"Mary. We all thought you'd never wake up" Alicia said in disbelief. "Yeah. Wasn't your mind broken or something?" Skylar asked. "Splintered is a more accurate description. When Lilith raped my mind with visions of hell, my mind fractured as a defense mechanism. If I was fully human, I'd still be a drooling vegetable" she said. "Pardon but how did your mind survive? I don't see the distinction between splintered and straight up shattered" Selah asked. "A part of my mind broke away to save itself. Something like a lizard losing its tail to escape. It was...disconcerting to be in two places at once. I was trapped in Lilith's mind but at the same time trapped in my own body here. I felt and heard everything that happened here. Alicia...thank you for taking care of my bodily needs" Mary said embarrassed. "Don't. Don't feel like you should be embarrassed. We're family" she said. "Yes, we are aren't we. I... Kyle you can stop crying. I know things were very scary for you, but I must concentrate" she said. They looked at her puzzled. "He's on my shoulder" she explained pointing to the bug sized man sitting on it.

"You said you were trapped in her mind. How did you escape?" Joseph asked. "After she attacked me, as I stated part of me broke away and hid within her own mind. The same part that serves as a prison for Faith. However, as of late she has been too preoccupied to check in on Faith. Lilith's mind as become more chaotic in the last few weeks allowing me to listen in for a lack of a better term on her inner thoughts. I began to understand what she's been doing, what's been driving her, and more importantly her end goals" Mary said. "That's easy. World domination" Selah said. "No, that's not it. If it was that simple, she would've rested on her laurels a while ago. She does control every government and nation on the planet. That's by definition world domination" she said. "But we're fucking all that up" Alicia said. "Yes. More and more territory is slipping away but in the grand scheme of things it wouldn't really matter. Not to an immortal such as her" she said. "I don't get it" Selah said.

"As long as nobody fixes the damage she did to reality, it wouldn't matter what she loses right now. All she'd have to do is simply wait till you all die. She's knows you're not immortal and the gods and goddesses are fading away. 100 years is a blink of an eye to immortals like us" Joseph said. "Exactly" Mary said. "But that changed" Selah said. "Yes, it did. Your power is growing by leaps and bounds. If you fought her with the same power you fought Izanami, she'd have slaughtered you. But your most recent battle pushed her to her limits. Even with her power boosted by worshippers around the world, you gave her a real fight. It's your growth that frightened her. And now she's seen Joseph oppose her, for the first time in all this, she realizes she can actually lose" Mary said. "She didn't think so before? We do have Hope on our side, literally" Alicia said. "Hope is powerful indeed, person and emotion, but ultimately she cannot destroy Lilith. She's no Campioné or a symbology user. The only reason she has not destroyed her is because she feared the destruction of the vessel she possesses. A fear she no longer has due to the power she obtained" Mary said.

"The power of the first angel Samael" Selah said. "Yes. After your battle, she took a broken shard of your own driver and had the creator fashion one for herself based off of it" she said. "But Hikari said he's dead" Skylar said. "You think such a thing could stop the queen of the underworld?" Mary asked. Skylar remained silent. "So, she used that driver to invoke the powers of a fallen angel. THE fallen angel. We were right" Alicia said. "And she fucking nuked Jerusalem with it" Selah spat. "Indeed. That's how I escaped. Her driver doesn't use a power source separate from the user like yours. Hers draws on her own energies. When she released that attack, she drained a great deal of her own power to do so. It weakened her mentally and physically. I took that opportunity to escape and come back" Mary said. "So if world domination isn't her end game, what is?" Alicia asked.

"Lilith is many things but most of all she's narcissistic. They HAVE to be loved and the forefront of attention. The worst thing you can do to a narcissist is reject them. She wants the world to suffer just as much as she does. If she can't be the object of their love, she'll be the object of their fears. She doesn't give a damn to the consequences of dragging hell to earth. EVERY hell" Mary replied. "We have three days to stop her" Alicia said. "We don't have three days. The world as you know will end in two and that's optimistic" Mary said. "But the summoning..."

"Will be complete in three days. She did not lie. Think about it. If the world was being condemned to hell. If Armageddon was really coming in three days, would you sit back and wait? Humanity is going to rip itself apart before the three days are up. As we speak, four archfiends around the globe causing this burnt blood red sky is infecting humanity with its evils. Bother will turn on sister. Parent on child. Neighbor against neighbor. We could see nukes flying like cicadas as early as tonight" Mary warned. The mood grew increasingly somber. Mary sat down on the sofa. "But not all is lost. I have a coalition forming as we speak" Joseph said. "A up front assault won't win this" Mary said. Alicia draped a blanket around her and gave her a cup of tea she had brewed earlier. "Agreed. First thing we need to do is prune her support. You said four archfiends. Well, I got four gods itching to fight" Joseph said. "That won't beat Lilith. She has the power of the first angel. A power older than any God or goddess" Mary said. "True. Alone it will not stop her but in concert it can lead to her downfall" Joseph said. "What are you suggesting?" Alicia asked. "We have to give humanity back when she stole from them starting with killing these demons she brought here. And then..."

