*****ALL CREDIT GOES TO DIET FROM https://giantesscity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=129720 *******************

I DID NOT WRITE THIS!

PROLOGUE

Shrugging off her windbreaker, she laid it on a chair, and then took one step down into the sunken den.

Casually, tossing her gym bag aside, she grumbled in annoyance when work clothes spilled out. With a sigh and a slump of the shoulders, Kyra absently set the bottle of water in her hand down and focused on picking up her clothing before Sienna came home and saw her mess.

Finishing her task, she paused to undo the scrunchie holding her pony tail, then shook her head slightly to allow raven hair to fall free about her shoulders.
“Oh!” she dashed over and grabbed up the water bottle. Distracted by her clothes on the floor, she’d set the bottle down roughly and it had fallen over. The only thing keeping its contents from spilling was the glass like force field protecting the terrarium.

Leaning over, Kyra looked into the enclosure and, of course, the teeny things inside were terrified, running this way and that. If she listened intently, she could just pick up on their screams. Her annoyance dissipated, understanding that seeing a tipping bottle, which held enough water to flood your whole world, would be petrifying.

“Sorry little ones,” Kyra said earnestly. “I should have been more careful.” Really she didn’t know why she bothered to apologize; it didn’t seem the tiny people understood language, or at least her language.

She studied them intently for some time. Tiny round huts with thatched roofs, several cook fires burning. The environmental system would remove the minute amounts of smoke, ensuring the tiny people would continue to have perfectly clean air.

In the fields beyond, animal’s grazed, minuscule goats, sheep, and some cattle looked to be contentedly munching grass. The little people had just begun to learn the value of horses. Thankfully so, as Sienna had spent quite a bit of money to purchase them. Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before the they would develop the saddle, or begin using the animals to pull a plow. That is, after they discovered what a plow was.

Squinting, Kyla could just see the little mounds of dirt; within each the tiny ones had planted maize. Sienna had been so very proud that her people had begun to farm. Above their little land puffy white clouds floated lazily in an artificial blue sky.

She frowned, having been so busy observing the; she’d not noticed that the people were lying prostrate on the ground worshiping her as if she were a goddess. Normally the blue skies muted their presence somewhat, but not if you came close to the force field protecting the tinies world. When you are 2,000 plus feet tall in relation to the people you are observing, you tend to be noticed. After all, the beings she was looking at were so small they could easily stand four abreast on one of her fingernails.

Being worshiped as if goddess, certainly massaged Kyla’s ego, but she wasn’t a goddess, she was an ordinary person, albeit really huge to them, but still just a person

Another thought… she was probably giving them quite a show. Straightening up, she adjusted her sports bra.

“Crap…” Kyla muttered grumpily upon hearing Sienna’s shuttle lowering to the pad outside. She had forgotten to refill the water tank. Grabbing the water bottle that had almost unleashed Armageddon on the tinies, she gently tipped it into the reservoir, causing the red warning light to cease blinking. Sensing water available, the environmental program kicked into gear, the puffy while clouds began to slowly turn darker, flashes of cute little lightening roiling within, an afternoon rain shower to water their crops.

Quickly Kyla paced to the couch to lie down. Snatching the pad up, she turned on the view screen, the nightly news of the Empire came on.
Hearing the door open, Kyla pretended to be paying attention to the news. Within the terrarium the little storm began. She imagined the tiny people were hurriedly rounding up animals, bringing some into their grassy huts for protection against the rain.

Kyla reflected that is was good she never backwashed when drinking out of a bottle…yuck…

Sienna was talking to the Halfling who greeted her at the door. As ever, her voice was cheery as she spoke to the little person, one of the 800 they kept in their employ. The small people took care of the cleaning, cooking, garden work, and anything else they desired around the massive estate.
“Might I take your bag?”

“Hmmm?” Kyla had been so lost in thought she’d not heard the woman. “Yes, if you would, Minya, thanks.”

The little woman gestured, and another Halfing came to help With a an adorable grunt, the small women hefted up a gym bag as big as they were was and walked out of the room.

The distant clinking of china and flatware was a telltale sign to Kyla the table was being set. She sometimes wished Sienna wasn’t such a stickler for using the grand dining room, or more specifically, dining rooms in this behemoth of an estate. There were times when Kyla would rather just eat while sitting in front of the view screen.

Sienna swept into the room, her bubbly personality filling it.

