"Now put your finger there" Susan said. Hope put her finger on the very small box and began tying a red ribbon. "You sure you don't want to do this big?" Susan asked as she towered over her. "It's for grandma Rebecca so no" she replied. Susan heard footsteps approaching and grinned seeing who they belonged to. The person motioned for her not to say anything. "GOTCHA!" the person yelled snatching her up from where she sat. Hope was fixing to blast the person until she saw who it was. "Mom! Don't scare me like that!" Hope yelled. "Come on it was funny! Now where's my kisses?" She said tickling her bare tummy with her fingernail. "Okay okay!" Hope yelled laughing. Aspen snuggled the girl to her cheek before kissing her face. "Have you been a good girl?" she asked. "As good as I can" Hope replied. Aspen eyed the sly girl. "Where's momma Clare?" she asked. "Putting our luggage away. Susan, it's good to see you too. You look better" Aspen said. "Thanks to Keith" she replied. "Yeah. She and daddy been lovey dovey lately. I smell him all over her" Hope said innocently. Susan blushed out of embarrassment. "I see. Why don't you say hi to Clare" Aspen said. The girl flew out the living room and up the hallway.

"I see she's as blunt as ever" Aspen said. "About me and Keith..." Susan muttered. "Is your own business. I'm aware how smooth an operator he is. Just be aware you have to share him and not just with Lawan" Aspen winked. "Speaking of the little horn dog. Where is he?" Aspen asked. "At the academy training grounds to practice with his new sword" Susan replied. "Well I hope he gets back soon. Say, we're going into town for shopping and dinner. Want to come?" Aspen asked. "Already got a thing planned with Rose this evening. Thanks for asking" Susan replied. Aspen shrugged and went to the kitchen.

Hope flew into the guest room where Clare and Aspen would be staying. She didn't see her, but she could smell her. "I spy with my little eye, a cutie asking to be kissed and licked" a voice said. Hope landed on the bed and saw nobody. "I can find you mom" Hope said. "So you say honey. But if you don't in the next minute, I won't stop until you pee yourself laughing" Claire said. Hope used her magic to search her out. Surprisingly, she couldn't sense her even though she had the magic of fae. "You hid yourself" Hope said. "Wouldn't be fair otherwise. Don't forget your half borrower too" Claire said. Hope realized this was a test of her natural borrower senses. She looked at the floor and found the carpet fibers matted recently in the shape of footprints. She hovered down and could smell the faint odor of Claire's feet. A natural scent of her's stood out as it smelled slightly sweet. Claire always did have a sweet tooth. "45 seconds. I'm going to enjoy those soft lips" Claire giggled. Hope floated towards the bed again and found her scent. She eyed the nightstand.

"Found ya!" she yelled looking behind the alarm clock. "Shit!" Hope yelled finding only her stockings and tiny heels. "Language dear. 30 seconds" Claire said. She looked in the bathroom and didn't find her at all. "10 seconds. Bet your feet are as cute as I remember. Cute long toes, rosy soles, and that perfect smell" Claire giggled. "You sound weird mom" Hope said. "Ah ah ah! That's the human part of you talking. You're better than that" Claire said. Hope finally noticed something. Her voice was echoing through the entire room. If she was hiding near the sides, it wouldn't sound as strong. The only explanation was...

Hope flew to the ceiling right to the light fixture and found Claire sitting there grinning. "I found you" Hope said. "That you did...5 seconds too late!" Claire said tackling her. Claire grew to human size as she fell to the bed. Holding Hope in her fist, she pulled off the girl's black stockings. The giantess smirked as she smelled her tiny feet. Hope giggled as she licked and sucked on her feet. "Oh honey we missed you and your brother so much. So very much" Claire sighed as she laid back on the bed placing Hope on her right breast. "Mommy Claire don't cry" hope said looking at her. "All those photoshoot sand runway walks and all I could think of was you and Luke" she said holding her close to her eyes for a moment. She brushed her long brown hair out of her face with her fingernail. Claire kissed her gently. "So tell me what you've been up to" she said. Claire listened to her stories and some of it she didn’t like. "Your dad brought you in a mission?!" Claire yelled. "I was needed. Susan would've died if I hadn't not to mention Hikari would be crippled and thousands of Japanese would be dead" Hope replied. Claire was not impressed. "You forgetting what I can do? I have a responsibility" Hope said. "To be a kid! To have children and a peaceful life!" Claire said. "What's going on?" Aspen asked entering the room. "Our daughter said Keith took her on missions!" Claire yelled.

"He said as much in his emails" Aspen said. Claire glared at her. "Yeah and I knew this is how you'd react. You know Keith. He wouldn't do it if there wasn't any other choice" Aspen said sitting on the bed. "Have you forgotten the funeral we were at just last week? I didn't know she was at that mission. I would've said something then" she said. "He's her father. He has a right to..."

"A real father doesn't put his child in harm’s way! You're her mother. How can you even try to rationalize that?" Claire asked. "Where were you?" Hope asked. "...excuse me?" Claire asked. "Where were you when we went to Japan to help Hikari?! Huh? Where was you when Fiona got vaporized?! Of everyone here, you're the second strongest. If you came along, she could still be alive! Her unborn child still alive! While I was knitting back bones the size of grains of rice together so Hikari wouldn't take her own life, you were busy prancing around showing off the winter catalog of Durmont Fashions to perverted and rich humans! You have the audacity to question my father's decisions while he risks everything so people like you can live safe quiet lives? Just stop touching me. I don't like it right now" Hope said coldly. A shocked Claire let go of her and watched her fly out of the room. Claire shrunk down. "She's angry. She didn't mean it" Aspen said.

"She meant every word and she's right. I'm the most powerful Fae on earth and what am I doing with that power? Size difference sex, healing my sore feet, and smoothing out the wrinkles in my dresses. Did you notice the word she used? Audacity. That's not a word a child uses. How much of her growth did we miss being on the road?" Claire asked. "How about I run a hot bath in the sink. That usually cheers you up" Aspen said. "Go ahead but I want to be alone. I think I need to reassess what's important in my life right now" Claire said.

