"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Amelie asked me, with a serious look plastered on her face.

  "Yes, I'm certain," I replied, "you are my dearest friend and I trust you whole-heartedly. Whatever happens, we'll overcome it together."

  Amelie's demure face softened rather significantly at that confession, before shifting into a warm smile.

  "Okay, then. Moment of truth, I suppose," Amelie answered, before taking hold of my hand and leading me into the tent.

  There were tales of a powerful mage setting up her tent randomly throughout the country. It just so happened that we finally managed to track her down. There are many schools and professions of magic, but this particular magician has proven herself to be the sole weaver of Fate and Luck. A handful of rumors spread, that if you visit her with another person, this woman can transfer all of a person's luck and potential for success unto the other. Quite frankly, a sacrifice of sorts. One of us could become rich, or royalty. The other might catch a disease, or lose all of their belongings and be unable to acquire any more. But... I'm unsure if two friends have attempted this before. It always seems to be two strangers who make use of this phenomenon. Before entering, Amelie and I had already agreed. Whoever gets the boon will care for the unfortunate one.

  The interior of the tent is dimly lit by what appears to be an antique lamp. A woman, appearing to be in her golden years, sits cross-legged on a large red cushion behind the lamp. She doesn't smile at us, but she doesn't seem particularly hostile, either.

  "Pardon us, miss--" Amelie began her introduction in the sweetest voice she could muster.

  The magician raised one hand, in what was obviously a silencing motion.

  "No need for words, child," the crone spoke, "We all know why you're here. Only those who seek me, can find me, after all."

  Amelie stayed quiet, and nodded her head reverently. I mimicked the gesture. Bowing was typically an ettiquette for the nobility, which neither I nor Amelie hailed from. We were practically urchins, nomads, or vagrants, depending on who you asked. Consequences of birth aside, we have been lifelong friends. And, until today... Neither of us thought we had anything left to lose.

  "I will explain nothing. Do you two accept what will come to pass? Now is your chance to leave, if you are feeling any doubts about this," the mage explained.

  Amelie looked to me, and then back to the magician.

  "I am ready," Amelie spoke.

  I turned my gaze towards the elder fateweaver.

  "I, too, accept what will come to pass," I answered.

  The magician didn't speak. She barely seemed to focus on either of us. A low, raspy breath began to seep out of her mouth, and her eyes began to look at us... separately, like a chameleon. In all honesty, it was a bit jarring to witness.

  The woman's eyes sparkled like the heavens, almost like a million tiny stars had entered her irises. Both eyes glowed in a yellow-ochre color.

  Amelie bit her lip in anticipation. We were about to find out who would be the benefactor, and who would be the beneficiary.

  The old lady's eyes finally changed colors. The one on the left: gold. The one on the right... The one on my side... A sorrowful seeming purple-black.

  I knew this would happen. All my life, I'd been unlucky. Of course that wouldn't change now. Amelie had always been the more successful thief, the more attractive between the two of us. She always had a slight edge over me from the beginning, and yet... She always remained by my side anyways. At this point, I felt the blood draining from my face, although I don't believe the fate magic had anything to do with that. No, this was just what dawned on me. My life was about to get a whole lot harder, and I was afraid to find out how. Would I lose an arm? Contract a disease? Become mute?

  Amelie must have realized she was the lucky one, here. She quite literally was being given all of my potential. She turned her head to me, but her face wasn't one of joy as one might expect. No... she seemed... concerned about what would happen to me...

  ...And that's precisely why I loved her.

  It was my longest kept secret, although, I would never get a chance to tell her that. Because now? I realized something, something truly horrific.

  I was beginning to forget everything. Everything right up until this moment.

  "...!" I gasped aloud, trying to speak to the gorgeous lady beside me.

  Something inside of me told me she was supposed to be important. But... who was she? I hadn't forgotten how to speak, thankfully. But I was extremely confused. The minute I tried to say her name, only air came out. Come to think of it... what was my own name, anyway?

  "Luca!" the pretty girl practically screamed at me, her face awash with worry.

  Oh. Was... was that my name?

  I didn't have much time to ponder it, before a huge wave of vertigo overtook me. I did the only thing I could think to do. I was in a strange tent I'd never seen in my life, and I felt myself contracting. It almost... hurt.

  "Aaaahhh!" I screamed as a pressure overtook my entire body. I was terrified! And... that's it. That's all I could remember before...