“And how are my little cuties today?” she cooed while leaning over to look in the terrarium. “Ah, a nice rain shower, looks like Kyla remembered to refill your water.”

“Don’t I get a hello?”
Sienna straightened at hearing her lovers grumpy voice. “Did you use the water out of your gym bottle to refill their tank?”

Caught… Kyla sunk a bit lower into the couch. Having forgotten to grab the offending bottle and bring it to the couch with her.

“Gross baby!” Sienna folded her arms over her ample chest and glared at her.

“Oh, water’s, water,” With a grunt, Kyla slid off the couch and stood, slowly rising up to her full height of 9’10” inches.

“You gotta use the filtered water, honey.” Sienna turned back to the terrarium. “You know how fragile they are.”

“It’s not like I have cooties, they’ll be fine,” said Kyla while slipping off her tennis shoes.

“I hope so…” Sienna’s voice trailed off, clearly she was worried.

“If some of them die, we can always get more, it’s not like there aren’t billions of them.” Kyla padded over bare feet on hard wood floors to loom over Sienna. Her wife wasn't short, standing at 6’5” it just was that Kyla was one of the largest of the Colossi.

“Our little people are special!” said Sienna, while playfully backhanding her tall lover square in the tummy. Kyla doubled over, letting out an exaggerated huff of air causing Sienna to laugh. “Oh that didn’t hurt! With all the gym time you put in, you’re as strong as ten men.”

“At least 30, they’re small.” Kyla wiggled her brows teasingly.”

As her lover’s lips were close, Sienna took full advantage, kissing Kyla who made no attempt to back away.
**
“The keepers of our world are angry!”

Within the long house the people knelt before the high priest, trembling in fear at his pronouncement.

“Both appeared from the heavens to look down upon us! Now they send evil spirits, some of which flash across the sky, others speak with terrifying voice!” As if making his point a flash of lightening filled the window, followed by a peal of thunder.

“We must work harder my people, tend to your fields, and care for your animals. We must prove we are worthy to remain under their protection lest the dark times come upon us again!”
**
“Thank you Minya.” As the Halfling woman picked up her step stool and backed away, Sienna took hold of the wine glass by the stem, softly chiming it against Kyla's in toast before taking a drink.

“That will be all.” Kyla ordered before pushing her chair back from the table to give her long legs a bit more room.

“Do you think they despise having to serve us?” Sienna asked once the door had shut.

“I don't care what they think, so long as they do the job,” Replied Kyla while crossing her legs femininely.

“Are we so superior that we see no need to show them compassion?”

“The Empire shows them no compassion due to their people unleashing three separate wars against us.”

Kyla let out a tired sigh while raising one hand up, dragging fingers though her long dark hair in frustration. We both are always polite to them and the miniatures as well. Don't I ensure they have a warm bed waiting in the servant’s quarters at the end of their work day? I feed them, I clothe them, I keep them healthy, I--”

“I know your position is far more powerful than mine and you earn far more than me, but I try to contribute to this household as best I can.”
Kyla immediately sat up, her hand reaching out to clasp Sienna's “My love, you know all that is mine is yours.”

“I apologize.” Sienna said immediately upon looking into Kyla's pained blue eyes. It’s just sometimes I feel sad, wondering if things could have been handled differently after the event so all those millennia ago.”

The event… a gentle euphemism used to describe the cataclysm.

In 3122 the population of the Earth had reached 25 billion. To avoid a global war over dwindling resources the elite of the new world order decided to try their hand at social engineering. A unique virus was created, designed to reduce the size of humanity. It would allow billions of tiny people to live in planned communities, using fewer resources, and under the control of those deemed worthy to remain at full size…

When it was unleashed, the virus mutated rapidly, making any inoculation against it useless and became a textbook example of the law of unintended consequences.

Across the globe people began to get smaller…

Billions shrank, some becoming so small they disappeared forever from view. Others stopped at the size of a finger, some were reduced to half their former size, and still others became the size of a grain of rice.

With any virus, there are always some which have natural immunity. In this case the shrinking virus did nothing to them, or inexplicably they grew larger and kept growing larger generation after generation. These people, named the Colossi, were ancestors to Kyla and Sienna.

The Halflings as they came to be known and the the Colossi were always destined to clash over which of the two would rule.

