Crimson Reborn Ch. 17

Bethany stirred from her rest, uncurling her body from beneath a broad leaf. An outsider would have observed nothing more than a new leaf seeming to emerge from the garden. She stretched, her green skin reveling in the bright sunlight. With a gentle fluff, her red tresses fell perfectly on her shoulders. The only discomfort about her came from the full feeling in her breasts. Even that was not so much a discomfort as an urging anticipation. She needed to be milked, a reality of her life that excited her more each day. Her violet eyes scanned the garden for her first partner of the day, but she had risen late and would at best be a fourth in the nearest couplings.

What had began as her family's small plot with a rudimentary vegetable garden on it had become something truly grand. In every direction, vibrant hues of plantlife thrived. The patch of watermelon around her bore leaves big enough to cradle her in her rest. The fruit themselves like boulders jutting up from the ground. Nearby, trellises of living wood provided home to crawling vines of beans, pods big as Bethany's palm. The tops of potato and peanut plants shivered in the morning wind, the roots as happy in the rich soil as the fruit in the sun. The Garden grew at the behest of its tenders and at their whim. When not consumed with lust, they idled their time away cultivating a section for themselves. Bethany's bore fruit trees which should have been an impossibility in the climate, oversized roses, and a special section of her favorite plants, the ones she called Eroses.

It was to this place that she walked, pausing only a few times to observe the beautiful bodies entwined in carnal dance. The plants were not the only aspect of the Garden which had grown. Her mistress brought new converts to Bethany from time to time. "They have the green thumb," Lucy would say before giving the idle body a gentle kiss and leaving them to Bethany. The humans were unchanged when they arrived, but still given over to Lucy's song, bristling with energy and potential, like a seed. From those seeds, Bethany grew her new family. Some turned out green skinned like her, others sported flower crowns instead of hair. Others still were more vine and root than person, using their coiling and spreading limbs to deliver a particular kind of pleasure to their compatriots. Bethany loved them all, reveled in all their beauty, and delighted in their differences.

She arrived in her small section of special plants. The first, the one which gave her a new lease on life, still remained. It had grown like everything else. The phallic protrusion had once been roughly the size of a normal man's dick, but now it was meant to serve a woman transformed by Lucy's influence. The long stalk was thick and continuously glistening with the honey-like sap which thrived in the bodies of the Garden's keepers. This type of plant was not alone in the garden. They popped up all over the place with no need for cultivation, wriggling out of the earth to seek out the nearest cunt or ass. Nor was it the only type. Nearby, long, thick stalks ended in plump fruits which split down the center to offer an inviting and soft crevice. Other plants looked like asses, gourd like things which shifted and squished when touched. Some resembled breasts, fat and wobbling, filled to bursting with nectar that could be sucked out through the short buds at their tips.

Bethany's eyes roved over all of these, wondering which would sate her morning's lust. Her eye caught on the one somewhat neglected section of the entire place and mercy tickled some spot in her core to add an extra kick of pleasure to the idea. She passed through the thicker leaves of her beloved plants until she reached a small area of clear soil. Here, six different plants, the only six in the garden, stood at different heights. The newest was barely a sprout, only three feet tall from root to tip, and still humming from its transformation. The tallest and first to arrive in the garden was a little taller than Bethany herself. They were simple plants. Each had four broad leaves at their base, which could fold up to cover them, though how the leaves could lever up the tits defied logic. From the base of each stalk protruded massive bulbs of plantflesh which, at a glance, might pass as gourds. The stalk ended in a tulip like cup which could curve to face any direction. The cup ended in thick folds of soft, petal-like lips which could open and close at will. The inside of the cup was a bit of a mystery, but Bethany knew it to be wet and inviting.

She made her way to the tallest one and caressed the underside of its cup. The plant responded, moving eagerly down to "look" at her eye to eye. Bethany could feel the soul which had been Lowell Cammack tittering inside the plant. These six, Lowell included, did something in their lives to earn Lucy's contempt. Bethany didn't know of any others which had been denied the joy of Lucy's gift, let alone punished by it. Each plant contained the flicker of a soul, which Lucy hoped could be reshaped and reborn in time. Bethany didn't know if that was true. Other than their size, little changed about the plants.

Bethany stepped closer and guided the cup down to her breast. It needed no other encouragement. The plant's mouth closed around her tit and sucked. Bethany sighed with contentment as her nectar flowed into the strange plant. Its leaves hummed with happiness. It throbbed and sucked again, another gush streaming out of her breast. Bethany felt the familiar twinge of want between her legs. A second of the plants moved over to her. It was smaller, but its sucking mouth still fit over half her breast. The soft lips nudged their way up searchingly until they sealed and sucked. Bethany grunted as her lower lips parted, her body responding to the wonderful sensations.