  ***************

   NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO... LUCA!

  I didn't care whatever I was going to get. I was already regretting this entire ordeal, and, plus, I was kind of hoping he would've been the one to finally catch a break in his life! Damn it!

  "Luca!" I yelled, before looking to the magician for help... but... she was gone.

  I return my gaze back to Luca. He seemed to have passed out but... his body was shrinking, right before my very eyes. It was absolutely terrifying! And... it wouldn't fucking stop! Smaller, smaller, smaller... Would he turn into nothing?

  I got my answer, eventually. He stopped shrinking, but he was about the size of my thumbnail. The size of a runt blueberry.

  Just what in the Hell could I possibly gain from this!? All of the money and power in the world seemed insignificant at this moment, as I watched my darling become the size of a bug in front of me.

  I was starting to sweat bullets, and I was overcome with emotion. I didn't know what else to do, so I buckled down and cried near him, waiting to see when he would wake up; this ritual wasn't supposed to kill anyone, according to the tales.

  I open my eyes, but I don't remember falling asleep. Far in the distance, the sky appears to be made of some sort of fabric, and a giant light casts a glow upon the fabric cavern. Slightly groggy, I turn my head to focus on the light source... Is that... a huge lamp? I must be dreaming.

  I sit up, but this doesn't feel like a dream. No, this feels quite real. I hear something nearby, but it's hard to pinpoint exactly where the noise is coming from. Is it... sniffling? It sounds like soft crying. My curiosity is fully piqued, and I believe I have fully woken up. Rather quicker than normal, since I'm in a foreign land.

  I turn around, and--

  And...

  I'm dumb-struck. 

  I'm not quite sure how to process what I'm seeing. For, there, in front of me, a giant girl appearing roughly in her early twenties is sitting on the 'floor' of the cavernous... uhh... tent? 

  Her face is flushed. She has quite clearly been crying about something. But, soon, she spoke to me. It was loud, but not overbearingly so.

  "...Luca... are you alright?" the mystery woman asked me. Or, at least I assumed she was talking to me.

  You see, something popped up in my mind. I don't know why I am here, or how I got here. In fact, a lot of my life seems to be fuzzy now. I can remember language, and facts about random things like animals, cities, settlements. Common knowledge, so to speak. But that is all. I can't remember any family, or any friendships. Did I ever have any?

  I push the thoughts away. One thing keeps popping up in my mind. The call of survival. I've heard tales of giants and giantesses living on a huge continent to the East of the human lands.  Yes, that is where I most likely am. And the one singular word that keeps bouncing around in my head, urging me to preserve myself?

  Run.

  And... so I do.

  ******

  All I did was ask Luca if he was feeling alright. But...

  "AHHHH!" Luca screamed at the top of his lungs.

  Luca began a dead sprint in the opposite direction of me. I'm not sure if he had a plan, because the way he was currently heading was a dead end.

  "...! Luca! Wait! Stop, everything's going to be okay!" I plead with him, and moved after him.

  ******

  The giantess said something to me, sounding quite alarmed. It was quite clearly the common language, I would have been able to understand it, that is, if I was able to. Nothing registered in my mind except...

  Run.

  I ran, and ran. It didn't seem to be very long, but I quickly realized something.

  I had nowhere to run to.

  I press my back against the edge of the massive cloth siding of the cave-tent, and stare wide-eyed back at my pursuant. 

  Giants and giantesses are enormous humanoid creatures that will devour anything small enough to fit into their mouths, sometimes even foregoing the civility of chewing. The thought terrified me; possibly ending up in this lady's stomach, alive, and helpless.

  I couldn't help it, but I curled up into the floor and put my hands over my head. A futile defence, I know.

  "Pl... please, don't hurt me.." I begged.

  I was only answered with silence. Well, at least for a moment. I sat, shivering on my own, waiting for what would likely be my demise. I'd never heard of any humans ever surviving an encounter with a giantess or giant of any sort. Even the strongest armies and mages in the world steered clear of the forbidden continent.

  But, eventually, she answered. And she sounded just as scared as I was, at least in the tone of her voice. My blind panic took a moment to overcome, but I was able to listen and comprehend what the giantess was speaking to me, now.

  "I promise you that I will not hurt you," she squeaked out. 

