All was pitch black for Naoe as he was held within the confines of Oga's fist. The giant ogre carried him, supposedly, to his apartment, though in reality he had no way of knowing if that was so. Not that he doubted her or thought she would try to kidnap him—it was just a measure of how truly helpless he was at his meager quarter-inch and of how much he depended on others for survival. The ogre woman was overbearing, but not uncaring. She would take him to his home, where he would hopefully be passed off to Erufuda, who, whatever her faults, he could at least trust not to force him into breastfeeding.

Trapped in his cocoon, his only knowledge of what was happening in the outside world came from the muffled sounds that reached his hears through the ogre's thick hand. He didn't know how close they were to his place until he felt Oga come to a stop and he heard a knock. There was the sound of a door opening, and then Erufuda's voice.

“Oga? What are you doing here? And where's the human?” she asked.

All of a sudden Naoe found himself back in the open air as Oga's hand uncurled from around him. Squinting until his eyes acclimatized themselves to the light, taking in the fresh air, stretching to do away with the numbness in his limbs, Naoe slowly became aware of his surroundings, in particular of the giant elf face looming in front of him. Erufuda looked shocked to see him. As for himself, he was glad to have finally found someone other than Oga. Maybe now he could get away from the ogre.

“He was helping me with my workout at the gym when he had to leave to answer a phone call. I found him like this some time later,” Oga explained.

“Human, area you alright?” Naoe nodded, managing to give her a reassuring smile. “What caused all this?” she asked.

“Beats me,” Oga said. “He told me he doesn't know either. Said he just started shrinking out of nowhere.”

“I bet the satyr is behind this,” Erufuda said, her face furrowing in anger.

Naoe had had much the same thought. The satyr had access to a number of powerful and insidious magical spells and had shown no qualms in using them to inconvenience him and his friends on many occasions. She was by far the most likely culprit. Still, they'd have to find her to make sure—she was far from the only magical creature around.

His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Erufuda's hand reaching out to him. Finally, he thought as he prepared himself to be picked up, he would be free of Oga's smothering attentions.

Before she could snatch him away, however, Oga's hand curled around him again and pulled him close. “What are you doing?” he heard Erufuda's voice from outside.

“I'm protecting him.”

“You think I would try to hurt him?”

“No, but you don't have experience in handling him like I do. You could hurt him by accident,” Oga said. Of course, she herself had mishandled him on more than one occasion, and even stepped on him, but she wasn't about to admit that.

“Then I swear I'll be very careful with him. Now can you please hand him over?”

“No. I will protect my baby from anything that might harm him,” Oga said. Her fist squeezed him tighter, emptying his lungs of their air. If it weren't for whatever protective spell was on him, he would have been crushed like a bug.

“He's not your baby, you dumb ogre. This isn't even like the time when he got turned into a baby by mistake. He doesn't look anything like a kid; he's a fully grown man,” Erufuda said. There was a stillness and a long silence in which all he could hear was Oga's pounding heartbeat. Naoe felt he was about to pass out form a lack of oxygen if she didn't loosen her grip soon. Eventually, however, the elf relented. “Fine, you can take care of him. Keep him safe in here for now, I'll go ask the others if they have any idea where the satyr might be.” She left as soon as Oga agreed to the arrangement.

Naoe set to filling his lungs with air as soon as Oga released him again. Lying on his back, he saw her face above, smiling at him. She brought a finger over and began petting him. “Is there anything you want, child? Food? Water? A nap, maybe?”Naoe sighed. It seemed Erufuda had given up on him. She probably didn't care to anger the ogre. If only her aunt, Ooeda, had been there, maybe she could have made Oga hand him over. Come to think of it, where was Ooeda? He was pretty sure she should have come back from her jog by now.

Either way, he would evidently be spending some more time with Oga. “Well, I could really use a bath,” he said. He was sticky all over from having been soaked in the giant ogre's sweat and milk, and his clothes still clung to his skin uncomfortably. If he could get himself cleaned up that might at least make this more bearable.

“Whatever you want, child,” Oga said. The immense environments of his house flew past him at dizzying speeds as she carried him off to the bathroom on her open palm. Once she got there, she set him down on the tub and turned on the faucet. A torrent of water spilled out from it, crashing down into the tub with all the might of a waterfall, its thundering splashing sounds deafening to his ears.

“You don't need to fill the whole tub for me,” he yelled at Oga over all the noise as she crouched down to look at him. “I'm sure I could bathe just fine in a bottle cap.”“Oh, the water's not for you alone. I worked up quite a sweat at the gym, so I figured I should take a bath too. I'll bathe with you, sweetie,” Oga said.

“W-what!? Oga, I don't think that's safe. Oga? Oga!” He yelled up at her but it was no use. She had stood again and was out of earshot, especially with the sound of the water splashing into the tub. He was going to end up in the tub with her and there was nothing he could do about it.

Once the tub was full enough, Oga turned off the faucet and began taking off her sports bra. She had only raised it to her neck when the sound of a door closing shut made her stop. A few seconds later, Erufuda came running into the bathroom.