"Then what?" Alicia asked. "That worldwide concert you did before. Can you do it again?" he asked. "That exploit was a one-time deal" Alicia replied shaking her head. "The Emergency Broadcast Network" Selah whispered. "The Network! Selah that's genius!" Skylar grinned. "What?" Lucy asked. "With everything going on, most countries will be broadcasting some kind of emergency broadcasting station. Either tv, radio, or both. Mom, you only need a medium right?" Selah asked. "Yeah. Yeah, that might actually work but I can't be in multiple places at once" she said. "Maybe you can. Before we to any further, we should invite Keith, Hope, and Susan over here" Joseph said. Alicia dialed their number. "Uhh...all circuits are busy" she said. "That's how it begins..." Lucy muttered. "I'll go get them myself" Alicia told them. Soon after Alicia translocated to Yorkshire.

"You must be starving" Skylar said to Mary as she fixed her something to eat. Mary took Kyle from her shoulder and used magic to grow him to a more manageable size. "Poor guy looks worn out" Selah muttered to Lucy. "They haven't been told yet have they?" Lucy asked. "About..."

Lucy nodded. "What?" Mary asked. "You're pregnant" Selah replied. "That's impossible. I'm a dream goddess. I can't get pregnant" she said. "Just like dream goddesses can't fall into comas?" Lucy asked. Kyle and Mary looked at one another. "Then I'm more human than I realized" she whispered. "I'm going to be a father?!" Kyle yelled. "So it would seem" Mary replied softly. "You don't seem happy. What's the problem with..." Lucy asked before Skylar cut her off. Mary sat with the blanket around her eating her sandwich quietly.

"You came at a bad time" Susan said being told of her arrival. "This is the best time to come actually" Alicia told her. Susan looked over a sheet of paper. "I want these distributed to every soldier that can carry a gun. I want every squad ready for combat by noon" Susan told a woman standing at attention. The woman nodded and ran off. "If Yorkshire didn't have enough problems now this" Susan sighed. "Looters?" Alicia asked. "If only. This area was already a powder keg waiting to blow since the last time you showed up here. One side worshipping that whore and the others condemning her. Now? Now her worshippers are killing whomever they consider heretics on the street to avoid her wrath. Only a matter of time before they walk up here" Susan said. "That's why I'm here. We're forming a counterattack as we speak. We need you, Keith, and Hope to attend the meeting" Alicia said. "Keith is standing watch down the hill and Hope is with another friend of yours in the city. You can find her in the Eastern block 6. House 117" Susan said walking to the front door.

"Friend of mine?" Alicia wondered. Alicia took off her shoes and entered the city. She followed the directions to the house Hope was at. Alicia could see the fear in the borrowers faces as she looked down watching her giant feet. Last time she was here, the people seemed much livelier abet worried. Walking to a fro, pushing and hauling carts. Now, she could set her bare feet down in the middle of the street with barely a worry. The people had begun to reach a breaking point and more worrying, many of the females she did see were pregnant. Unusually so in number. Faith had once told her that when borrowers become extremely stressed, their sex drive increases. They get clingy, needy, and horny. Alicia had seen this in Lucy not long ago but now she could see the aftereffects in spades. Alicia reached the home, shrank down, and knocked on the door. "Marco?" Alicia asked seeing him open the door. The young man said nothing and hugged her tightly. "Come in" he said softly. "I didn't know you and Cordelia were living here. I mean I knew you guys lived in this city but not here here" she said. "...where is Cordelia?" she asked. "In the bedroom with Hope" he replied leading her upstairs.

"Alicia?" Hope asked seeing her. "Hey guys" she said. Cordelia did not look her way. "Anything?" Marco asked. Hope shook her head. "Alright" Marco said softly. "I know why you're here. I'll be downstairs" Hope said. Alicia sat on the edge of the bed. "Hey Cordi. How have you been?" Alicia asked touching her shoulder. Nothing. Marco motioned for Alicia to walk over to him. "Hope has been trying slow down the weakening of her Authority. This morning we found out it didn't work. Cordelia had her period" he whispered. "Then just now..." Alicia asked. "Hope confirmed she's human" he replied. Cordelia cried softly. Alicia sat down next to her again. "It's gone. My purpose for existing. My role, my powers, even the privilege of being the servant to the Alighieri family is gone" she cried. "I'm sorry Cordi. I can understand how it feels..."

"You can't possibly understand how it feels to have your reason to exist torn away from you!" Cordi shouted pulling away from her. "Yeah, I think I can. I grew up dreaming of being the next Selena or J Lo. And after my voice settled in people loved to listen to me sing even before my Alux powers kicked in. I really felt like God put me on this earth to sing. And then came a man who tore it all away. Every hope and dream connected to my voice. I was turned into a tool, a weapon to spread evil. Even now after leaving that life behind I can't reclaim that feeling. Maybe I never will. So believe when I say I understand how it feels like to have your calling in life ripped away from you. Like a violation of your soul" Alicia said softly. Cordelia looked at her and hugged her tightly and wept. "What you have to do now is find the good in all this. Find something that keeps you going" she told her. "Like what?" Cordelia asked. Alicia motioned for Marco to come sit next to them. "There is one upside to being human I can think of. You get to grow old and die with the one you love" she said. "...I never thought of that. All my life I've had to watch people I love grow old and die while I remained ageless. I did not want to bear it again with Marco" she said.