At the academy...

"It feels strange. My hands feel a tingle" Keith said as he gripped the newly forged sword. "Understandable. The magic imbued in the sword is five times more powerful than the old one. That's the advantage of using crystallized silver. It's not just a conduit of magic. It's also a storage battery. What that means for you is you can store spells in it for later use. No more post it notes for you" Joseph said. "Can it still kill spells?" Keith asked. Joseph backed up and prepared a low-level lightning spell. He let it fly and Keith deflected it. "Answers your question? Now try cutting this" he said after snapping his fingers and transmuting the dirt into solid matter the shape of a cube. Keith raised the sword and brought it down. He cleaved it neatly in two. "What was that made of?" Keith asked. "Graphene* boy" he replied. Keith's jaw nearly hit the ground. "Fuck me sideways" he muttered. "Not today. You've got practice" Joseph chuckled.      

(Authors note: Graphene is considered the strongest known material on Earth. Harder than diamond itself, it can be almost 300 times harder than steel)

Joseph formed a magical sword in his hand. "Whoa. Wait a minute now. If this thing touches you, you'll be split like a fucking rotted fruit" Keith said. "You won't. I know every form of combat in the world. Do your worst" Joseph said. Keith swung his sword slower than normal and Joseph sidestepped and kicked him in the back of the head. "Let that be a lesson. This isn't fun and games" he said. Keith picked himself up. He began swinging which was easily dodged. "You're used to long gain fights and simple attributes. That won't work against Markus. You must think bigger. Use that smart brain of yours and outthink him" he said. Keith swung for his head and Joseph used his fingers to push the flat of the blade away. Keith looked astounded. "Open lotus style. Think boy. How did Markus snap your blade so easily?" he asked. "With a fucking curse!" Keith yelled taking a breath. "The curse made it impossible to fix the blade. It didn't snap it."

"Look closely at my hand" he said. His palm seemed totally normal, but his thumb and index finger glowed for a moment. Very quickly, Joseph moved in and plucked his right shoulder. "Fuck!" Keith yelled feeling it dislocated. Joseph touched it healing it instantly. "Hell was that?!" Keith yelled. "Fortification. Except in that case the spell was concentrated in my fingers other than my entire body. By doing this, you can increase the strength of an attack dozens of times over and save energy at the same time" he replied. "Never thought of that" Keith muttered. "Markus is the third strongest Mage in the world and knows every style of combat invented just like I do. However, you have an advantage he doesn't. You're a borrower."

"You have photographic memory and reflexes. You're stronger than a human. Physically and mentally you're leaps and bounds ahead of him. You know what a Lemurian is? Just a magically augmented human. That's it. In terms of speed and strength, their baseline is the same as people like Aspen or any other human you've met" he said. "And how much good will that do?" Keith asked. "He's a lateral thinker. You're not. You invented a fucking shrink ray boy. That alone says you don't think the way others do. A wise man once said that it’s like a finger pointing to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger or you'll miss all that heavenly glory" he replied. Keith shook his head and sighed. "Alright. Why doesn't lightning travel in a straight line?" he asked. "A lot of reasons. Ions distribution, heat, moisture, magnetism..."

"So, if one was to control that you could redirect it on the fly?" Joseph asked. "Yeah I guess" he replied. "And you know somebody who can cast those kinds of spell don't you?" Joseph asked. "Susan seems to be able to" Keith said. Keith paused. "And that's the light bulb going off in your head. Susan can aid you with using those old spells in new ways, you should practice with her" Joseph said. Keith hurriedly ran off. "Thanks Joseph! Anytime kid" Joseph said sarcastically.

"And when are you leaving?" Ruby asked. "In a few hours" Susan replied as she was deciding on a dress. "So we have time for me to practice being big?" Ruby asked. "Honey. I must decide on a dress, make sure Rose has enough magic for tonight, cook you some repeatable dinner, get my hair and nails done, and then have enough time to make it to the ball on time. Tomorrow okay?" Susan asked. Ruby sighed and sat on the couch. There was a knock on the door. Susan opened it revealing Keith. "What's up?" she asked. "Wondering if you can help me with some training" he replied. "Full schedule! She has other concerns" Ruby huffed. Susan glared at her. "You know what? Keith can train you but he's worse than me" Susan said. "As long as I can be a giantess I don't care" Ruby said. "Go. Get your shoes" she said. "Susan I'm kinda busy myself preparing" he said. "You can spare an hour and she's a cutie" she smirked. Keith watched the girl come back down the stairs holding her shoes. "By the way. If you fuck her without protection, I'll shrink you and shove you up my asshole" she grinned patting his cheek. "I wasn't going to fuck her!" Keith yelled. "Did someone say fucking?" Ruby asked curious.

"I mean it Keith. Just because she's an adult in two months doesn't mean she needs to push out your babies" Susan said coldly. Keith silently nodded and watches the girl skip out of the house. "Have fun!" Susan smiled.

"This one seems different than the other one" Ruby said looking at the street below. "Because it is. There’re two training grounds for borrowers wanting the clearance to be human sized. The one your mother took you to was to get a feel for being a giantess. Moving around houses without falling mostly. This one is for active users. Those shiny lines in the street is silver to conduct an illusion spell. The illusion being people in the homes, shops, and streets. It's set that they'll act as normal as possible" he said. "Don't someone have to control that?" she asked. "Normally yes but the more complicated spells no. I built this back in the summer as more borrowers wanted to live as human as possible. The illusion spell took me an entire week to perfect. Now take off your shoes and socks. I'm sure Susan told you how important being barefoot is for beginner giants and giantesses" he said. Ruby took off her shoes and socks and wriggled her giant toes nervously.

