Chapter Thirteen

What Am I?

Conny raced to her side and scooped her up in her arms. “William, Rocssanna, you have to tell her what she is soon. She’s not going to be happy if she finds out on her own again and we’re all going to be sorry if she grow-ups to her actual racial height anytime soon.” Conny turned to Fred with a scowl on her face. “I can keep her under for a minute longer, and I rewound her memory to when Fred was in her leg lock. She let me do it in case she does something she would regret doing, and doesn’t want to remember. Fred, you can’t win, tap out this time. We might not be so lucky with her staying small. You didn’t hear her scream for help in my virtual space. She was so close to growing into her Titan body; it would have happened in seconds if I hadn’t put her to sleep.” Conny never took her eyes from Fred and never changed her scowl. So, Captain, Fred, Sir. If you like your ship and crew, please get into the position and get ready to tap out. She will know something happened and won’t ask for two days as we discussed in a previous conversation.

Fred with little hesitation got down on the mat and got roughly in the same position as before, and Conny place Sky’s limp form into the second leg lock. She then put holo-projections of where everyone was before so they could get into the right places and stance. “This is not to fool Sky but to give her a sense of everything turned out okay just that a reset was in order. She will likely think something happened to you, Fred.” Once everyone was in place, Conny put a tiny light sphere behind Sky’s head where Fred could see it. “Fred when the light goes out tap out. Just to let you know after Joe showed her how to be creative, no one can beat her now.”

Fred felt a sense of déjà vu when Sky’s body tightened, and the light went out. He quickly tapped out, and Sky released him. He watched her glance around and spotted Conny, giving her a slight nod of recognition. Fred felt bad for pushing Sky to a point where she felt like she was not good enough physically. She just wanted to be the best she could be. Sky bowed “I didn’t hurt you did I Fred Sir? If I did, I didn’t mean to. Sometimes I got carried away when I was little, well younger. That’s why I only give Mommy and Daddy butterfly hugs. I get all excited to go too fast, throw too hard, and play too crazy for anyone. I thought here I could let go a little. When you didn’t submit, I thought I had to go harder and faster, so I did. I don’t think I can help but be the best I can be; it’s just in my nature. I was brought up always to do my best and never give up; there is a solution for everything if you look hard enough. Magic is my go-to solution now, it can solve so many problems, but not everything can be solved with magic. That’s why I have heroes like you, Fred Sir, Mr. Joe, Conny, and my Mommy and Daddy.” Sky turned to smile at everyone in the room. “I know something happened and Conny used one of my reset spells. I’m sure she told you my conditions if anyone has something to say or tell me, I’ll; wait two days before asking what happened. I’m sorry if I hurt anyone and I will try and not let it happen again.”

Some of Sky’s inner light dimmed ever so slightly. Conny hug Sky from behind. “We can have our match tomorrow, for now, let’s ask Captain Fred if he minds us taking an early lunch. We can grab a shower come back here and play catch. How’s that sound girlfriend”? Sky brightened a little bit, feeling the embrace from Conny and nodded yes. “Captain Fred, can Sky leave for an early lunch and take the rest of the day off, please”?

Fred went over to Sky and clasped her shoulder in his huge hand. “I’ll give you one day to rest then, I want you back here at twelve, Right after lunch. I’ll see you at dinner at the latest until then you’re dismissed.” Fred turned to Joe and gave him a slight grin. “We will be practicing some of the new spells that someone so kindly updated in our ships name. We can’t have it look like it was just for credits. We should also upgrade our MAD programs to the newer spells and Incantations. The new spells are now heavily encrypted to prevent the rogue mages from accessing them. Our AI interface has the access key to release the new spells and incantations. We’ve been getting a request from all over the known universe. Even from the secret HUB of Magical Research has sent out requests. We’ve got a lot to do before we pick up the new crew. It’s probably a good thing Sky took some time off. We can get our updates done and contact the new crew with our ETA. We might even get some downtime of our own.