"And that's the other thing. Nothing stopping you from pumping out some cute kids with him. That stupid rule against having kids with goddesses no longer applies" Alicia chuckled. "Not like I could be punished anyways. The Vatican is toast" Marco chuckled. Alicia placed his hands on Cordelia's. "You two figure this out. I got to stop Armageddon" Alicia said. "It's coming to pass. You'll need a Campioné" Marco said. "No. You need to stay alive. If we fail, if all of this falls to darkness, we need someone to carry the light" Alicia said. "...pray with me" he said. "I've been out of practice. I haven't prayed for a long time" she said. "No better time than now" he said. Alicia and Marco prayed with each other with Cordelia saying amen at the end. Alicia left them and went downstairs.

"It's not often I feel powerless" Hope said looking up the stairs. "Somethings happen because they happen. It took my wife to teach me that" Alicia said. "I can feel it in the air. The same kind of tension the day I was born. The end is near" Hope said. "Which is why I came. We're making plans back at my home. I ask you, your father, and Susan to join me" she said. "Take my hand" Hope said. Alicia did and Hope translocated them to Keith. "Oof. Honey don't pop on my shoulder like that. And did you gain weight?" Keith asked looking at Yorkshire. "I most certainly did not. I shrank Alicia and placed her on your shoulder with me" Hope said flatly. "Wha? Oh damn. Alicia, is it that time?" he asked taking her off his shoulder. "Soon which is why I came. Is it really that bad down there?" Alicia asked. "Cold air carries sound very well, and borrowers can naturally hear better than humans. A few minutes ago, I heard an old man begging for his life before someone killed him. Apparently, he had a cross in his kitchen. Lilith said the world had three days, but it doesn't. Yorkshire is but a macrocosm of what's coming. When do we leave?" Keith asked. "As soon as possible" she replied. "Hope. Bring Susan here" he said. Hope disappeared.

"I cut the Wi-Fi off in the city when the live broadcast showing my daughter appeared. Unfortunately, Claire and her mother Aspen were sitting with me in my bedroom where the Wi-Fi was working. They had been told about Lilith taking her body but to see it visually. And then nuking Jerusalem. It broke their hearts. Aspen is near catatonic and Claire just sits next to her not saying a word" he said. "Faith described something similar happening in the other timeline" Alicia said. "And what did I do about it then?" Keith asked. "Nothing" she replied. "Hope is eager to fight. She's obsessed with it. My daughter has never been that angry before. It's sad to see your child so upset. Terrifying when you know what's she's capable of" he said. "Good she's angry. Angry gets shit done" Alicia said coldly. "And the aftermath? Did Faith ever tell you about what the colony was like days, weeks after the battle last year?" he asked. "She didn't say much about it other than you keeping her in the mansion and not letting her leave" she replied. "Damn right I did."

"The city streets reeked of blood and guts. The smell of burnt flesh hanging in the air. We set up centers for missing persons as they trickled in. To this day some are still listed as missing. No bodies but then again so many couldn't be identified, and some were eaten. And then the suicides. Mothers who lost children. Spouses who lost spouses. There's a part of the colony called Emerald Field where nothing but shoeboxes full of borrower dead are buried. Five to a box. It's enough to break your soul. I've seen what angry gets me Alicia. I want no part of that for me or any of my children" he said. "Anger had got me pretty far in life. It's kept me alive" Alicia said. "Anger is like steroids. In the beginning, it'll make you stronger. Give you confidence. But in the end, it'll ruin you in mind and body. My sister was murdered by a human conducting a science experiment. It made me angry and bitter for a long time until it led me to nearly jump off the Boston Bridge. Susan was blinded by a human because she refused to lick her pussy. She was angry and hateful for years after that" he said. "So I just chill out?" Alicia asked annoyed. "No. Replace that anger with resolve. Sharpen and hone it until it's like a goddamn sword that cuts through bullshit life throws at us" Keith said sternly. Hope returned with Susan moments later. "We've been invited to a powwow" Keith said. "So I heard" Susan said. Alicia opened at portal to home. They followed her through. 

"Welcome to the island" Alicia said as they emerged in her living room. "The island? It doesn't have a real name?" Hope asked. "It has many names. Eden, Xanadu, Shangri-La, depending on who speaks of it. To simplify, we just call it the Island. It's nice to see you again Hope" Selah replied. Hope floated over and hugged the girl's neck. "That tickles!" Selah laughed. "It's nice to see you again Keith" Joseph said. "Wish it was under better circumstances. You got caught in this too?" Keith asked. "We all have. Alicia, you have to fetch Hikari and that Ahmed boy, right? Might as well do that now" he said. "It may take some time. They don't have cell service in Iram" she said. Joseph nodded understanding. Alicia left to bring them back leaving them alone. "Why don't you take Hope on a tour of the city while me and Keith catch up" he said. Selah shrugged and walked out of the mansion with Hope.

"So you guys know Joseph?" Selah asked. "Yep. His sister tried to enslave me the day I was born" Hope replied. "What?" Selah asked astounded. "Oh yeah. His family is all kinds of crazy. He has one sister that's a goddess to Hawaii. A brother who just went missing. Mentioned his other sister. And a brother they accidentally killed along with almost all of humanity" Hope replied. "His son created this" Selah said as they walked. "Cool" Hope said. "Not exactly. This was an island of slaves he farmed for an army of mages to conquer the world" Selah said. "Not cool" Hope said softly. Selah showed her the first buildings human sized which were now mostly vacant. A class mages lived in them but now they were all dead. They came up to the second set of buildings which were borrower size. "Here are the dormitories. The Valkyries and B class mages stay in there. But...not many of them are left. Hey Skylar!" Selah yelled waving to the girl. "Break!" Skylar said walking up to them. She had shrunk herself and was busy sparring with the Valkyries she had left. "This must be one of our guests Alicia went to get...holy shit she looks like Faith" Skylar said standing at the giant feet of the girl.