"This is just an exercise. No need to be nervous" he said as he bent down to touch a small silver plate in the street. Almost instantly, the illusion of dozens of people appeared. "Wow" she muttered. "Head to the end of the block" he said. Keith kept pace as her giant feet took small steps forward. "You're using the balls of your feet to step down. Good. Make sure to rely on your big toes for stability. Your center of gravity is different now" he said watching. Ruby listened and waited for the people to clear out of her way. Suddenly, a boy darted out of the alley chasing a ball. Ruby gasped just before her left sole would've crushed him flat. She balanced on one foot and shifted it back. The mother of the child grabbed him out of the way. "Excellent! Most first timers would've squashed the kid. You okay up there?" he asked. She nodded as she sweat bullets.  

She made it to the end of the block. "They're waving" she said. "Wave back" Keith grinned. The young giantess giggled waving at them. Curious, she looked into the multistory houses as some waved from balconies. It felt nice to see them so friendly. Keith touched a plate in a wall changing the illusion slightly. There was a small gust of wind that blew a small balcony door wide open. This caught her attention and Ruby looked inside. She immediately blushed seeing a boy not much older than her naked dying himself off with a towel. He turned feeling a breeze and gasped seeing the giantess. "It's okay. Don't be scared. Wow you're cute" she said. She reached in and plucked him out. Keith shook his head. He ended the illusion as the girl brought the boy closer for inspection. "Hey! What happened?!" she yelled annoyed. "You failed is what happened" he replied. "How?! Nobody got hurt or anything!" she said. "Did you get permission from that boy to take him from his home? You took him without consent bare ass naked in public" he said. "He didn't cry or anything. Wouldn't someone cry or say something?" she asked. Keith destroyed the arcane keeping her big. She shrank down to his size. "You really want to go there?" he asked. He took a note out of his pocket and used the arcane on it to shrink her on the spot. He roughly grabbed her up.

With not a word he removed her clothing. Ruby was petrified at the cross look on his face. He brought the shrunken teen to his face. "How does it feel to be stripped naked and held without consent? To be stared at for amusement. To be seen as a toy? Hmm?" he asked. You're not crying or saying anything so it must be okay right?" he asked raising his voice. Ruby began sobbing in his hand. Keith put her down and broke the shrinking spell. He waited until she got dressed again. "Your mother told you there are certain responsibilities about being human sized among us. One is to remember how the other person feels being around you. It's okay to do things like snatch someone up and play with them if you're on intimate terms but a stranger? It's terrifying. Remember how frightened you were being encased in plaster?" he asked. She quietly nodded where she sat on a bench. "I screwed up big time" she muttered. "I've seen worse" he said sitting next to her.

"I want to be an agent" she said. "You do know they have short life...of course you know. Fiona" he said. He looked at her bare feet for a moment. "I can't tell you what to do with your life. My job is to make sure you have the longest one possible. If you join the academy, that means you're going to experience the hardest months of your life. It's not just about running, climbing, and swinging a sword. You'll be made to do things you will want to die of embarrassment doing. Pissing and shitting on command to throw off the scent of predators. Learning how to seduce people which means fucking people you don't like. Eating people so not to leave evidence. Learning how to survive if you yourself is eaten. That means your instructor will shrink and swallow you alive. And first aid. That one can really be rough as the instructor will break your bones just so you can use magic to heal them. I've seen recruits lose their shit at every stage. Them begging for their mothers as they slip down someone's throat. Pleading for them not to snap their bones like twigs. Some just...break. Their minds checking out. Susan was nice enough not to tell you that. Me? I give the full disclosure" he said. Ruby was very quiet.

"Can you start the test again?" she asked. "...one moment" he said. Keith grew her and restarted the illusion. He watched with a sly grin as she went through it all again.

They returned two hours later. The girl yawned as she got close to the feet of her then giantess mother who stood outside the house. "You wore her out?" Susan asked. "Get your mind out of the gutter. She ran the test six times" he said. "How did she do?" Susan asked as Ruby passed between her giant feet entering the house.  She finished the beginner stage at the end. She learns fast" he replied. "She still wants to be an agent" Susan said. "She got the full story from me and yes she does" he said. Keith polished a watermark from her giant toenail. "You look pretty tonight" he said. Susan bent down. "Just tonight?" she asked. Keith looked up and saw he was directly beneath her pantied crotch. Susan smirked as she pulled her panties aside for a moment exposing her giant pussy to him. "Cute real cute" he said. "No, what's cute is that face you make when you cum inside me" she smirked. "Says the woman who squeaks like a mouse when I lick between her toes. "I don't...eek!" she squeaked as Keith stuck his head between her giant toes and licked. She grabbed him up. "I have time for a quickie" she said. "And you'll smudge your makeup" he said. Susan huffed and put him back on the street. "Tonight when I get home?" she asked. "Claire and Aspen are back. I'll be busy catching up with them. I'm all yours tomorrow night though" he replied. "Oh all right" she sighed as she walked off.

"Sweee! I've got to take a picture!" Susan squeaked as Rose came down the stairs. She was dressed in a pink dress going to her knees, on her feet were open toed white heels. Around her neck was a gold necklace given to her by Lily a few years prior. Her auburn hair was done on a ponytail pink bow. Susan shot pic and pic from different angles. "Come on! We're going to be late!" Rose giggled. She pulled the young woman with her to the garage. "That's a magnificent dress Suzie" Rose said as Susan unlocked the jag. Susan did like the blue with sparkles dress the best of all. "Eh. It's okay" she shrugged. They got in and she started the car. Susan drove down the M1 heading for the interchange to take them to her college. "What are you going to tell them if they ask about you?" Rose asked. "That I'm your estranged half-sister and my job takes me all over the world. I returned when your mother died" she replied. "Hmm. Sounds plausible" Rose shrugged. "I put some thought into it" Susan said grinning.

25 minutes later, Susan was handing the keys to the valet as they stood at the entrance to the ballroom. She wrinkled her nose. "Smells of old money and privilege" she muttered. "Behave" Rose said. Susan bowed mockingly before taking the girl's arm. "Good evening Ms. Durmont. I was not expecting you seeing your mother had passed" a middle-aged man said. "Well one must think outside the box in these times. This is my older sister Susan" Rose said. The man eyed her. "Don't recall ever hearing of an older Durmont child. I don't mean to offend but she didn't appear just after your inheritance?" he asked. Susan narrowed her eyes. "I have my own money thank you sir. I returned to make sure my sister was taken care of emotionally" Susan said coldly. "Nothing implied. Just curious. Please enjoy yourselves" he said walking off. "The vice chairman of admissions" Rose said. "He keeps snubbing his nose at us and I'll have him admit my foot up his ass" Susan growled.