Joe was watching Conny and Sky talk with William and Rocssanna. He found it amazing how quickly they accepted the AI hanging out with their daughter. He also hoped Sky takes the news of not being human well. She’s got to know there’s something different about her and her parents that makes them different. Joe was wondering if the people on the planet she grew up on making a difference in human development in such high gravity. Were they denser than the average human growing up in the extreme gravity? She’s a genius, and she should have figured it out by now unless she’s ignoring the facts till her parents tell her. She did say she liked to pretend and make belief.

Fred opens his spell browser on his wrist tablet and checked for updates. There were three thousand four hundred and seventy-two new updates almost all were spells, and five were for software updates. All the updates were encrypted, and they just had a summary of what the new spells did and what magical affinity you needed. Fred sent a request for the key code to use the new updates. Conny sent him the code instantly. Fred tried the software updates first. The first update allowed the MAD to update all the new spells that match your magical affinities. The next update was more like a tutorial for regulating your magic wells and added a counter to the spells you can cast with the amount of magic you hold. It also allowed you to set a warning before magic burn. One other the other updates was kind of strange, it was an update for the magic caster. It read like a leaflet. Its title was the Happy Caster Could Be You. It was saying that you should cast with emotion if the intentions were good. That any harmful castings should be cast with regret not hateful or angry intent. Magic washes out from spells cast, and you get a type of feedback from the spells spent magic. Fred flagged some of the healing spells as guild secrets and was to be used for military emergencies. Luckily the pocket space spell was not among the updates, and many of the spells were the same but for different magical affinities. She seemed to like to keep magic users on even ground.

Joe didn’t take much time to look at the updates and just downloaded anything that was from Little Tooth. He had faith in Sky’s magic and Fred’s scrutiny on what he put in his wrist tablet. Fred would have warned him if there was anything not up to his standards. Joe was watching the funny names of the spell download and knew some would have to be taken out. One spell grabbed his attention, Human Battery. The title chilled him to his bones. Joe swore. “What the caster of ruination was Sky thinking”? How could Sky write an incantation for such an evil thing let alone come up with the spell? Joe paused the download and held up his tablet to show Fred the spell. He watched Fred expression go from sombre to a smile.

“Read the description of the spell before you jump to conclusions, Joe. You picked your hero too soon if you think she would write something like that. If I were you next time, you see her say you’re sorry for doubting her character.”

Rocssanna watched Sky and Conny leave the practice room. She turned to William. “I guess we don’t get to plan much since Sky was conceived. We’ll always be led around by Sky’s unseen force. She never asks for much, but we end up giving her everything. Now we’ll have to tell her who and what she is. I hope she can see why we did what we did. I wish we didn’t have to keep so much from her while she grew up.” Rocssanna put her head-on Williams shoulder. “Look at the two of them our twin daughters, in the practice room they’re almost identical. I think she’ll be good for Sky and I know she’ll help Sky take the news of her new revelations.”

William took a deep breath taking in his wife’s scent. “I think I’ll take any help we can get when we break the news to Sky. I think it would be a good thing to have Conny there when we tell her. She seems to have an idea of what Sky is going through right now. So Rocssy where do you want to tell her, my option is in her crew quarters in the women’s barracks.”

“Let’s tell her after she showers and changes before they go play catch. I think that way she has something to do while she thinks about what we did and why we did it. She should know they weren’t easy choices to make. I think she’ll understand why when we tell her what we had to was not by choice but by necessity. She’s a smart girl, and deep inside she knows she’s not human. We never told her she was either. I just said she was a very special being. I just left out the Titan part of the special.” Rocssy pushed away from Willy a little and gazed up to him. “I wonder how she is going to take the news she has aliens fused within her body. We might even have one in our bodies that should make that one a little easier to swallow. I’ll ask Conny to inform us when she’s done and to let her know we’ll be visiting her in her quarters.” Rocssy looked up and called for Conny, and she appeared off to the side of William.

William turned to face her and smiled. It was hard to believe she wasn’t there. Rocssy went and hugged her. “Thank you for helping us out with keeping her tiny; we had no idea something like this could happen. I also would like to thank you for being so kind to her and being her friend.” Rocssy was talking to her as if she was a person and not an AI. He just remembered that in this room she had a physical body and was almost as strong as they were.