  I chanced a glance upwards, and she was on her hands and knees... bowing to me, in the most humble way imaginable. Something I'd only ever heard of servants doing for their royal masters. In all honesty, I was... shocked.

  "...I... um," I began to speak up.

  The giantess raised her head, and stared at me intently. I had her undivided attention now, and she didn't seem to dare to twitch a muscle. I didn't feel safe, but, at the very least, perhaps... I could talk to this giantess.

  Yes... maybe there was still hope for me to live, after all, if she was willing to parlay with me.

  "..." I lost my composure, and ended up being quiet for a few seconds.

  "..." the giantess just stared back at me, patiently.

  "... I, um. I'm... scared," I finally managed to speak up. It wasn't quite what I wanted to say, but I couldn't think of anything else to say. If nothing else, I wanted to let this woman know my feelings, and see what happens next. See if she had any answers, or solutions.

  The giantess's lip quivered, but only slightly. She immediately corrected it.

  "That... That's okay, Luca," she answered, and managed to muster up a disarming smile. "I understand. But... I just want to let you know, that I am not here to hurt you."

  With that, the giantess switched positions, and sat on her rear end, cross-legged.

  "I will wait right here. You can stay in that corner if it helps you feel any better, and we can just... talk?" she answered me.

  I've got to say, this situation wasn't nearly as bad as my brain previously expected it to be. Although my heart still seemed to be beating a million beats an hour, I think I finally exhaled a calm breath or two.

  "Y-y-yes ma'am," I managed to answer.

  The giantess seemed concerned about that.

  "Luca, I've got a question. Do.. you know who I am?" the giantess asked, with a hint of sorrow present in her voice.

  I looked at her for a long, hard minute. No. I'd never seen her in my life. She was pretty, though. Princess-like. Now that I wasn't cowering in fear as much, I was able to focus on her actual features. A lithe physique, suited for a rouge. Pink hair, as if her mother was actually just a rose. Her face seemed exotic, as if she didn't hail from the same land as I did. No, I didn't know who she was, but... before I could stop myself, I told her a bit too much of what was going on in my mind.

  I shook my head no.

  "I don't recognize who you are, but also, I don't know if I'd forget someone as pretty as you," I answered, instantly feeling like a dumbass for being so forward with a giantess. She reeled back, slightly, mouth agape.

  I cowered nearly instantly, remembering that if I accidentally offended her, she could easily end my life in a myriad of different ways! "I'm sorr-"

  "You're cute, too," she quickly answered me, cutting me off.

  Her reply worked as intended, threw me off-guard, and whatever doubts I had about being crushed or eaten flew out the window again, so to speak.

  "...-t-thank you," I managed to answer, suddenly feeling bashful. Eye contact was becoming increasingly harder now that I knew this giantess found me to somehow be appealing.

  "You're welcome, Luca! So, I'm guessing you've suffered some type of memory loss? Does that sound about right?" she replied.

  I thought about it for a second, then nodded. "Yes, I think so..."

  "Okay. Sit tight, and I'll cover everything I think you should know," she began.

  I complied, and mirrored the way she was sitting. Cross-legged. Once I was comfortable, I met her gaze again, and worked up the courage to keep a respectable amount of eye contact. I was dying for some answers, as this entire situation of being alone with a giantess, of all things, was really confusing me.

  "So, my name is Amelie. I have known you for most of my life--"

  *******

  As I listened to Amelie recount tales of our adventures together, I found myself agreeing with most of the decisions I made in the past. If anything, I would wager my personality hasn't been changed since having my memories wiped clean. However, one thing stood out to me like a sore thumb... Amelie's eyes were practically sparkling every time she started talking about me.

  This woman was obviously in love with me.

  But, it seemed that I never quite caught the hint. Or, even if I did, I never acted on it. I wonder why? She seemed nice enough. However...

  A bead of sweat forms on Luca's forehead.

  I currently have no memories of this woman! Imagine a cute stranger comes up to you, tells you everything she loves about you and what has happened in your life. How do you act? What do you do? I was beginning to realize something.

  I'm not so afraid anymore. But... Now I'm just pretty damn nervous. This girl's too fucking adorable.

  "...and that's how we got to where we are now!" Amelie finished her monolouge, before snapping her fingers. "Hell-ooo? Did you zone out, or.. um, am I still scary?" Amelie pouted.

  I corrected my slack-jawed expression, and answered. "S-sorry, and no, I think I'm okay. Thank you for sticking around and helping me."