"This is Hope" Selah said. Hope floated down surprising the young woman. "It's very nice to meet you. But you seem so...never mind. Dad said its not nice to read minds like that" Hope said. "What is it?" Skylar asked. "Sad. You're very sad" Hope replied.  "Yeah I am. A lot of my friends are dead, and I sent someone I love to your home for safe keeping" Skylar said. "Hana? She's very kind. You're the girl that's on her mind a lot" Hope said. "You met her?" Skylar asked. "Yep. I was curious. Not many Asians I've seen before other than auntie Hikari. I see why you love her. I can bring her here if you want" Hope said raising her hand. "No! I mean not right now" Skylar said. Hope shrugged. "I... I should go back to sparring with them" Skylar said leaving them. Hope floated back to Selah's shoulder. "I did it again. I tried to help and made things worse" Hope muttered. "I think Skylar appreciates your help. Its just emotions are very...complicated" Selah said as they began walking again.

Selah stopped as they stood on the edge of the city. "Holy crap! How many people live here?" Hope asked seeing the sprawling city before them. "Well, there was a terrible attack a few months ago and a lot of people died. Factoring that in, plus births, probably 45,000 people?" Selah replied. "And they're bug sized?" Hope asked. "How else would you fit them all in silly?" Selah chuckled. Selah took off her sandals and began to carefully walk into the city. "The entire area reeks of strange magics" Hope said. "Lemurians magics. It powers the barrier that keeps this entire island safe. It was severely damaged a week ago, but Joseph was nice enough to fix it" Selah explained. "Uhh...the humans are bowing" Hope said pointing down. "They've been trained to worship our kind" she said. "What?" Hope asked. "Okay. A long time ago, Markus scoured the world looking for people with Lemurians bloodlines. Once he had enough, he began bringing humans here on the condition they served magic users. They would become slaves in exchange for a life where no work was needed. Every need taken care of. No racism, fighting over religions, cultures, or tribes. It's been going on so long it's rare to find a person who's entirely white, brown, or Asian. Over 700 years in interracial breeding" Selah said. "But they're slaves!" Hope yelled. "Not anymore. They're free but years of conditioning is very hard to break" Selah said. Curious, Hope floated down to the street. She was amazed at how even though she was 3 and a half inches tall, she was still a giantess among them. Taller than all the homes. Tall as apartment buildings. It al lay felt like her home except much more intricate. And now that she stood before them, they prostrated even harder. Hope froze where she stood as people walked up to kiss her toenails.

"This...is weird" she said. "You look a lot like mom. She's the most respected of all here" Selah said. "Speaking of looks. You aged" Hope said. "The Hero Driver is responsible for that. I may look 17 now but I'm still 12" Selah said. "You even talk older" Hope said. "Yeah, I do" Selah said softly. Selah and Hope walked some more quietly. "You have nice boobs now" Hope said. Selah laughed. "You didn't hurt my feelings Hope if that's what you're worried about. I do feel...funny about my mind and body but I went in knowing what would happen. I even found a nice boyfriend here. He went home though" Selah said. Selah stopped suddenly looking down at a city block. "Hmm. It's empty" Hope said. "It wasn't always. I used to live in apartment with my family here. It was demolished during an attack. My parents were out for the night, and I was alone. The sirens went off telling us to take shelter. I ran as fast as I could down to the lower levels heading to the basement. I got in seconds before a giant vampire smashed the entire building. I cast a barrier that prevented me and others from being crushed by debris. First time I ever used magic. Held the barrier up for days until I was rescued by Faith" she said. "Selah I'm so sorry" Hope said. Selah walked a few feet to another building and bent down to her knees. "My school...or it was" Selah said. The shrunken kids taking class could see Selah's giant eye gazing at them through the window.

"I lost a lot of friends that day. A lot of students that went to my school lived in the same apartment building I did" she said softly as he opened the window. She plucked one boy from his seat with her fingernails and held him in her palm. "He thinks I'm a goddess Hope. He'd do anything I'd ask him. He'd jump down my throat if I asked" Selah said. "Selah..." Hope said before Selah cut her off. "Such power over so many lives is an awesome and fearful thing. I tried to understand what your Etherion would feel like, and it feels like this doesn't it? The power to do anything" Selah said softly. "Yeah, it does, and it scares me. I could cure cancer with a snap of my fingers but that would be cheating, wouldn't it? Life is about the journey. Sometimes you have to hit the potholes in the road" Hope said. "That's a very mature way of looking at it. I'm not the only one that's grown" Selah chuckled. Selah placed the boy back in his classroom. Selah walked a distance at sat down. "This is my favorite place here" Selah said as she shrunk down to Hope's size. "It's beautiful! It even overlooks the city!" Hope said. Selah hugged her from behind. "Does this bother you?" Selah asked. "Nope" Hope replied grinning. Hope stopped smiling as she felt her shake. She felt wetness on her neck. Selah was softly crying. "I'm sorry. I know you're not mom but..."