William didn’t know how to treat Conny. How mature was the AI in what way of age? She looked nine years old just like his daughter. “Conny we would like you to be there when we tell her about who and what we are? There is so much to tell her, and we don’t know where to start. Let us tell her like it’s a story. Maybe that way she can see just what we went through and just how much we loved her from the first time we knew she existed. So, Conny, we love her and would like her to be happy. We went against our race to stop the Titans from taking over the known galaxy as gods. We didn’t want to create our terror of the universe.”

Conny just listened to the couple and smiled. “I think you don’t give yourselves enough credit in how you raised your daughter. Sky is an amazing girl that loves everything good. You could have told her long ago about her heritage and magic. It could have been easier on all of you in the long run.” Conny looked to the side and smiled. “Sky is changing right now, and she will be expecting you in a few minutes. So, let’s make our way there to Sky’s room. She suggests you bring some food or more snacks and maybe tea. I think she wants to seem more grown-up for when the new crew arrives she also wants to make her quarters bigger and more inviting so she may get a roommate or two. Three of the four new crew members are women, and there are four rooms for the women. Two of the women are already best friends. The other one is somewhat of a loner due to a skin and muscle condition from a spell that went wrong. She thinks if she seems to be more mature she’ll get a roommate because they have similar problems of others being soft.” Conny was looking lost as she was talking. “Do you think she’ll still be my friend if she has a real friend”?

Rocssanna gave Conny another hug. “For an AI, you’re not too smart; she will always be your friend you interact with her on a different level. She loves you like no other friend before you. I don’t think she would trust even us with her memories as she has with you. She’s only said good things about you, and you probably heard every word she said. So, what are you really worried about Conny”?

Conny had a cute shocked look on her face much like Sky had when she was surprised. “Well since she gave me an awareness I never had before. I feel something missing in my existence; I have a longing for something that’s not here in my programming. If I were to put it into a simple word, I would say there space on my hard drive with a sign saying insert program here to interact with the special peripheral you like. Sky’s my special peripheral without her there will be a space.”

“Conny, Conny, Sky has many such holes or spaces to fill and so do you. You just never interacted with anyone like Sky has with you. Wait until you meet some more people in this room you’ll see what I mean. I sure you’ll find out you have a bigger heart than you knew you had. I’m glad you hit it off with Sky. I hear she just barged into your programming and asked for access to the mainframe of your database. Is that true she did that?

It was Conny’s turn the chastise Rocssanna. “You should know you raised your daughter better than that. It was like a gentle caress, and then I felt more aware of my surroundings, and she asked me for access, and I gave her anything she wanted. I had never felt before just the intelligence to make simple decisions. Your daughter never did something halfway while we worked together on making herself soft. While she was accessing spells and incantations, she tweaked everyone and some available to others who didn’t have that affinity to cast the spells. Now even a person with fire can use one of her special healing spells in an emergency; the spell is just too large to use often. She never tweaked any purely offensive spell. Some spells that could be used in hunting were tweaked the rest were domestic, no combative and offensive spells.”

Willy was watching Rocssy and Conny converse in wonder. ‘I guess I’ll go with the flow.’ Willy thought to himself. “Sky has always thought of others first. I guess that where we went wrong, we think of others first too. Now it’s time we think of our daughter and put her first for a change. I’ll go to the house and pick up the fine antique china tea set we were saving for her when she gets her place. I’ll also get some of the good tea you thought you were hiding.” William said with a smile. “You two head out; well Rocssy you head out with Conny number two or three and help Sky organize her new room. I have some super hard biscuits and some regular ones for guest or maybe even a roommate or two. Conny let Sky know we have something to tell her to ask if she can put up a barrier in the room too. It might be a big surprise.” William left before the ladies so he wouldn’t keep the ladies waiting. He was going to the cargo bay where he kept the bag to pull out part of the house, so it was easier to find rather than go into the pocket space with the house himself.

The two ladies watched Willy leave and then as the two men about to leave. Conny called out to Fred as another Conny ran out of herself and up to him and Joe. “There’s an urgent message from a small scout vessel, and it’s on a course to meet us. I believe it’s the craft with the new crew members. Shall I get everyone together”?