  "I promised you I would, Luca!" Amelie beamed.

  "I do find myself wondering about something," I mentioned.

  "What's that?" Amelie replied, a puzzled look invading her face.

  "Well, I lost most of my memories and got shrunken to a helpless size... I wonder what you're going to get out of this experience?"

  Amelie paused for a second, and then answered. "You know, that's actually a very good question. But I don't suppose we'll find out until we leave this tent."

  "Y-yeah..." I answered, realizing what this might mean.

  "... O-oh!" Amelie realized, blushing. "T-take your time, Luca."

  One thing was painfully obvious. I was going to have to rely on Amelie to help me get around. And that would mean she would have to handle me, carry me, and all manner of things. Up until now, we have been keeping a healthy distance whilst I came to grips with the fact that I was now as insignificant as a bug compared to her. But, I would need to approach her now and it was going to take a massive amount of trust on my part. But after talking with Amelie for the past half hour, it was easy to see that she was completely on my side.

  I take my first tentative steps away from the edge of the tent. I was cornered, anyway. I had no protection from her, and the only thing that kept her from grabbing me earlier was her own restraint. I think we both knew who held all of the cards here, so to speak. But if my life was to continue in any meaningful way, I was going to need this girl's help. Approaching a giantess... er, well, maybe she's not a giantess... Approaching someone hundreds of times your size for the first time is no easy task, no matter how much you may think you trust them. It's... intimidating.

  Amelie sits quietly and patiently, hands on her lap, legs underneath her.

  "You're doing a good job, Luca..." Amelie encouraged me.

  I manage a weak chuckle, and continue to take baby steps towards her. "Thank-you..."

  She's sitting as still as she can manage. I'm almost to her knee now. The fact she's allowing me to take these steps on my own, and not just picking me up, is something I'm quickly becoming grateful for. I look up, and her face is pretty far away, but the gentle smile on display reminds me that everything is okay. I wish I was braver than this, but there's nothing to be done.

  I place my hand carefully on her knee. "...T-tag, you're it," I joke, making a reference to one of her favorite memories from our childhood.

  "Aww!" I hear Amelie respond from far above. "I suppose I have to tag you now, too."

  I shudder, but remind myself it's going to be okay. I'm probably about to get held, completely, for the very first time of many to come.

   *******

  Luca's doing very well. I was afraid he would be too afraid of me, at first, but he seems to have calmed down quite a bit since he's woken up. He always was pretty level-headed.

  "I'm going to pick you up as gently as I can manage, is that okay?" I asked.

  Luca nodded consent.

  "I-I'm sorry if this feels weird, or foreign to you. I can't imagine what it would be like, personally. But, I promise I will not drop you. And carrying you is going to be the easiest way to travel together, although if you aren't comfortable with this, I could.. just follow you on foot?" I offered, knowing he would probably refuse the alternative.

  "N-no, that's not necessary...!" Luca replied, a bit quickly. 

  Perhaps he was thinking what I was thinking, too...

  ******

  An image of Amelie accidentally stepping on me wormed its way into my head, and caused me to shiver and develop some goose bumps rather swiftly. If we were to travel together, this could be the only way. Plus, walking on my own would take forever, anyway.

  "If I remember correctly, you're afraid of heights, aren't you, Luca..." Amelie pondered out loud, as her hand slowly made its way towards me.

  "I... I suppose I might be," I answered, trying to imagine myself on a tall building. I didn't like the thought.

  Amelie's hand carefully scooped me up, and I felt the tinge of vertigo flow through me as I was lifted higher, and higher into the air. I made the mistake of looking out to the horizon of the tent and instantly regretted it. I scrambled to the center of Amelie's palm, face pressed into her warm flesh. "Y-y-yeah... I definitely am..." I near whimpered.

  "D-don't look out there, Luca... Um...! Um... Just focus on my face?" Amelie desperately tried to relax me.

  I turn over and, while the sight isn't nearly as terrifying, it's actually really awkward to make eye contact with someone so pretty. And huge. But... I manage. It's better than the alternative.

  Amelie smiled sweetly at me. "There you go! But, I've still got to stand up, and actually walk around, some..." Amelie reminded me.

  "Oh.. oh lord.." I couldn't really think of how I was going to cope with this. I definitely have a phobia of heights, there's no mistaking it. Unfortunately my only ally in the entire world right now is positively brimming with height.