The Colossi won all three conflicts; the last war over 200 years ago resulted in the near extinction of the Halflings. With rule assured, the new Empire of the Colossi dedicated itself to expansion, first to all parts of the globe, then to the universe beyond. The Moon and Mars had been fully colonized. With the advent of warp drive, other star systems awaited exploration. There was no limit to progress

“I also worry…”

“Worry about what?” Kyla replied, pulled out of thought by her lover’s voice.

“I worry about the Empire exploring outside of our own Solar system.”

“Why?” Kyla shifted in her chair, interested in knowing the reason for Sienna’s reservations as the overwhelming majority of the Colossi saw exploration as a grand opportunity to learn more about the universe, to make contact with other intelligent life, and then conquer them.

“You know, I teach history.”

“I may not always appear to pay attention, but I did pick up on that.” Kyla gently took the glass by its stem, taking a sip of the wine within.

Sienna gave her a disparaging look, but went on. “Yesterday, I was teaching the kids about the ancient Age of Exploration, specifically the diseases the Europeans brought to the New World, diseases which decimated the native population.”

“Kyla knew where this line of thought was going. “The shrinking virus we carry, you think we might infect other societies should we come into contact with them.”
Sienna nodded, “I can’t help but wonder, as the strain is extremely virulent, The Halflings are still getting smaller with every new generation. The virus has affected, animals, crops, shrinking some species to minute size. If this reduction in size continues to its logical end, our descendants may become the largest species, not only on earth but in the universe.”

“Well, if that were to happen, my choice would be bigger as opposed to smaller.”

Sienna frowned, “Kyla, you are already one of the biggest among the big. How big is too big I wonder? What I mean is… Is it right that we rule just because we are the largest and strongest?”

“Yes,” replied Kylia while sitting her glass down upon the table. “You know, being a history teacher, how close the Halflings came to winning the last war. Since the formation of the Empire, we have peace; we care for those weaker than us.”

“But—“

“Look…” Kylia abruptly stood, taking Sienna’s hand within her own, leading her through the mansion to the den to stop at the terrarium containing the little people. Within the environmental system had created the effect of night. Across the landscape, the people were ensconced within tiny huts, most of them likely to be sleeping peacefully.

“All know that Halflings, and the miniatures are people. The Halflings, can take care of themselves, the finger sized miniatures can also do so with some accommodation, but these here, the specks cannot. They live and thrive here,” Kyla pointed to the terrarium, “only because of our protection; our world is simply too big for them to survive.”

“I understand what you are saying,” Sienna wrapped her arms around tall love, letting out a sigh of pleasure at feeling Kyla’s fingers gently begin roving though her long ginger hair. “But sometimes I feel sad, thinking I’ve confined them within a gilded cage.”

“You keep them alive and well.” Kyla’s fingers slid under Sienna’s chin lifting it so their eyes could meet. “You know, every day, thousands of the specks die, unknowingly trampled underfoot, or devoured by animals. Even the smallest of insects are a threat to them.

Sienna shuttered, tears filling her eyes. “Such horrible deaths… they deserve better.”

“And you’ve given these here, a chance to live in peace, to learn and evolve, free of the dangers of our world.” Kyla’s hand remained as she bent low to give her love a simple chaste kiss. “What you have here is more than a simple glass terrarium in some kid’s bedroom. “This is a self-contained world in which lie all the resources these little people need to thrive.”

“And we, like gods, watch over them…”

“Some among them may think that, maybe those who only know of the world within this terrarium, but if they develop as you hope, all of these people well eventually realize that we are not gods, but people like them.”

“Just loads bigger,” added Sienna.

Kyla chuckled… “Yes.”

“Speaking of resources…”

Sienna looked up in time to see her lover quirk one eyebrow up.

“I’d love to make some additions to their habitat.”

“Such as…” purred Kyla warily.

“Well, they need more pasture, oh and maybe some mountains. I’d like to introduce squash, beans, wheat, apple trees, pear trees, maybe some mellons, honeydew, water—“

“Buying those miniature plants costs a fair bit of money Sienna.”

“Oh, and I want to have a river! Just think we can stock it with fish and have it flow into a little lake!”

“Aside from the money, the items you suggest would at least quadruple the size of their habitat.”

“You make this sound like this would be some massive project; the people we care for are so small that everything I’ve described will still fit nicely on this side table.”

“Sienna, it would cost…”

“You can afford it, please help me with this?”

Kyra finally nodded her assent, causing Sienna such happiness she bounded up into her arms.