Fred looked at Joe and shook his head. “No that’s quite alright we’ve managed by ourselves for nearly twenty years, what’s another day.” Fred gave a smile to Conny at her new trick Sky seemed to use all too often in virtual space. Fred called out to Rocssanna and the other Conny. “You two go ahead to Sky’s room and tell her not to go overboard with the alterations to the rooms. This is a military ship, not a pleasure star cruiser to be pampered. We don’t need the new member thinking we’re softies and live in luxury.”

Rocssanna took the Conny she was with by the arm and walked for Sky’s room leaving the other three there. When they passed through the doorway, and Rocssanna arm passed through Conny’s. Rocssanna didn’t take any notice and carried on as if it happened all the time. “So Conny Willy and I are thinking of telling Sky about ourselves as if telling a story over tea. We’ve never made a big deal about our lives, so why change now? Anyway, we’ve always discussed things with Sky while eating or snacking.

Joe was watching the two leave and turned to Fred. “So, captain what’s on your mind. You don’t foresee any problems not having them join us do you”? Joe asked somewhat concerned.

Fred shook his head “I think some big problems are forming up in our future. The biggest is Sky losing control over her body. I think the martial art made her even more aware of her differences between our races. If she doesn’t find out about herself soon, being turned into someone power cell is the least of our worries. I hope they make it quick and Sky takes it well.” Fred turned to look through to the outside of the ship. “I’m hoping Sky’s ability to see beyond walls and distance can be taught and is not a unique gift. I could certainly use something like that right now. Well, time to head to the bridge and contact the incoming ship we might be meeting our new crew early.”

“I’ve read about people with similar gifts as Sky’s. In all cases, they can’t be taught, or at least they say they can’t be taught. You know that information is power; any information no one else has is something you can trade are sell to the right person. Sky could get very rich from selling her services with so many gifts she holds, and we probably don’t know the half of them.” Joe stated with an odd look on his face, Fred found it a little disturbing.

“What’s with the face buddy? I’ve never seen you like that. It’s kinda creeping me out.” Fred said trying not to look directly at Joe’s weird expression.

“That is the look of admiration, jealousy, hope, and frustration. Sky has so much and takes it for granted. She can do so many things, yet she still thinks of us as her heroes. There is practically nothing she can’t do, and yet she wants to be normal like us, well not squishy.” Joe’s face did change with the last part he said giving Fred a sly grin. Fred was never referred to as squishy before Sky came alone.

Fred chooses to ignore the last part of what Joe said to taunt him. But he too could relate to a little of what Joe was trying to express. “I kinda see where you’re coming from; but don’t let it get to you, it’s not like she asked for it. I think there is a higher power involved here to give one person so much. I’m just glad the Knights were able to raise her so well. She could have easily turned out so different than she did. Just think if her teasing was meant to be hurtful or even hateful. Gives me the chills thinking about that one.” Fred shivered at the thought of an insidious Sky.

“You’re right Pal; we have to hope the new crew can handle Sky’s unusual abilities. We’ll find out soon enough is my guess. Instead of three days, I think we may only have one, one and a half tops. What do you think is up with the change of plans”? Joe said making his way to the bridge with Joe and one of the Conny’s.