"It's okay. I know it hurts to look at me" Hope said. "NO! It's not that. It hurts to be reminded what was stolen from me" Selah said. "I do not understand the difference" Hope said to her. Selah turned her head and kissed her. "Oh" Hope muttered. Hope smiled as Selah held her close for a while before Hope said Alicia had returned. Selah and Hope returned to the mansion. "Is the gang all here?" Keith asked. Joseph looked out the window. "More or less" Joseph replied. Then I'll prepare some tea. Please get Skylar for me Selah" Alicia said. When Skylar and Selah retuned, everyone was seated at the dining table with cups of tea before them. "Well? How are we going to save the world this time?" Keith chuckled. "First things first. Everyone, this is Ahmed" Alicia said. "A pleasure to meet everyone. Better circumstances preferred" Ahmed said bowing. "Well well. It's been a very long time since I met one of your kind. First or second-generation djinn?" Joseph asked. "Second. You can see that I am of a djinn?" Ahmed asked shocked. "Quite well my boy. You carry exception power for being a second generation" he replied. "Joseph is one of the most powerful mages in existence. He's good at sensing things" Alicia told him. "Being touched by Etherion will do that" Keith said. Ahmed bowed to his knee. "Apologies. I did not know such an esteemed person was before me" Ahmed said. "Get off your knee boy. I'm old a fucking dirt and strong as hell but that doesn't mean I go into all that fanfare. I'm just an old man that likes old cars" Joseph said. "We can small talk later. We got bigger matters" Keith said pointing at the sky. "Agreed. Let's begin" Joseph said.

"First thing we need to do is stop the demons. The more time passes, the chance of humans doing something stupid like firing off nukes increases. Humans are panicking across the planet and these demons are literally feeding off of it" Joseph said. "Not to mention the fear and terror they are emitting is supercharging Lilith. This is similar to what she was doing before but now she has the entire world's attention 24/7" Alicia said. "So who goes after the demons? The damn things are giants. Even I know growth magics are tricky shit. Hope? Can you make us big?" Keith asked. "Yeah, I can but these demons are spread across the planet. It would be hard to keep focus like that" Hope said. "We're not going to fight these demons. I already got 4 people in mind" Joseph said. Keith looked around. "Can we meet them?" he asked. "They're...around. They would prefer to remain hidden from sight until necessary" Joseph said. "Joseph..."

"They're gods Keith. Pissed off hungry and thirsty gods. That's all you need to know right now" Joseph said seeing his annoyance. "Okay...Joseph's gods are going to fight these demons. What shall be the next part of this plan?" Hikari asked. "This should actually be the first part. Mary is going to enter the dreams of every human asleep over the next 12 hours and leave a simple subconscious command. Use any internet connected device to visit a particular streaming webpage where I'll be doing the live concert of my life" Alicia said. "You think anyone will sleep with this going on?" Keith said again pointing outside. "Already noted which is why in 12 hours the Emergency Broadcast Networks of multiple countries will be hacked to broadcast my concert. By no means will this reach every human on Earth but a bare minimum of a billion we estimate" Alicia said. "Whoa. Wait a damn minute. Mary is going to sneak into every dream over the next 12 hours? Mary, can you actually pull that off because no offense you look like shit" Selah said. "...I'll manage" Mary said quietly. Susan cocked an eyebrow sensing the woman lying.

"Hold on. Last time you did this was to disrupt Lilith's influence. The way the world is, we'll need more than that" Keith said. "A candle is burns brightest in total darkness. In the grips of despair, one will cling onto hope the most. And that is what I shall give them. Hope" Alicia said petting his daughters head. "Can you do what you did before?" Alicia asked the girl. "Last time nearly killed you" Hope said. "I know and the strain will be a lot worse this time, but it isn't about me. This is about protecting the people I love" Alicia said holding Selah close. "And the world" Susan said. "Are the two different?" Alicia asked. "Point taken" Susan said grinning. "And then what's next?" Hikari asked. "We make Lilith waste her energy" Alicia said. "The same Lilith that nuked Jerusalem? What's stopping her from vaporizing anyone fighting her?" Hikari asked. "Lilith is no fool. That power she used nearly sucked her dry. She won't dare risk using it and not killing one of us. No offense but while it can turn you all to ash, me and Hope would survive. And that would leave her wide open to having her vessel destroyed.  She needs Faith's body to use Lucifer's powers. A goddess cannot possess the powers of another God. Only a mortal body can do that" he said.

"Just like me and my power. The Hero Driver wouldn't work on a goddess. They can bind to me because I'm not a goddess" Selah said. "Exactly child" Joseph said. "So we tire the bitch out" Keith said. "Using me and Hope. We can lay down the pain. Make her burn through her energy. Make her hurt" he said. "But you can't kill her" Alicia said. "No. Only someone that can use symbology can do that" Joseph said. "That means you and the genie kiddo" Alicia said to Selah and Ahmed. "Assuming you can kill her. What about Faith? How does this fix the world?" Susan asked. "Normally an exorcism spell would be called for to separate the two, but this isn't simple possession. They've merged. We talked this over and were fine killing Faith if it means killing Lilith. As for the world, we think traveling to Eden and undoing exactly what Lilith did will revert the world back to the way it was" Alicia replied. "You got anything stronger than tea to choke that crazy shit down? Eden? As in the Garden of Eden?" Susan asked. "It's real. As real...no realer than anything you've ever seen. Me and Selah have seen it with our own eyes" Alicia said. "Along with the corpses of angels" Selah muttered. Susan scoffed.