“Keep your clothes on. I think I might have a lead on where the satyr is. I need you to come help me look for her,” she said as she went and grabbed Oga by the arm, dragging the bewildered ogre away before she could object. “Human, stay put! We'll be back later!” Erufuda yelled as she and Oga left, the door slamming shut behind them.

Naoe silently thanked Erufuda for saving him from his bath with Oga. For the first time since he had been shrunk down, he felt could breathe easy. It would have been a perfect outcome, if he hadn't been left all alone. Now he was stuck up there with nothing to do. Sure, he could jump down to the floor and he'd probably survive, but that would just leave him stranded on the floor where he'd be even harder to spot. Plus, magical protection or no, he was too scared of heights to do it.

He could also dive into the tub to take a bath, but at his size that would be like diving into the ocean with no shore in sight. Without anyone to fish him out, he would be stuck treading water until his muscles gave in and he drowned. No—he would have to wait for someone to come back for him. Preferably someone other than Oga.

Thankfully he wouldn't have long to wait, as after only a few minutes later he heard the front door open and close again. Then he heard a single set of footsteps in the living room. Was it Erufuda, Oga, Ooeda, or... someone else?

He held his breath until he saw the owner of those footsteps pass in front of the bathroom door. As it happened, it was Ooeda, finally come back from her jog. Finally, he thought, someone he could trust to take care of him. The older elf was a dependable woman, her stoic disposition not prone to flights of fancy like Oga. She was the one who treated him most respectfully. A woman like that was just the sort of caretaker he needed in his condition.

So glad to see her was he that he waved and shouted at her as she passed by the bathroom door. She didn't hear him, of course, and she didn't glance into the bathroom so she didn't spot him. He was disappointed, but at least it was good to know she was in the house with him. He listened to her steps as she went around the house, finding that the sound of them comforted him. He perked up when he saw her come into the bathroom again, a bundle of clean clothes under her arm. She seemed surprised to find the tub already full. Had she come in to take a bath?

Naoe tried to get her attention but she didn't see him. Then the giant elf began to undress and his efforts tapered off. His eyes were fixed on her titanic body as more and more of it was revealed to him. Ooeda had a very athletic body, one marred only slightly by the bit of pudge that had built up on her belly from the constant ice cream cones she had taken to eating since her arrival in the human world. She wasn't as built as Oga or Hitome, but she was still stronger than most men, her body honed from years of training and battle as a warrior, an occupation for which the various scars on her body gave testament.

Then she stood, fully naked, looking like a monument to the female form. It was not the first time he had seen her in the nude, but seeing her at this size made it seem a completely new experience. He couldn't help but gawk at her proud carriage and imposing figure.

As she stepped into the tub, her toes bumped him into the water. The frightened shout he gave as he fell was silenced as he splashed into the pool of water. The water's surface roiled as the tub received Ooeda's body into itself, her entrance causing powerful waves and currents which dragged Naoe along helplessly, floating him to the surface only to drag him back under over and over again as he frantically splashed around, fighting to stay above the water.

Finally the waves abated and he was left afloat on the sea. Unfortunately for him, however, he was all the way at the wall opposite to the one on which Ooeda's head rested placidly, her eyes shut and her breathing calm. He had no hope of her noticing him where he was, so he resolved to swim along to one of her knees where he would at least be safe from drowning. Fortunately he was a pretty decent swimmer, and once he'd caught his breath he was able to set off at a good pace. His journey was made even easier after he took off his clothes, letting them sink to the bottom of the tub. He would have liked to keep them on, as they were the only clothes available for him at his size, but they dragged too much on the water so he had to leave them behind. Hopefully he could get Ooeda to salvage them before they were washed down the drain.

After that he son made it to her knee. The climb up to it was so steep it was almost a sheer cliff, but with much effort he managed to reach the top, where he collapsed an the ground and lay panting. Today had been such an exhausting day, from all the climbing, swimming, being stepped on and being squeezed tight in Oga's fist or between her breasts. After such pains, surely he deserved a rest, he thought. So he closed his eyes and forgot his aim to get Ooeda's attention. He would do something about that later, he told himself. But “later” came much sooner than expected as a slight movement of Ooeda's knee was enough to send him tumbling into the water again. He resurfaced and shook his head, freeing it of water droplets, then, accepting the event, he kicked off against the giant elf's thigh and resumed swimming towards her face.

Quite a while later he finally made it to her chest, where each of her breasts presented him with a shore to climb up. He got on the nearest one and walked up its slope. Not without some shame, he thought its surface would make for the most comfortable bed her had ever slept in. Still, he focused and kept going. As he did so, he saw Ooeda's hand rise up and stretch towards him, though he noticed her eyes were still closed. She set her hand down just above him and began scratching herself, perhaps having felt him as an itch on her chest. Her scratching caused her breast to jiggle and bounce; Naoe had to hold himself tight against it so the movement wouldn't through him off. Eventually she withdrew her hand and he was able to keep on climbing her. He made it to her shoulder and from there he climbed up a strand of her hair, like he'd done with Oga. Once he reached her ear he yelled at her, telling her about his condition and asking her to pick him up. Her hand approached him and soon he was being held, firmly but gently, between her thumb and forefinger.