William brought the bag to the cargo bay and opened the bag that contained the house and a few other small items. The mouth of the bag stretched to an unbelievable size. Walking through certain types of pocket spaces were very disorientating. The one his house was in was one of the types that made you feel sick the longer you stayed in it. He still bought it because it was big and it was cheap for the size. The mage how crafted it grudgingly gave him the discount he was awarded for his part in the war. The mage was lucky he was in a hurry when he bought it. He could have dispelled every enchantment in the shop if he had the time to feel them out. As he pulled the house out, he noticed a few changes to it. The hasty patch works he had done to repair the window and doors were not there, and the dent on the side from Sky throwing a ball was gone too. After he found out it was Sky’s healing spell that fixed everything he was secretly happy for his daughter. William was wondering to himself just how far the range of her spell was. He knew then everything that was not fixed yet was now fixed and like new. Once inside of the house he could feel the differences in the house. The pocket space itself was different. The kitchen looked super clean even and the dishes he used to prepare the stew were clean. He opened the cupboard that held the antique tea set and didn’t recognize it at first. The insides were not stained, and the colours weren’t blending or faded over the eons of use. They were like new, no tiny cracks in the finish. The colours were vibrant and not faded by time. Sky was going to love the tea set as a room warming gift. Next, he grabbed a glass jar of tea leaves that looked like they were just picked. The super stale biscuits were now soft and moist as if just from the oven. Sky was not going to like that very much. The biscuits were hundreds of years old from a lost ancient supply box from the first settlers. The biscuits were not replaceable anytime soon. Drying them out in an oven again could be an option, he thought to himself. He had to make do with some cookies Rocssanna made for Sky till he could find a way to dry them out as a hundred years would. He grabbed a small ten-kilo bag of rocknuts and a loaf of stone bread that was baked just for Sky. With a thought, he grabbed a sack of stone flour so they could do some baking for Sky later. After all the food was gathered, he went to get the rest of Sky’s clothes from last year. He did the same and got clothes for Rocssanna and himself. Loaded up with food and clothes but not weighed down, William left with the house half out of the bag. He was not in a hurry to return knowing he was going to be back for possible some more stuff for Sky’s room maybe her special chair and mattress, blankets, and sheets. He left while mentally conversing with his wife agreeing there was going to be at least one more trip back.

Sky and Conny walked into the room and Sky thought about where to start adjusting the room. She needed a little more room to avoid hitting or bumping into anyone in the cramped space. It wouldn’t do have to cast a healing spell every time you bumped into someone squishy. “Conny I’m going to make a little more room to move so I can prevent myself bumping into squishy people.”

“Sky I know people seem to be squishy to you, but it’s not nice to call them squishy. Try using another word or say not diamond hard like me.” Conny said smiling at Sky’s referring to everything as squishy.

“How about delicate or dainty. Mommy liked those words, although I can touch her before if I was careful and was being very gentle, I even brushed her hair a few times.” Sky had a faraway look remembering the few times she and her mommy could bond in the past. She was never able to brush her mommy’s hair very often because it got sensitive to her brushing.

Conny shook her head. “Most women in the military don’t want to be referred to as dainty or even more so delicate. I would try and refrain from commenting on anyone’s malleable skin condition because it’s you that is in the minority, Honey.” Conny waited for Sky’s reaction to the terms of endearment.

Sky turned to her with a big smile. “You’re so nice calling me Honey; maybe I should call you sugar then we could be sweet together.”

Conny turned to the door before she could answer Sky. “One of our guest and myself have arrived.” The door slid open and in walked Rocssanna and another Conny. Sky went to her mommy and gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek, then did the same too other Conny trying not to pass through her. The two Conny’s hug and merged into one.

Rocssanna looked around the cramped quarters. “Not a whole lot of room in here for four people is there. I can see why you want to make it bigger. It wouldn’t do to keep injuring your roommates as you pass each other.”

“I know, mommy it’s not too small for one person but four, what were they thinking? With a little magic, this room could be huge. Why would they not make it bigger than an old sweeper closet”? Sky said gesturing to the tiny room.

Conny smile “Sky the mages who enchants the size bigger charge by the cubic metre when altering the dimensions of a room. And I think the term is broom closet, but that was pretty close. So, Mrs. Knight where do you think we should start in changing the room”? Conny looked to Sky and gave her a wink.

Rocssanna glanced around again.” First, we should make the room’s floor space at least three times bigger.

Then the ceiling at least another metre and a half higher. The beds could be a little bigger too. Your father is willing to bring your mattress and bedding from the house. How deep are the lockers? Maybe you could stretch out the doors and make them deeper. Can you do that with magic? I never thought of asking if that’s at all possible, any of it. Sky just took a step to the bunks on the right wall and pushed and the wall gave way, and the room seemed to stretch as she pushed. She stopped after only a few steps. She repeated the process to the left side and the rear wall.

Sky turned to Conny. “Could you give me a hand up girlfriend, Oh sugar”?