Rose introduced her to several professors and staff before the main events. "Who's that?" Susan asked pointing to a girl Rose's age. The girl was sitting all alone in the corner. "Alyssa Roberts. People see her as an outsider because..."

"She's black?" Susan finished. Rose silently nodded. "Rose! Come meet my mom!" a girl shouted. "Go to your friend" Susan said. Susan went over to Alyssa. "You don't seem to be having any fun" Susan said sitting next to her. Alyssa looked at her surprised as she didn't even sense her approach. "I shouldn't have come" she muttered. "Why not?" Susan asked. "I don't have a mom to bring here. She's in America" she replied. "...is that the only reason?" Susan asked. She didn't answer. "I know what bigotry feels like. To be looked down on because you're different" Susan said. Alyssa glared at her. "Oh so you've had people ask how good at basketball you are? If you own a gun? What rap stars you listen to?" Alyssa asked. "No. I've been called an abomination because I like girls. Bestiality because some of the girls I fell in love with were borrowers. I was even blinded with bleach because I wouldn't put out because I was expected to" Susan replied. Alyssa looked at her stocking feet embarrassed. "It's not just because I'm black. They look at me as a charity case because I'm here on scholarship" she said. "Good for you. That means you're smarter than them. If they don't like it, they can suck dick" Susan said. A girl Alyssa's age heard her and scoffed. "Fuck you looking at bleached blondie?" Susan said. Alyssa giggled.

"Join me and my sister" Susan said extending a hand. Alyssa took it. "Hi Alyssa. I'm Rose" Rose said coming back seeing them. "I know. You're in my AP Calc class" she muttered. "In a moment we'll have the opening dance" the announcer said. "I'll leave you two to that" Susan said sitting down. "Wha?!" Alyssa said. "Delicate feet honey" Susan said slipping her heel off and rubbing her foot. "It'll piss them off" Rose grinned as she kicked her shoes off. Alyssa grinned and followed her to the dance floor. "Ma'am. This is for mothers and daughters" a man said. "Don't see a sign saying we can't" Rose said pushing past him. The music began and the two began dancing. Susan grinned at the others staring in contempt at them. "And here I thought it would be boring" Susan said. "The nerve! Just stamping on tradition! That's what happens when you let outsiders in" a middle-aged woman whispered behind her.

Susan turned to her. "You know where the loo is?" she asked. "The corner and to the right" the woman replied. "Good thing you know. Shit yourself" Susan said using magic to agitate her colon. There was a wet unnatural sound for her gut and the woman took off running. She ran right through the dance floor. The dance was over and the two returned to the table. "What happened with her?" Rose asked. "Someone...something didn't agree with her" Susan smirked. Rose eyed her. "It was either that or I teach her the true meaning of brown nosing" Susan whispered as she shifted in her seat. Susan sat there watching the two gossip as they ate dinner. It occurred to her that Rose never mentioned having friends outside the colony. Rose stood up and went to get a refill of punch. A girl there began talking to Rose. Suddenly, the girl slapped Rose hard and threw punch on her dress. Alyssa and Susan quickly for up and went over. "What happened?" Alyssa said. "...nothing" Rose said walking off towards the bathroom. Alyssa went after her leaving Susan looking at the girl.

The girl went outside, and Susan followed suit. "What was that about?" Susan asked seeing her light a cigarette. "Fuck is it to you?" the girl asked. Susan casted a low-level truth spell on her and asked again. "I said she preferred dark meat. And then she said I only get good grades because I spread my legs for the professors and to go fuck my racist self" she replied. She was shocked she had. "I see why your peers are so shitty. Birds of a feather and all. You couldn't hold it down for one fucking night" Susan hissed. She knew how important that night was to Rose. Her temper got the best of her as she found herself shrinking the girl down to two inches. The girl squeaked in terror and took off running. A well-placed heel blocked her making her fall in the dirty melted snow water. Susan slipped her heel off and spread her toes. "Lick" she said. The girl didn't until Susan pressed her sole down slightly on her puny body. "That's right you little shit. Clean it good" she hissed. As Susan grinned at her whimpering, her phone buzzed. "SOS. Bathroom" the text message from Rose said. Susan sighed and unshrank the girl. "Forget except in your nightmares" she said touching her forehead. Susan left the dirty dazed girl where she stood.

Susan entered the bathroom. "Lock the door" Alyssa said. Confused and concerned she did. "Please don't be mad" Rose said as Susan got closer. "Aw shit" Susan said seeing Rose her normal three-inch self in Alyssa' hand. Susan snatched her away. "I thought you had a handle on this!" Susan said. "Not my fault! The fucking punch washed the arcane away!" Rose yelled showing her a very small scrap of wet paper. "Can someone tell me what's going on? I'm kinda freaking out" Alyssa asked. "We're going to have to erase her memory of tonight" Susan said. "NO!" Rose screamed. "Hell do you mean no? She saw you shrink Rose!" Susan yelled. "I want her to remember. She's the one that sent that text. I have no human friends here Suzie. I'm sure Alyssa can keep a secret" Rose begged. "A girl you've known all of two hours?" Susan asked. "What going on?" Alyssa asked nervous. "I'm a fairy Alyssa" Rose replied. Alyssa stared wide eyed. "And if the existence of fairies and magic became mainstream, it would be a disaster" Susan said. "Don't...don't you supposed to have wings?" Alyssa asked. "The really strong ones do when they use magic. I don't as I'm half human" Rose replied. "Susan. Hand me back to her" Rose said. Susan begrudgingly did. "I'm just like you Alyssa. I laugh, cry, grieve, bleed" she said. "No way! You can make yourself big and small. That's way cooler than anything I can do" she said. "I'm the last of my kind now that mom is dead. I'd trade all my magic just to be able to live like a real human girl" Rose sniffled. "I swear I'll keep your secret Rose" Alyssa said seriously. Susan placed Rose on the floor and grew her to human size. "I thought you said you're the last" Alyssa said. "Susan is something different" Rose said. "One secret at a time and I'm still not sold on this. But...just because she's human doesn't mean she's untrustworthy" Susan said using magic to clear Rose up. "Part of this is my fault. Should've used my own magic to grow you" she muttered.