"Susan. I've seen things that would boggle the mind. I've seen an afterlife. My sister visiting from whatever land of the dead she found herself. Hell, you carry the blood of humans, fairies, and a dead race of mages. Jesus, four lords of hell are ravaging the planet as we speak. You really want to draw the line at Eden?" Keith asked. "Duly noted. I withdraw my sarcasm" Susan said softly. "If that's settled, would you all like to stay for lunch?" Alicia asked. "It's almost our bedtime for us back in Yorkshire" Keith chuckled. "Dinner" Hikari smiled. "I have one last thing I must do" Ahmed said excusing himself. "Well, I'll just whip up something simple" Alicia shrugged. They all talked among themselves as Keith and Hikari went for a walk on their own.

"Holy shit. This puts the colony to shame" Keith said seeing the city. "It is spectacular. Even though it is not the first time seeing it, I am still amazed" Hikari said. "Hope said 45,000 and I can believe it. Look at the streets" he said pointing to the people. Keith shrunk himself down and accompanied Hikari into the city. "They're umm...very friendly" Hikari said looking down at the people staring up her kimono. "Yeah. Friendly" he said annoyed. "Jealous?" the Koonago chuckled. "Oh not jealous at all. Just a crowd of ant sized people ogling my mate's giant Koonago pussy" he scoffed. Hikari grabbed him and pulled him in for a deep kiss. "He's mine. Only he and my husband may find pleasure in my pussy" Hikari said roughly grabbing Keith's balls. "Your husband? Is he the one that knocked you up?" Keith asked. "So, you noticed" she said. "Your scent is...sweeter" he said. "Yes Keith. I married my childhood friend and first love recently. We wasted no time making a child. Even though such a matter has come in spades for my people" she said. Hikari quietly explained what had occurred to her people. The slaughter. The raping. The forced breeding. "Why didn't you call me about this?" Keith asked. "There was a goddess of death involved. There was very little you could've done" she replied. Keith sat down in a clearing meant to be a park. Hikari followed suit.

"Why do I feel like a guest in this world? Like I missed critical shit. Fuck, I did miss critical shit" he asked softly. "Like starting a movie in the third act? Keith I know how you feel" she said. "It's beautiful even sitting down" he said looking at the city lights. With the sky darkened, one couldn't tell it was 3 in the afternoon. Hikari slid her right foot out of her geta sandal and poked his leg. "I have known you long enough to see when you are hiding pain" she said. He took her foot and laid it on his thigh. He began massaging it slowly. "Tomorrow we are going to kill my daughter who I have barely got the chance to know. How the hell do I explain this to Aspen? To Claire?" he asked. A shrunken human woman, who had felt the slight tremor of the giant and giantess sitting down looked out from her balcony window. She found the giant quite appealing and stripped off her clothing. "I've heard at the great things she's done here. Freed thousands from slavery or worse. Given redemption to her enemies. Started a family including borrowers, humans, and hybrids. She accomplished things I could only dream of doing. And I can't even tell her how proud I am of her" Keith said softly. Hikari felt his tears fall on the top of her foot. The woman who was hot for him paused watching the giant cry.

She had desired for him to use her body for his pleasure. To bathe in his cum. To clean his giant feet, be smothered by them. She wouldn't even put up a fight if he decided to eat her. But seeing him cry about his daughter made her feel sorry for him. She wanted to comfort him in a different way. She stepped out onto the balcony. Keith could hear the clack of her sliding glass door and looked up. He stopped crying surprised at how pretty she was. She appeared to be 19 or 20 with long black hair down to her waist. Naked with large firm breasts and a skin tone making her ethnicity hard if not impossible to gauge. She reached out to him. Keith plucked her from the balcony. "Are you okay?" she asked. "I have to make a very hard choice tomorrow" he said. "To kill our goddess" she said. "Ye...yeah. You know that?" Keith asked. "Word gets around quickly here. Oh! You are her father!" she said putting two and two together. "Yeah I am. What's she like?" Keith asked. "That might take some time" she said. "I'll make the time" Keith said softly. Hikari put her sandal back on. "I'll see you at the mansion" she said before kissing his cheek.

Keith listened for over an hour as this woman named Ahri talk about Faith. How she grieved for the people lost during Ambrosio's attack. Took time to listen to their needs. Spent time to play with the thousands of children that lived there. "She had this laugh like a snort when the kids would play hide and seek in her hair. She was beautiful and the object of desire of many men and boys. Girls too" she chuckled. She said not to worship her but how is that possible when someone so gentle and pretty towers over you? Even her giant feet were magnificent" Ahri said. "She gets her feet from her mother" Keith said quietly. "And her heart from you" Ahri said sitting in his hand. "We had to deal with death constantly. My older sister was eaten before my eyes just a few years ago. She was plucked away and swallowed alive by Libra. Even though she is gone, she still lives on inside me. We honor those lost by the memories they leave behind. You want to know how you could kill her? If you truly love her, you will kill her just to set her free. I've seen what happens when evil power possesses someone. It's a living death that shackles your soul" she said. Keith gritted his teeth realizing her words to be true. Lilith had nearly destroyed Aspen and Claire's souls by turning them into murderous acolytes. And that was simple mind control. Faith undoubtedly suffered far worse. If could not save her, he'd be damned if he let her suffer the torture of being her slave. "Thank you. I needed to hear that" he told her. During their talk, he had forgotten she was naked. "Ummm...why were you naked? Were you heading to the bath?" he asked. "Oh that...I wanted to pleasure you" she replied sheepish. "Any other day I'd take you up on your offer. Your scent is...nice" he muttered. "So that's a no?" she asked. Keith brought her to his lips where he kissed her. "Payment for the advice" he said. He placed she back on her balcony. "Don't be a stranger Keith" she said to him.