Conny smiled pointed at her and raised her with a levitation spell. “Sure, thing honey.” Sky push on the ceiling when she was high enough to touch it when she made it the desired height she dispelled the levitation spell and landed gracefully on the floor. Thankful for the new boots ability to cushion the density of her feet.

“Now for the lockers. My locker is big enough inside, but the door is small.” Sky, in turn, tapped her hand on each door placing a spell circle. Then walked to the last locker and pulled gently on it and they all stretched equally till the doors went from thirty centimetres to sixty centimetres. Sky then opened her locker and copied the spell size in it and repeated the spell into the next three lockers. “Mommy, I think it would only be fair to make all the quarters like this. But then it defeats the purpose of making my room more appealing by making it bigger.”

Rocssanna bent down to hug her daughter. “I know me; we raised you right because even when you're selfish, you think of others. To answer you, yes you should make them all the same. It wouldn’t hurt to make the men’s barracks the same too. But their lockers don’t have to be bigger if it makes it easier.”

Sky smiled. It’s going to be easier to make then all the same. It’s just a matter of copying all the spells in the room and casting them through the doorway of each of the quarters. I’ll change the beds once Daddy brings my mattress from the house. These are comfortable, but I miss my bed.”

Rocssanna stroked Sky’s bun. “Since your off duty, for now, shouldn’t you let your hair down and relax a little”? She said smiling

Sky pushed out of her embrace gently. She had a sly grin. “I know why you and everyone like to ruffle my hair, and you wanted to brush it all the time. When I was soft for that brief time, it felt wonderful to run my fingers through it. You never said it felt good and enjoyed doing it you made it seemed like it was just for me. I had no idea it was for you too. I don’t blame you though I had a hard time leaving it alone. Is it nice huh”? Sky’s hair snaked itself from the bun and unwoven to the long tresses they were. In less than a minute her hair was full about her head, all shiny and wavy sea blue curls. “It doesn’t feel the same as when I was soft; it’s a different sensation when you're soft I guess.”

Rocssanna ran her fingers through her hair. “You don’t have to be super soft to enjoy the feeling of your hair. Your father and I like the feeling of it. Speaking of him, here he comes with some of your room warming gifts. There was a knock on the door, and her father was asking for entry.

Sky pulled slowly from her mommy’s embrace, so her fingers didn’t get caught in her hair. “Daddy you can come in now We’re almost done with the room; we’re just waiting for the mattress to make the beds bigger.” Her daddy walked into the room and looked around and grinned to his daughter. “It’s a good size smaller than we had while in the military.” William gave Rocssanna a grin; a full-size Titan needed a star of a lot more room. “Let’s have some tea and cookies and then we’ll start a tale of your beginning. We, your mother and I have kept many things from you, and that ends today. Today after tea and cookies we’ll tell you all.”

Sky was about to protest that she wanted to hear the tale first. That’s when her stomach voiced its own opinion and won. Sky hit her rebellious tummy to quiet it down. Okay, first tea, cookies, and then a tale. Did you bring any of the biscuits from the supply crate I found last year”? Sky’s eyes pleading for a yes answer,

“Sorry dear, there was an accident, and they have to be dried out again. I brought the tea set you’re always looking at as one of your gifts. The other is going to be fresh tea leaves.” Sky’s daddy held up a platter with the tea set and jar of leaves.

Everyone had a questioning look, but Sky spoke first. “Aren’t tea leaves supposed to be dried not fresh? How did you get fresh tea leaves”?

William smiled and motioned to the tea set. Doesn’t the tea set look different? Sky looked closer at the ancient tea set. Sky’s eyes widened in recognition of what happened.

“You mean everything on the ship was made like new or fresh. So, my favourite cookies are all mushy now? How about the cookies mommy made, are they mushy too? Please say no, please daddy.” Sky begged her father with a comical pleading face.

William passed the tea set to his lovely wife, bent down and ruffled her hair. “No dear they are fresh and hard as stone just as you like them.” He said chuckling to himself thinking his daughter was so cute. He just wanted to squeeze her in a hug, which he did after releasing her from the hug. “You know if you send out that healing spell of yours the biscuits should be dried out each time you do one, and if anyone else cast one too,” William said shrugging his shoulders as if to can’t be helped.