Someone knocked on the door. Susan unlocked it. Someone's mother rushed inside paying no mind to the ones inside. "Do we really have to go back?" Alyssa asked. "No" Rose replied walking outside. Rose led them to the college greenhouse. "Nice and warm in here" Susan said. "I come here between classes to get a feel for stuff. That and the tiniest bit of magic can be found in some of the dirt here" she said. "Rose. What's it like to be a fairy?" Alyssa asked. Rose looked at Susan with a smile. "Just be careful" Susan said as she shrank Alyssa where she stood. Susan sat at a nearby table for them to enjoy themselves without having the worry some giantess above them. "You can shrink other people too?!" Alyssa asked looking around. "Yep! Follow me" Rose said leading the girl around. There was a carefully sloped ledge she brought her too. Their shoes wouldn't let them walk up it so both took off their heels and stockings. "I'm afraid of heights “‘Alyssa said looking at 12 ft. (really 6 inches) drop off. Rose held her hand and guided her up.

There was a rectangular pot at level with pansies planted there. Rose had Alyssa step in. "Feel that?" she asked. "I feel damp dirt between by toes" Alyssa said. "Stop looking at your feet and look up" she said. Alyssa did and found the pansies made a perfect canopy over her head. She touched the stalk as Rose pushed her hand to it. "What...what is that?" Alyssa asked. "The pulse of the flower. The water in the stalk moving up and down giving it life" Rose finished. "I didn't know...is it like this for all plants?" Alyssa asked. "This is what it's like being a fairy. To feel connected to life. To be small enough that a single flower can be your umbrella. To know you're part of something ancient and grand. To be the last of your kind" Rose said softly. "My mom didn't die in a fire. She died saving a lot of people and because of how she died we didn't even have a body. That was the hardest part of it all. No body. And girls like that bitch tonight is free because the sacrifice my mom made. Mom left me the family fortune and business, friends, and family to get me through it all but there was one thing she left me that helped me get over the grief above it all. Walk with me" she said.

Susan could hear every word and felt the sadness in her own heart. Curious, she quietly followed the shrunken girls as they walked around ledges and from pot to pot. "Just right up here" Rose said helping Alyssa up. Her feet hurt from walking barefoot but said nothing as she saw this was important to Rose. "What is that?" Alyssa said looking at a flower. "See for yourself" Rose giggled as she pushed her over the ledge. Alyssa screamed for a second before she landed safely in the middle of a huge flower. Rose jumped onto it next to her. "That wasn't funny!" Alyssa yelled. "Sorry but you never have to worry around me. I wouldn't let something happen to my new best friend" Rose said. Rose petted the flower petals. "This is what my mom left me. A species of rose she created so rare people think they're fake. The black rainbow rose. I cut a piece to grow here so could have a part of mom with me at school.  It was sickly, weak, and stubby but I gave it love and nurturing until they flourished. From a distance they look dreary and black but when you're close, you see it for its true beauty" Rose said patting Alyssa's hand. "Like me?" Alyssa asked. "Like both of us" Rose replied.

Rose and Alyssa sat while washing their ring feet off in a small pool of water. "Tonight felt so magical" Alyssa said. Rose laughed. "I mean fairy tale magical" Alyssa said. "Glad you had fun" Rose said. "We should go before some nosy groundskeeper pops in" Susan said hovering over them. Susan carried the two back to the ballroom and grew them back to human size when the coast was clear. "Call me" Rose said giving Alyssa her number. Alyssa smiled and waved as they left. "You made the right call stopping me from blanking her memory" Susan said as she pulled onto the road. Susan wiped her tears away as she drove. "What's wrong?" Rose asked. "You smell more like your mom tonight" she replied. Rose went to lower the window. "Don't" Susan said gripping her right hand. "Thanks for being there for me tonight" Rose said. "No need to thank me. This is what family does. This is what a big sister does" Susan said.

Meanwhile...

Hope had walked into every shop on the strip and even though it was getting late, she didn't feel like going home. Claire had royally pissed her off and she felt weird about how she yelled at her. "Why should I feel guilty? She totally shits on dad!" she thought. Not paying attention, she slipped on a patch of ice and rolled her ankle. "Shit!" she yelled feeling the pain. "Let me help you up" a young man said to her. He pulled her back up and Hope stared at him. He was cute in an exotic way. Tanned skin, with black hair but a touch of gray. She figured him to be 19 or so. She grimaced as she out weight on her ankle. "We should get you to a nice warm place and take a look at that" he said carrying her. Hope had been carried hundreds of times while tiny but not like this. She blushed as she felt him carry her like a princess. Strange thought as she sensed something about him but couldn't place it. He smelled nice. The young man carried her into a coffee shop and went to the back wall and sat her in a chair.

"A cup of ice, a napkin, and a pumpkin spice latte" he asked of the barista.  He returned and put it on the table. "A drink for milady" he said handing her the latte. Normally, she would easily heal such an injury as one would wave their hand, but she was curious of the attention he gave her. He eased her boot off followed by her sock. "That's unnecessary" she said embarrassed. "Pish posh" he chuckled as he wrapped the ice in the napkin and placed it on her swelling ankle. Nervous, she sipped her latte. "Tell me if this hurts" he said gripping her big toe. He moved her foot around slightly until she winced. "Not broken. Just a small sprain. You have or pretty toes" he said smiling at her. Hope blushed beet red but didn't stop him from feeling her toes. "You do this all the girls around here?" she asked. "Only The cute ones unlucky enough to fall on their butt in front of me" he replied. Hope gulped her latte in embarrassment. "What's your name?" she asked. "Markus" he replied. She paused. She tried to probe his mind. "Now that's rude Hope" He said feeling it. Hope went rigid as what she feared was confirmed.

