you scared me!" Bentgrass said.
"What are you looking at?" Aspen asked. "My next successor. Kelley Harding. Age 14. No father to speak of. Her mother a drug addict and whore. Abused...abused by her mother's customers for extra cash" Bentgrass said. Aspen gasped. "You know all this?" she asked. "Yes. The same way I learned about all of you" Bentgrass said pointing to the rock. "Your next successor?" Aspen asked. "Once upon a time, a chosen female of the tribe would be the successor with the stipulation she had experienced great hardship. This would help affirm she didn't abuse her power as she had experienced those abusing her with theirs. Lately though the teenage girls on this reservation has had it easy. Spoiled even. Not suitable to be chosen."
"Long ago there were guardians for every tribe. You have been told this but now they are all dead. Their lineages ended. The Cherokee lost their guardians, the Yunwi Tsundi, during the Trail of Tears. The Lakota lost theirs during the Dakota Wars. The Nirumbee...me are all that's is left so it's very important I choose a successor of worth. What I'm about to do was done to me 25 years ago. As you know we are sworn to protect children. What my predecessor Anna did was kill three birds with one stone just as I'm about to do. Find a successor, protect a child, and strengthen the tribe" Bentgrass said. "You're Candice Birkner" Aspen said. "Once in a different life. I'm no longer that scared girl worried if her father was going to rape her again. My pain and Crow heritage saved me just like it will save Kelly here" Bentgrass said standing back. She clapped her hands loudly and spread her arms. As she did another portal appeared. Aspen looked and saw Kelly on her bedroom floor scared shitless of a man standing before her. He was pulling his pants down. With coldness, Bentgrass reached in and tensed her finger and thumb. She violently flicked him into the wall so hard a blood splatter appeared where his head impacted. Kelly screamed as Bentgrass reached for her. Aspen was astounded as the woman effortlessly pulled the girl through the portal. The teenage girl was as tiny as a borrower. The magic apparently has shrunk her as it transported her.