Sky at first was going to resign to waiting to eat her favourite snack after they would have to be dried frequently; because the healing spell seemed to be used far too often since learning how to cast it. She thought she was fated to wait for one of her favourite snacks. Right till Conny passed a hand through her back. A type of exchange was relayed through the gesture. A look of realization transformed her frown into a look of glee. “Daddy, when you bring my mattress, could you also bring two bags of the biscuits. I can dry them out with no more than a simple thought. Conny just reminded me I have the water affinity and can draw out the moisture without having to wait.”

William stood up and looked at his daughter. “And why do you want two bags of the biscuits may I ask? You know they’re going to be impossible to replace them, once they’re all gone. You can’t replicate food you know and have it taste the same.” William said to his daughter who just kept smiling. He was beginning to wonder if maybe she could do another impossible thing.

Sky looked down to her feet and admired her boots. “They’re not just for me now I never shared them because you and mommy didn’t like them and they were too hard for anyone else. I would have shared the only two if it meant enjoying them with a friend. Food shared is twice enjoyed. Now that they're soft maybe you and mommy might like them as much as me”? Now I can share them with Fred, Joe and possibly to the new crew when we pick them up.” Sky was genuine in her eagerness to share anything she had enjoyed herself.

Rocssanna came up behind their young daughter and gave her a loving hug putting her head over Sky’s shoulder and rubbed their cheeks together. “I love you Sky you’re the greatest daughter anyone could ask for.”

Sky blushed at the praise and then blushed a deeper red when her stomach protested again at the lack of attention.

William quickly produced a container that looks much like an ancient lunch basket from old Earth. There are the cookies inside and some boiling water for the tea. We can start with the tale when we’ve had some cookies and tea.” He set the basket down handed the thermos to Rocssy and a plate of cookies to Sky. Rocssanna had with practice ease made a pot of tea, Sky placed the cookies and the teacups out on her footlocker as a makeshift table. Thanks to magic the tea was brewed in seconds.

Sky ever so gently she poured three cups of tea. The tea smelled wonderful and had a deep rosy colour. Sky pulled over the other footlockers to act as chairs or more like benches Sky thought. She waved to Conny and patted the spot beside her for her girlfriend. Conny took the offered seat, Willy and Rocssy took the other two makeshift seats. Rocssy was the one to enjoy the first sip of tea, then Willy. As Sky sipped her both her and Conny sighed and said. “That’s really good tea daddy, you and mommy always get the good stuff. I hope if I get some roommates they will drink tea with me sometimes.”

Rocssy picked up one of her homemade stone cookies and dipped it in her tea to soften it a little. Willy did the same; they both preferred them softer then Sky. Sky picked up a cookie and crunched away while she had her mouth full Conny was going, “mmm yummy these are good.”

Willy asked Conny, “how is that when Sky is drinking and eating, and you seemed to be enjoying it too? Are you somehow connected to Sky’s taste buds”?

“Why yes, in a way we are connected, don’t ask how because we don’t know. Let’s say it’s one of her many gifts she was given by fate or some higher power we’re not sure. For all that I know, there is as much more than I don’t. I’m just happy being able to share what I can.”

Willy reached for Rocssy’s hand. “I don’t know where to start but the beginning. Sky your mother and I were ready for our first child. Your mother got her body ready to receive the gift of life. We were one week into trying to conceive a child. When the news of the possible war your mother and I are something like royalty of a race of beings. We are not human beings. Sky you are part of a race known as Titans. Before the war, we were feared because of our size, not because of our actions. On the planet, cohabited with humans something went wrong, and the Titans were attacked by powerful magic. The fight was brief, and all the humans involved were killed. You’ve read about Titans being over sixty metres tall. So, fighting tiny humans were nothing to them, once you take away their magic. As Titans, they had no magic to use; but they could void any spell thrown at them. A deadly ball of flames would become a gust of wind. Power arcs of lightning were like a tiny spark of static. The greatest weapons that were used by humans and most races had no effect on the Titans. Conventional weapons were just as useless. The harder you hit a Titan with something the harder they become. Soon the humans and other races rallied all of their vast armies to attack the Titans. We tried to stop the war and get them into peace talks. Some of the humans and other races were saying that any race over five metres were Titan sympathizers. Since they could not kill the Titans, they went after our sources of food. In retaliation, some Titans subdued entire planets and acted as if they were gods. One by one the human planets were being captured by a few Titans. Some Titans at first thought because of being the largest race by over forty-eight metres. Thought they should rule as gods. Titans were nearly immortal, super strong, intelligent, and almost unkillable. Only a Titan can kill a Titan.” William took in the shocked look on Sky’s face. She wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth, because they all held magic. From what Fred and Joe said she held more than almost everyone all together.