"You. After all you've done. You got some balls to show yourself to me" she said shrinking him on the spot. With no ceremony, she dropped the ant sized Markus in her latte and used her straw to push him all the way down to the bottom. She held it there for three whole minutes watching his body finally stop moving. "Can't wait to tell dad" she said. "Tell him what?" Markus asked standing a few feet away human sized. Hope began to glow. "Easy there. They see you lit up like a Christmas tree..." he said pointing to the people. Hope snapped her fingers freezing time inside the shop. Pissed, she shrank him again and translocated him into her mouth. This time she chewed him up and swallowed. A few minutes passed and she was content with herself, until the urge to vomit came. In horror, she watched him reform on the floor and grow back to human size. "More effort but no" he said. Hope felt the strain of the time spell to be increasing by the moment and let go of it. Coolly, Markus sat next to her.

"Now I didn't come here to fight you. I came here to explain why I'm doing what I'm doing" he said. "What's to explain? You want to conquer the world with your shitty friends" she said. Markus burst out laughing. "Conquer the world? I want to save it. Where do you see the world in 50 years? Come on. I know you're playing dumb for the others, but you don't fool me. I know how smart and developed you are" he said. Hope began to get up. "Leave and everyone here dies" he said coldly. Hope shot him a glare before sitting back down. "I never gave it thought" she said. "You really should. Do you see borrowers being a legitimate member of human society? Magic still being under wraps? The nations of the world doing their usual thing?" he asked. "I don't see why not" she said. "You naive girl. 50 years from now, borrowers will nearly be extinct. Fresh water a commodity traded like gold. Millions dead from famine as weather patterns get more chaotic. And that's assuming they don't burn the world in nuclear fire" he said. "Humans are full of potential. My mother is proof of that" Hope said.

"Humans are ruining the planet. Many think they can solve climate change by turning their thermostats down. Drive electric cars. And then you have people saying it’s a fucking hoax while sheets of ice the size of cities fall into the ocean. Borrowers traded on the black market. No laws yet about killing them by accident and good luck proving otherwise. Since your little buddies made borrowers citizens, their numbers went down even faster. You know what the biggest job for borrowers is now? Sex trade. A few dollars to rape or suck on them. I saw yesterday one that had to put up with being raped by her boss to keep her job. Humans haven't changed in thousands of years and I should know. If anything, they've become worse."

"Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong Un and his son, Chairman Mao, and shitload of others just in the last 50 years have spilled more blood than you can fill an Olympic sized swimming pool with. And back to that fat fuck in North Korea. A man who claims he never shits got into a nuclear pissing match with the US. Fuck 50 years. They don't have 25. Everyone you ever loved vaporized because of humans" he said coldly. "I won't let it come to that" Hope said sternly. "And you'll do what? Magic them? The second humans learn of magic every jackass politician will run over one another to get their hands on it. A magical arms race and God forbid if they learn about you. They'll want a piece of you literally. They'll want to study you, clone you, weaponize you. And dear old daddy will die when he tried to stop them. Your very existence threatens the safety of the world" he said. Hope sat there shedding tears in anger. He knew deep down that every word the bastard said was true. "And your so your solution is to enslave them?" she asked.

"Homo magi has been superior to Homo sapiens since the beginning. To pretend otherwise is just folly. We have the power to save the planet. To punish evil, to end world hunger, war, and pestilence. Imagine a world where those that do evil for their own selfish reasons are put down and the good humans can live without being preyed upon by them. Don't think I don't know what you've been up to" he said pulling his phone out. Her blood ran cold seeing her own pictures near where she had been. "Don't be upset. You didn't do anything wrong other than forget about cameras. How much did they beg as you held their shrunken worthless bodies?" he asked. "...a lot" she said softly. "And their hearts and minds revealed what kind of person they were didn't they?" he asked. She nodded. "How did it feel to remove them like the cancer they were? How did it feel to erase their lives? Did your pussy tingle as they slipped down your throat? Did you get wet as they wriggled to death under your bare feet?" he asked. "Yes" she hissed. Markus grinned. He touched her forehead. This is where I'm staying. Maybe we can finish this conversation over dinner tomorrow?" he asked getting up. She watched in a daze as he left. Hope sat there unmoving for another 30 minutes confused. She could sense the evil in him but knew his words to be true. She didn't know what do to.

"She's in Yorkshire and a coffee shop" Keith said. "Alone?!" Aspen asked. "Yes alone. She knows the rules. Take her phone with her, no magic, and no further than Yorkshire" he said. "She's a kid Keith!" Aspen yelled. "A kid? Not quite. She's matured at a rapid pace since you've been gone. Using advanced words or have you not noticed?" he asked. Aspen sighed. "Yeah I did. It would be hard to discipline a girl who can change the world on a whim" she said. "Exactly. We give her some freedom while teaching her responsibility" he said. Hope walked past her guest room. "There she is! How was your day?" he asked. "Interesting. I tried a new drink. It's weird but good weird" she replied softly. He snuck up behind her and tickled her neck. "Daddy I love you too but I'm tired" she whined. "...okay. See you later honey" Keith said. "What about me?" Aspen asked. "I'll play with you tomorrow mom" Hope said before walking away. "She's still upset" she muttered. "Probably but she's a teenager. She's been under a lot of stress lately" Keith said. "And I didn't help" Claire said sitting on the windowsill looking out.