A little later...

"Sandwich?" Susan asked standing next to Mary who was sitting down with eyes closed quietly in her room. "...thanks" Mary muttered closing her eyes once again. "It's been bugging me. What exactly are you? You smell half human and obviously is extremely powerful if you can enter the dreams of millions" Susan asked. "My true name is Morpheus the lord of dreams" Mary replied. "For real? Like the Greek god Morpheus?" Susan asked. "The very same. Circumstances led me to have this female corporeal form" she replied. "So, you can enter the dreams of every human on the planet if they fall asleep according to this plan?" Susan asked. "...if I'm not constantly interrupted I can" Mary muttered. "Funny thing about me is I can tell when a person lies. Their body language and a subtle change in their scent. So Mary, why are you lying?" Susan asked. "I'm not lying. I can do this" Mary said. Susan bent down to look her dead in the face

"There's dried blood in your left nostril. The stress of what you're doing can kill you. That's the truth. The lie is where can you do it before you die" Susan said quietly. Mary sighed and opened her eyes. "This change in reality has severely weakened me. I'm already more human than goddess. Nevertheless, I have a job to do. I owe this family a huge debt that must be repaid" she said. "I doubt they'd want it at the cost of your life and your unborn child" Susan told her. "Are you a believer of a religion?" Mary asked. "Yes. Since Faith helped me regain my powers, my sealed memories came back with them. I literally lived in a southern Baptist church as a child" Susan replied. "Then let me tell you this. Your bible can't fully describe what hell is truly like. Not the bible, Quran, Torah, Vedas, or Buddha. I've seen it in her mind. An eon of soul searing horror and that horror is coming here to rape this world. Rape it in the ass with a cock lined with barbed wire! This is not about me, my child, petty fucking gods and goddesses. As we speak a one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is thinking of telling the president to nuke Los Angeles. He's dreaming about it literally. Now little borrower, any other observations you wish to share?" Mary scowled. "...no" replied Susan. She turned to leave. "Susan. Thank you for your concern and the sandwich. It is not easy facing death after 5,000 years of life" Mary said softly. "I'll pray for your soul Mary" Susan said quietly. "Please do" Mary said.

Susan returned to the living room just as Keith and Hope returned having went back to Yorkshire to bring back Hana, the kids, Theo, Lucy, Marco, and Cordelia. "12 hours?" Keith asked. "12 hours" Alicia said marking the time. Keith nodded and he, Susan, and Hope went home. Keith and Hope arrived in their living room. "Get some rest squirt" Keith told her. Hope nodded and flew off to their room leaving him alone. He walked to the kitchen and found a shrunken Aspen feeding their son Luke on the table. "How did it go?" she asked as he sat down. "We have a plan" he replied. "And we save Faith?" she asked. Keith didn't answer. Aspen quietly wiped the oatmeal of Luke's face. "So that's it?" Aspen asked. "A woman named Mary confirmed Lilith and Faith are joined beyond what can be called possession. Even Oberon doesn't have a spell to separate the two" he said. "She's out daughter. Think of something!" Aspen spat. "You think I haven't tried! I have a 3,000-year-old fairy in my head that can't figure this out. Nobody can figure this out and we are coming to the wire Aspen! Look outside. It's 11 in the morning and it's dark as fuck outside. Not a single damn star is shining" Keith yelled. Luke began crying. Aspen picked him up to cuddle him. "Faith is my daughter too. You think this isn't hurting me?" he asked weakly. Aspen sniffled holding back tears. "And Hope. Oh my god she has to fight someone who looks like her" he said. Aspen looked up at the giant. "I had hoped she could sit this out" she said. "So did I" he said. He placed his chin on the table and she approached. His teeny, little infant son giggled and played with the tip of his nose. "You smell like oatmeal" Keith chuckled. "When does it begin?" she asked. Keith looked at the time. "11 hours 49 minutes" he replied. "We should all spend time together" she said. "My thoughts exactly. Keith said picking them up and carrying them to his room.