“But daddy how can we be Titans when we’re so short and we can use magic. I am super strong and have really hard skin. That doesn’t mean I’m just a short Titan, does it”? She paused and looked into her father eyes pleading. “Does that mean I not a human freak, I’m a Titan mutation? Daddy I don’t want to be a freak or mutant. Why are we so tiny, how long does it take to grow sixty metres tall it must take thousands of years then? Wait I want the truth, not some fairy tale. Am I a freak or what? You can tell me; I’m almost in the double digits this year.” Sky beamed she wanted the truth, but she also likes to fantasize.

Rocssy looked to her daughter. “Oh, my little angel with so many questions. You’re not a freak or a mutation; you’re just unique.” Rocssanna told her as she reached out and gently stroked her cheek. “How old do you think we are Sweetling? Why don’t you try and guess our age, because we never really told you”?

Sky wonder at that statement she knew they were at least in their mid-thirties, but was going to guess older. Daddy, you’re about thirty-eight and Mommy thirty-six I guess.”

Rocssy gave a mock sound of surprise. “I always thought I looked in my late twenties early thirties. You’re still way off though Sweetling. We are both over a thousand years old, and we could live to be over some hundred-thousand years old. So, my little Sweetling you’re a little off on your guess. But not too many know how old we can get so don’t go around telling everyone. The reason we never told you before you never liked to lie to people. We just told you that you were a special being. Which you proudly told anyone who asked. Titans don’t hold a good name since the mage wars.” Rocssy paused to drink her tea.

Sky jumped in with another couple of questions. “Mommy, if we’re Titans how come we’re so small? Why do we have magic when you said it yourself Titans hold no magic? I’ve got so much I think Fred and Joe are jealous of it even though I’m sharing it with them.” Sky was taking this quite well so far.

Rocssy reached across and held Sky’s hand. “Sweetling I don’t think they’re jealous, I think they’re in all of your selflessnesses to share so freely almost everyone covets so much. No one has ever shared their magic as freely as you. If anything, they might be a little envious of your magic and strength. But not jealous of them. Mind you they are a rare type of men, and not everyone will be so kind as they are.” Rocssy gave Sky’s hand a squeeze and a smile. “We’ll be there to help when you need it. Remember not to trust everyone with a smile and a few kind words. Listen to their hearts and how they talk to others.”

“Yes Mommy, but what about why we are so small and have magic? Why did you lie to me about magic being fake when we can do it, and I have so much”? Sky gazed up to consider their eyes not understanding the reasons. Her parents kept so much from her and left her in the dark about their past.

Rocssy turned to Willy as she took a sip of tea and batted her eyelashes at him. Willy took his queue to start the tale. “Well, my little lady we never told you that we were in the mage war too. We went against the Titans who wanted to enslave all the other races under their strict dictatorship. Your mother and I are against any race forcing rule over another. At first, we used our royal status to prevent it from happening. We persuaded many not to pursue the dictatorship and to go back into unknown space. We had to start fighting when some Titans started to commit genocide to all but a few of the complacent races. The human mages on most planets were being killed on sight. Your mother and I heard of this, and we took action to stop this tyranny.” Willy had an angered look on his face. Sky only saw them once before. Rocssy put her hand on Willy’s shoulder.

“It’s alright dear; it’s long ago now you don’t have to fight anymore.” Willy calmed down and took a deep breath before beginning again. Rocssy left her hand on Willy’s shoulder