She carried him before her face, where she deposited him onto her open palm. She looked him over with a surprised expression. “What happened to you?” she asked. “And why are you here in the tub?”Relieved to finally find himself in good hands, Naoe began unloading all his problems onto her, beginning with his mysterious shrinking and going on to explain how he'd been trampled and smothered and made to climb so far to be noticed; how Oga had treated him and how he'd been left alone on the bathtub and how he'd been knocked inside by Ooeda herself. It felt good to be able to talk to someone about all these things.

His story finished, she looked on him with sympathy. “I'm sorry I didn't notice you sooner, human,” she said.

“It's fine,” Naoe said. “You couldn't have known.”

“Still, I should make amends for my role in your troubles today. Maybe I can help you out. It sounds like you've had a very rough day—let me help you relax,” she said as she lowered a finger towards him.

Seeing such a large object approaching, Naoe put out his arms to try to ease its advance, lets he be crushed under it. His efforts were futile as the huge digit easily pushed past his arms until it met with his chest. His worries were unjustified, though, as Ooeda applied only a slight pressure onto him, never enough to be uncomfortable or damaging. She gently rubbed his chest with her fingertip, kneading the soreness out of his tired muscles. As her massage went on, he eased all his tension, lying limply on top of her hand while she worked him. When she nudged him with her finger he rolled over so she could give his back the same attention.

Her massage finished, she plucked him from her hand and set him down on top of her ample chest, where he lay, curled up like a baby, taking in the soothing sensations of her body. Her softness was a bed which invited him to sink into it, her warmth a blanket that enveloped him, her heartbeat a lullaby and the rise and fall of her chest with each breath a gentle rocking. It was ironic; Oga wanted so badly to play the role of his mother, but Ooeda, who never even tried to fill it, fit it so much better.

He and she lay together; him basking in her presence and her in the water's embrace, their thoughts a sea of pure contentment. But their minds were jerked back to reality as they heard the door close and a set of footsteps come in. “That must be my niece and the ogre,” Ooeda said, her head perking up. Naoe worried she was going to end their bath to go meet them. She seemed to listen to their noises a while, then let her head fall back again. “We'll speak with them later.”Naoe was glad to hear her judgement and went back to resting on her chest. A while later, however, the bathroom door swung open and in stepped Oga, her naked body wrapped in a towel that barely fit her. “Who's ready to bathe with mommy!” she said as she came in.

The ogre's cheerfulness was cut short as soon as she saw Ooeda already in the tub, giving her a steely glare.

Ooeda began giving Oga a mighty tongue-lashing, really piling onto her for her careless mistreatment of him and her obsession with trying to mother him. Her glare, as withering as her words, made the ogre shrink back, leaving the room in shame once Ooeda had dismissed her. “There,” she said to Naoe then. “She shouldn't bother you so much anymore.”Naoe looked at the giant elf in amazement. “Thank you,” he said.

“Don't worry about it. I'm glad I could help. Anyway, It's about time we get going. I'm curious to hear what my niece and the ogre found,” Ooeda said.

-----

A while later, Ooeda left the bathroom with a fresh set of clothes on, carrying Naoe who was once again clothed. The giant elf had managed to recover his discarded garments for him before letting the water drain out, and drying them out with her breath, he had put them back on.

“Auntie!” Erufuda said. “Glad to see you're back. And you're taking care of the human now, I see. You know, you really did a number on Oga.”“Where is she? Has she left?” Ooeda asked, looking around for the ogre.

“She went to lie down on the bed. She looks kinda depressed.”

“She'll get over it,” Ooeda shrugged. “Now tell me, what did you two find out?”

“Nothing much, really. We tried following a couple leads on where the satyr might be but we weren't able to find her. We could keep looking for her, but who knows when we'd find her.”“So what do you plan to do now?”

“Well, I don't like it, but... I figure the dark elf is our best chance of getting him back to normal right now.”

“The dark elf” being Kuroeda, of course. Aside from the Satyr she was the most skilled magic user he knew. She was pretty good with potions too, most of the time. If anyone could get him back to normal it was her, he thought. The only problem was that she and Erufuda didn't get along too well. Their relationship was like a sibling rivalry, with lots of bickering and occasional fights. That was troublesome enough at his normal size, but at a fraction of an inch tall, who knew what would happen if he ended up getting caught in one of their scuffles.

Ooeda seemed to have had the same thought. “If we go there, will you promise not to start a fight with her?” she asked her niece.

“I promise.”

“Then let's go. Tell the ogre she can come too, if she promises to behave.”

Naoe's gaze followed Erufuda left to relay the message. Despite her assurance she'd behave, he was still a bit apprehensive about having her come along to see Kuroeda, and even more so about Oga. Still, he'd just have to wait and see if they both kept their promises.

He felt a pat on his back and looked up at Ooeda. The giant elf stroked his head with her thumb and gave him a look that set his mind at ease. If there was anyone capable of keeping the others under control, it was her.

The other two women soon returned. With all of them ready to leave, they set off to speak with Kuroeda. Hopefully the dark elf would help put an end to this nightmare.