Even though they should've been resting, Keith and Hope made sure to spend time with Aspen and Luke. Claire was with her parents but would return that afternoon. "Hope honey. Don't levitate your baby brother" Aspen said. "But he loves it" Hope said. "He also loves farting. Put him back down" Aspen said. Hope sighed and pulled Luke from the air. "She loves him so much" Aspen said to Keith. "She loves easily. The people on that island said Faith is the same way" Keith said. Aspen and Keith watched as Hope laid down with her brother and slowly went to sleep. "Is he back?" Claire said flying into the room. Keith motioned for her to keep quiet. Claire landed on his lap. "So how did it go?" she asked. "We're heading back in a few hours. We're going to launch a multi prong attack to end this" he said. "Hope is going then?" Claire asked. Keith silently nodded. "No quarter given. Lilith has to be eradicated completely including her vessel" he said. Claire looked at the sleeping Hope. "What does it take to have a happy ending? If it's not Ebonheart then it was ZODIAC. if not them then it's this bullshit!" Claire spat. Keith caressed her cheek with his finger. "I know" he said. Aspen held his hand and laid her head on his shoulder. Keith turned and kissed her. His fingers wrapped around Claire and brought her up to his lips and kissed her as well. Claire looked into the eyes of the giant she had known for years and froze. The look of hopelessness haunted them. A look he had never shown.

The borrower young woman considered him a source of strength. Confident, caring, thoughtful. In the face of doubt, he always stood tall. Those qualities helped make her decision to have him make her pregnant and bare his child. But to see him now, she is sorely reminded that even our heroes can falter, to lose hope. That nobody is immune to the uncertainty of life. Keith nuzzled her and she could feel him breathe her scent. Keith closed his heavy eyes and laid back. He placed her over his heart. Claire and Aspen said nothing as he drifted off to sleep.

Susan had her own issues trying to calm her adopted daughter Ruby. The girl could sense the fear in Susan. And if her mother was afraid, things are dire indeed. Eventually, the young borrower wore herself out crying and slept in Susan's hand. Her hand as the girl was so hysterical, Susan had to shrink her to keep her contained. At her scale, the girl was just under four inches tall. Not too big to handle, not too tiny to comfort. Susan tried to steady her heart. She was loathed to leave her this way. Ever since she was literally dropped off at the mansion, Susan knew there was something different about this borrower kid. Susan had played with borrower kids all the time by volunteering at the orphanages in the colony. It afforded her practice being human sized and a sense of calm hearing them laugh. She would pluck up a child, nuzzle, tickle, sniff, and play with them before another child begged for the same attention. Even blind, she knew each child by their voice and scent. So, when she first saw Ruby, she figured she was another orphan. An orphan indeed but not like the others. Ruby told her a kind, magic using human woman sent here there with raised all kinds of alarms. Even her scent was oddly cloaked. But nothing came of intense asking the child about it. Ruby mentioned Susan by name before even meeting her which made the woman more curious and under discretion, placed her in her care. Susan could see the girl had lived an exceptionally hard life till then. Malnourished, scars on her legs and soles of her feet, always looking around. It was a miracle Ruby had survived on her own the way she did with so many predators where she foraged. She was a survivor just like Susan had been. She clothed the girl, fed her, gave her shelter, and sat by her side as nightmares assaulted her sleep. Susan connected with the girl on a maternal level. 

It was only natural that Ruby feared the most that Susan would leave her in some way. And when Susan told her what she had to do and the danger involved, Ruby lost it. Susan stared at her shrunken daughter in her hand as if wondering if she was doing the right thing. If she died, it could a be a bridge too far for the girl. Had she the right to put Ruby in that position? Susan held her tiny foot between her fingers looking at her painted toes. Nail polish given to her for her 13th birthday just three weeks ago coated those adorable toes. Ruby had a big growth spurt and was becoming a young woman in her own right. Susan chuckled thinking how many hearts she would break soon. Susan bent down and nuzzled her small bare foot to her nose. Her natural scent, the polish, and the faintness of sweat. Her scent was stronger these days as she blossomed. Susan cried softly thinking she may not see her become a woman and start a family of her own. Susan put her down on the sofa, got up to grab a pen and paper, and began writing a letter. Susan kept writing, stopping, scratching things out, and writing again. By the time she was done, it was soon time to leave.

Susan planted kisses on the soles of her feet and gently kissed her tiny lips. Leaving her was the hardest thing she had ever done. The magic that shrunk her would wear off soon and Susan would be long gone with just a letter sitting beside the girl. Susan hated how she couldn't say goodbye properly. And if she never returned, the letter would say what she wished she had personally.

Earlier, Ahmed was in the hidden city of Iram, his home mulling over what his father had told him. The golden daggers he used for combat were just a part of a much more powerful symbolic weapon, the Damascus Blade. Asking why he had never heard this before, his father said the sword sealed away and to break the seal, one had to pay a heavy price. A price is innocent lives. To deter it from falling into ruthless hands (as anyone wanting to quickly pay such a price was morally suspect), its existence was kept hidden unless dire times lay before them. Lilith walking the earth with four powerful demon lords summoning hell fit the bill for "dire times". Ahmed was faced with the first test, to pursue the blade knowing what it may cost. As Ahmed did not answer quickly, and took weeks to answer, he passed the first test. He showed he was not eager to pay the price. As said before, that changed. Truthfully, Ahmed was banking on the idea that his (mostly) fully awakened djinn powers would somehow beat the overall test. To cheat the system so to speak. "Then hold the daggers and speak these words" his father said showing him a page from the family chronicle. "By the will of Allah, let me be tested for the right to wield the Damascus Blade" he said. The daggers flashed a brilliant burst of light swallowing him up. Once faded, Ahmed was gone...as well as others. "Husband, will he succeed?" Ahmed's mother asked. "If it the will of Allah, he shall Fatima my wife" he replied.