  Amelie blushed a bit and she concentrated on a solution.

  "Luca...?"

  "...?"

  "If... if you don't want me to carry you out in the open, on my hand... Then..."

  I didn't answer.

  "There's probably some other ways to carry you around," Amelie trailed off.

  I'm not sure if I liked where this was going. My mind went directly to the gutter, then back out again, into the street, into the clouds, and so on. I found myself pondering quite literally every possible way Amelie could carry me around. Some seemed safe, some seemed dangerous, some seemed suicidal. All of them seemed a bit tantalizing, deep in my mind, though. Maybe besides one or two.

  "I'm sorry," Amelie answered, before parting her lips.

  I watched in horror as her mouth got wider, and wider, before I focused at the back of her dark maw and saw her uvula, with a strand of saliva breaking off into the darkness of her throat.

  Have you ever been in trouble as a child, and had adrenaline pump into your bloodstream when you realized you've fucked up? I imagined Amelie carrying me inside of her mouth and accidentally swallowing me alive, with no way to save me. I didn't want that! It was way, way, way too risky!

  "A-Amelie! No, please, don't!" I nearly screamed.

  Amelie kept her mouth open, and eventually a large somniferous yawn escaped from her throat.

  "Ooooaaahh! Excuse me, Luca. What did you say?" Amelie asked, innocently, unaware of whatever terrible thoughts she just filled my mind with. "I had to yawn, sorry."

  I was stunned, and relieved, at the same time. But most of all, felt silly. Of course she wouldn't stick me in her mouth to carry me around. "Um... Nothing, sorry. I was just wondering to myself, aloud."

  "Oh... Well, anyway, I was thinking I could maybe carry you around right here?" Amelie asked, moving me towards her chest. It wasn't the biggest or smallest in the world. It was just average, and didn't seem too threatening in any particular manner. About the only problem I could imagine was it might get too warm on hot summer days.

  "I... uh..." I stammered, obviously flustered.

  "I think it's an alright idea for now," Amelie encouraged me. "But I'm not putting you there without your consent, first."

  Consent? This girl could quite literally do whatever she wanted to do with me, and yet she continued to be patient and ask before anything happened. She didn't need consent to do anything. But the fact that she valued my comfort was enough for me. I'd seen enough. She was quickly earning my trust. Maybe she had it already, I just forgot it thanks to the magic.

  "It seems safe and... comfortable... but are you sure that's alright with you?" I answered.

  Amelie rolled her eyes. "I suggested it first, Luca," she answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Of course I'm fine with it. You'll be secure, and my hands will be free. Plus you can burrow in further if you don't want to see the outside world. I'll be sure not to trip or anything, I don't want to crush you on accident."

  "L-let's not think like that," I quipped, with a small chuckle. "But I suppose I am quite fragile. Any simple accident has the chance to end my life now. But, I trust you, Amelie. If I kick the bucket in some freak accident, I'm not going to hold a grudge over it in the afterlife."

  Amelie wasn't laughing. "Luca! Sorry. No more talk of dying."

  Amelie moved me above the opening of her vest. "Sorry I couldn't think of anything else, Luca. Climb in. We need to head back to town."

  Well, at least she didn't just drop me on her breasts. I pull myself over the edge of her top, and struggle my way downwards between her breasts. I had the chance to approach one of the nipples, but I felt like that would have been too suffocating after awhile, plus, I didn't want to become trapped against one. I wasn't even sure if she would have been fine with it. Well, actually, maybe she probably would have been, but alas...

  I wedged myself pretty good in between her breasts, and had no view of the outside world anymore. I had a decent air supply, and... and...

  My face was beet-fucking-red. I was so glad she couldn't see me right now. But, if I look up, I can kind of see her face, just a little glimpse...

  Ah... so... I'm not the only one.

  Amelie began to start walking, and the vibrations of each footfall coupled with her now-pounded heartbeat behind me equaled into a large symphony of varying vibrations. I snuggled up and got cozy, allowing her movements and natural body functions massage me, in a full body kind of way.

  "Are you okay, Luca?" Amelie asked, checking up on me. "Does this seem like something we can rely on to transport you around a lot?"

  "Yes, I think this will do quite nicely, ma'am," I yelled back up.

  "Good! I'm very happy to hear that," Amelie cheerfully answered, and continued on her merry way into the outdoors, presumably towards town.