Keith picked her up before sitting down on their bed. He caressed her bare leg with his fingers. "She'll get over it Claire. Were your parents happy to see you?" he asked. "Over the moon. Daddy kept sniffing me and mom wouldn't let me go. Between my son and my new little brother, my fucking tits are sore" Claire whined. Keith pushed open her robe. "Oh thank god. I thought they sucked them flat" Keith chuckled. Claire giggled and then fully laughed. "Same old Keith" she muttered. Keith brought her close to his lips and kissed her. "Still lovable Claire. Aspen coughed. "Haven't for a second forgot about you" he said tapping the bed. Aspen sat next to him. He snuggled her. When he did, she felt him tremble. "Keith?" she asked. "Things have gotten worse lately. Me and Susan was exposed to a booby trap spell that showed us our worst fears" he said. Claire and Susan looked at him. "I killed our little girl. She turned evil and I killed her" he muttered looking at his shaking hand. "It wasn't real" Claire said.

"It was as real as you are to me. The smell of her blood. That wet gurgling as I pushed my sword into her" he said. Keith suddenly put her down and ran to the bathroom. Both girls could hear him vomiting. "Now I really feel stupid" she said. Keith flushed the toilet and returned. He found Claire human sized patting the bed for him to sit down. "Sorry about that" he said. Claire didn't say a word as she shrank him. She pulled off his clothing and laid down in the bed. He looked into her crystal blue eyes before breaking down crying. "The grief and shame. The way she looked at me when she died" he sobbed. Claire licked his face. "I know how powerful and illusion can be. Thankfully, I had two of the most wonderful people in the world to come to about it" Claire said. "I love you. I love both of you" he said. Aspen laid down next to Claire. "Don't hog him. It's been awhile since I had a tiny Keith to play with" she said taking him from her.

"What to do with you? Hmm...I could just shove you up my pussy but that's too quick. I want to savor each and every millimeter of your body. From those cute tiny feet" she said touching his soles. She traced her finger up to his hardening cock. "These precious balls with their yummy sperm. That strong heart. And finally a kiss that literally takes your breath away" she said licking her lips. "Not your feet?" he asked. "If you're a good boy and don't come right away" she said stroking his cock between her fingers. Aspen kissed his entire body over and over as Claire got between her legs. "Yeah. Make me wet" Aspen murmured as Claire began fingering her. Aspen placed Keith next to her ear and listened to his faint heartbeat. She smiled as she held him close to her lips. A gentle peck on his and he could see a longing in her eyes. "Be gentle with him" Aspen said handing him to Claire. The giantess borrower pushed him into Aspen feet first.

Claire straddled her in a way that Keith’s upper body went into her. "Mom did say I should share my toys" Claire winked. She bent down and began kissing Aspen. The two fucked each other using him as a strap on for several minutes. They were careful not to smother him and Keith just let them use his shrunken body for their pleasure. He came as Aspen's pussy squeezed his body, but he wasn't done, and neither were they. Aspen placed him in her mouth and kissed Claire. Each one sucking the juices off of him. It became a tug of war of who would get him. Claire won slurping him in almost to the point of swallowing him. Seeing the almost accident, both decided to calm down. "Who has nicer feet?" Aspen asked as both of them had their feet sticking out in front of him on the bed. "I'd say Claire. This pedi is magnificent" he said feeling how utterly smooth her nails were. "Because I'm a model. No self-respecting model has fucked up feet" Claire said. "Your like three inches tall. Humans would have to squint to see your toes" Aspen huffed. "Don't fight. Both of you have nice bodies" Keith said. "...how am I better than Claire?" Aspen asked softly. "Well...uhh...bigger boobs?" Keith said. "Hah! I got bigger tits!" Aspen said. "Tits ain't everything and not only I got nicer feet, I got a better ass too" Claire said spinning around. Keith got a full view of her giant ass and pussy.

"Oh please. You can bounce a quarter off mine. A quarter would put you in the hospital" Aspen huffed. "Ladies. Let's not get carried away" Keith said. Both glared at him. "Who was a nicer fuck?" Aspen asked. "I can't answer that. I gave a part of myself to both of you those nights. Claire. I wanted you to be happy. The happiest borrower I ever seen because I love you so much. Aspen, you were my first true love and what we did can't be put into words. What you're asking isn't fair" he said. Both grew quiet. "That was childish of me" Aspen said. "I deserve some blame too" Claire muttered. Keith had Claire unshrink him. "It's late. I'll see you two ladies tomorrow" he said. "Keith?" Claire asked. "Yeah Claire?" he said. "You're a good man" she said. "I try to be. I'm a role model for a lot of people not to mention my kids. And with another on the way, I got to be on my A game" he said as he left the room. "Yeah I guess...what do you mean another?!" Claire asked. Keith whistled as he walked down the hall. "Susan?" Aspen asked. "Susan" Claire replied.

The clock said 12:33 as he slipped into bed. He glanced at Hope's bed and didn't see her. He got worried. "I'm up here" Hope said sitting in the windowsill naked. "What's with you girls and windowsills. Come down honey. It's cold up there" he said. Hope fluttered down to his pillow and sat. He cupped his hands around her and breathed warm breath over her tiny naked body. "It's the wrong time of year to be going around naked" he chuckled. "Dad? If you could get rid of all the really evil people in the world, would you?" she asked. Keith had to be careful on his answer as he knew this girl could actually do it if so desired. "No, I wouldn't. Lawan taught me that all things are part of a balance. For example, good and evil. One defines the other. As for the evil people, we have a judicial system that takes care of that" he said. "But doesn't THORN kill the really bad ones?" she asked opening her legs. Keith blushed and tried not to look at her little bush. "Yes, but those can't be tried by humans because of what they know" he said. "So why does rapists and murderers go free?" she asked. Keith got more uncomfortable by the moment.

"The system isn't perfect" he said. "But it could be" she said. Keith found her talk unsettling. He began rubbing her tiny feet to distract her. "We can't use magic to solve the world's problems honey. Humans have the right to learn and grow on their own" he said. She pulled her feet away. "What about borrowers? Yaksha? Koonago? It's not just a human world" she said sternly. "No, it isn't but we have to share it. It's called tolerance" he said. Hope didn't like the sound of that at all. In her mind how could one tolerate evil? "Hope? Is everything alright?" he asked. "...just wanted to know your thoughts on it" she said. This moment would haunt her for a long time. If she had told the honest truth right then and there...what would come to pass wouldn't have happened. A lie of omission that would cost her and countless others.

The next day...

"Luke honey don't fidget" Claire said straightening his Santa hat. The baby was being fussy as his little Santa costume was a little hot on him. He started crying until Hope tickled his cheeks. "He's gotten attached to her" Claire muttered. "She visits him every other day. Only natural" Keith said finishing his ginger punch. "We all set for the picture?" Rebecca said bringing her youngest son into the room. "We are now" Aspen said straightening her dress. Half of them sat on the sofa while the other half stood behind it. Keith ran up to the iPhone and pressed the timer function for the camera. He raced back. "Say Merry Christmas!" he yelled. They all did in unison smiling as the picture went off. After that was done, they went to the table to eat lunch...all except Claire. "Why The frowny face?" he asked. I've been gone so much my own son barely recognizes me" he muttered. Keith squeezed her shoulder. "I don't even lactate anymore" she said softly.

"Claire. A lot of moms work abroad. That doesn't mean what you're doing is wrong" he said. "For humans. It's not the same for us" she said. "Being part of human culture means adopting some of their norms. Especially in the work force" he said. "Hopefully not all of their norms and values. Borrowers don't need their concept of domestic violence, divorce, or monogamy" Hope muttered. A few eyes turned to her. "Present company excluded mom" she said to Aspen. "So you've been studying humans?" Thomas asked. "We share the planet with them grandpa" she said. "And your thoughts so far?" he asked. "They're a nice people as long as they do the right thing. If not, they're the worst. How does one kill another because they believe in something else? What makes one right or wrong? Mom, you're Christian right?" she asked.

"Uh yeah mostly" Aspen said surprised she asked. "Then how can a people that worships a man who taught love and tolerance do such horrible things? Burn and shoot Christians in their churches? Take children from parents? Shoot schools? Say such hateful things?" Hope asked agitated. "Honey. Calm down" Keith said. "No! Why is it okay because I'm a borrower if you suck my toes but it's wrong if I was human? Why does our kind get the short end of the stick when we're the most loving gentle people on earth?" she asked trembling. Everyone was silent. "Not all humans are like that Hope. Look at your mother Aspen there" Keith said. "Dad rubbed my pussy because I was too horny" she said flatly. Aspen's eyes went wide. "See! That right there. She thought that was really bad! And we should be more like them to fit in? What happens when their laws against incest and polygamy are forced on us? Mom. I love you more than you know but you will never truly understand what it means to be us unless you ARE us" she said coldly. Aspen got up and left the room crying. "Go back to our room" Keith muttered. Hope looked at him. "I SAID GO BACK TO OUR ROOM!" he yelled. Hope translocated out as she gave him an icy glare.

Keith sat there for a moment listening to his son Luke crying and Aspen in the other room. He quietly got up and went into the guest room where she was. "I'm sorry you heard all that. Hope doesn't understand how the world works" Keith said sitting on the bed. "She made good points Keith. Even I know some human laws won't work on borrowers. And I did think it was wrong what you did...for a moment" she said. "You were raised in a human society. I can't fault you on a knee jerk thought" he said. "Don't be that kind. It hurts more" she said. "So...you don't think I hurt our child?" he asked softly. She hugged him from behind. "You'd die before you'd do that. She was in heat badly wasn't she?" she asked. Keith nodded. "I remember how Claire was back then. Holy shit she had it bad. Sleeping in my socks and panties. Humping my toes. One night she masturbated on my homework assignment because I ignored her" she chuckled. "Ha. Bet that was hard to explain to the teacher" he said. "Please. I never turned that in. Sorry Mrs. Crabtree. My borrower friend got the paper wet with her pussy juice" she laughed. "I'm not a borrower but I know enough about them that I fell in love with two of them" she said. Keith kissed her on the lips. "About our daughter..."

"I'm worried Aspen. She at an age where they question authority, morality, and society. You or me whatever but our daughter can bring a nation to its knees if she wanted" he said. Aspen thought he was joking until she saw fear in his eyes. "Can her power be sealed?" Aspen asked. "Not a chance. Joseph told me as much and even trying could really piss her off or at least break her trust in us" he said. "Maybe we should take her to some places. Show her the good things humanity has to offer" Aspen said. "Hmm. That's not a bad idea. Disneyworld, The Alaskan wilderness, the Louvre, Doctors Without Borders" he said. "Let's go back to the table. I'm sure they're worried about us" she said. "They're fine. Claire's right outside the door listening in. Watch this" he said in a faint whisper. He went to the door. "You know. Your prettier than Claire. When I was complimenting her, I was just telling her what she wanted to hear" he said. Keith saw the doorknob turn. "What the hell did you...whoa!" she said as he pulled the door open very fast. "Eavesdropping is a bad habit" he said wagging his finger. "That had better be a joke" she snarled. Keith pulled her to her bare feet and kissed her deeply. He walked past her grinning. "Was that supposed to be answer?" she asked. Aspen giggled at her.

The rest of lunch came and went abet quietly. Keith didn't want to go back to his room just yet loathing that talk he would have to have with Hope. Walking around a bit, he found himself at Susan's. "Come on in" she said opening the door. "I'm not intruding, am I?" he asked. Susan shook her head and went to the living room. She got on her knees and went back to fixing up a gingerbread house. "Where's Ruby?" he asked. Susan grinned and pointed at the house. Keith gently popped the roof off finding the shrunken bug sized girl decorating the inside.  "Busy working?" Keith chuckled. "I did the windows and now I'm going to start on the bed and chairs" she said. "Using vanilla wafers?" he asked. The girl nodded as she dipped her hands in icing. Keith smiled at the ingenuity of it. "Adorable isn't it? And she keeps leaving these teeny little footprints made of powdered sugar on the table" Susan said. Susan could see how tired he was and brought him to the sofa. He propped her feet up and began rubbing her soles. "No, you don't have to do a thing" she said as she asked Siri to open Netflix. Susan held him close breathing his scent. She gently stroked his hair and he fell deeply asleep.