She didn't think of it as having a cock, though she happily used it to fuck whenever she had the opportunity. Instead, she saw it as an extension of her being, like a tendril of her essence. That didn't prohibit it from responding like a dick, emerging whenever she was excited and not consciously restraining it. It glistened with slick arousal, like the phallic plants nearby, and it attracted a third of the sucker plants. A smaller one crowded over, straining its shaft of a neck to reach the throbbing rod of green flesh. Bethany moaned as the sucker sealed around her cock, sucking in rhythm with the other two. It wasn't rewarded immediately with milk, but it would be. She could feel it building deep inside her, and soon enough her cum would gush into the small plant's eager cup.

Her delight rippled through the whole Garden. Leaves rustled as vines sprang to live, crawling over the earth to find some way of bringing Bethany more pleasure. As one snaked up her thigh, hoping to plunge into her waiting pussy, a different kind of ripple echoed through the Garden. Bethany squeaked in surprised frustration as the plants all recoiled. The sucker plants enveloped themselves in their leaves, disappearing into nothing more than oversized buds. The nearby pussy and cock plants wriggled down into ordinary foliage. A jolt of fear ran through everything.

"Not fear," Bethany thought. "Awe." She focused on Lucy's song in her mind. It still thrummed with content joy. Wherever Bethany's mistress was, the Red Lady was either untroubled or unaware of the sudden change in the Garden. Bethany didn't know which option worried her more.

The plants around her became rigid. Leaves and stalks and branches all turned, creating a path. The earth itself rumbled beneath Bethany's feet, urging her to move, perhaps even nudging her slightly in the direction of the path. Not knowing what else to do, she began to walk. She crossed the more open areas of the Garden, looking out at the other former humans. They did not seem alarmed, but looked toward the nearby forest with some level of reverence Bethany didn't understand. The only one who did seem bothered was Humphrey, the pig-man. He didn't belong to the Garden, not like the others, but he liked to spend his time there. "Beth," he called. "What's happening?"

She wanted to call back, but her voice refused to cooperate. This alarmed Humphrey more, and the pig man scurried away, kilt and massive ballsack flapping. He'd fetch Lucy wherever she was, and Bethany got the distinct feeling that was by intent. Vines roiled along the path like snakes, pulling aside dirt and debris to make the path clear and pristine. Leaves relaxed as Bethany passed, disappearing her walkway as she crossed it. She walked obediently until she reached the edge of the Garden, a place where cultivation stopped and wildness reigned. Tall oaks and pines loomed up in front of her, but beyond she saw something new, a massive flourish of green and yellow and red. More curious now than alarmed, she went forward.

It was a massive flower. A flower the size of a house, with petals of all different colors and hues. Some spotted with black or white, others streaked with red. The whole thing gave off a vibrancy of life, enough to startle Bethany breathless. She wanted to touch it, to lie upon its petals and be caressed by its vines. But, for the first time since Lucy's gift, Bethany's desires did not arise from a carnal need. With sudden concern, she stepped back.

In response, the flower spoke. "Do not be troubled, daughter." The words came not through a voice, but through the shuddering of leaves, the twisting of limbs, and roll of earth and air. "We would have words with your mistress."

***

Lucy felt the tremor before she heard the panicked trill of Humphrey's call. With some reluctance, she decided to finish her current task before addressing whatever was causing the pig-man's concern.

She grinned down at the beastly man underneath her. It was hard to pick a favorite cock among her followers, but Cain's was something special. Lucy could feel the power of it inside of her, something more than just flesh and blood. Behind them, the cows rattled in their stalls as the other studs gave each one a hard fuck in rhythm with their master. Cain could see the distraction in his mistress's face and understood her intent to leave soon. It was the change in the song, Lucy knew. It happened reflexively more often than intentionally. Yet, it was there, a note of departing, of leaving, of seeking. Cain grabbed her ass and pulled her hard against him. His teeth bit her nipple slightly, earning a final gush of milk as his balls emptied into her divine warmth.

Moments later, breath returned, and she withdrew from him. She waved off the cow-girl from licking Cain's cum out of her. Emily whimpered in frustration before Cain clicked his tongue at her. Her hooves clopped merrily as she positioned herself over the abandoned cock and shoved down, filling up with Cain's still leaking dick and Lucy's juices.

Somewhat wistfully, Lucy left them. She walked out of the barn, hand trailing over whatever ass or face happened to be nearest. They all shivered as she touched them, their pleasure enhanced by her fingers alone. For Lucy's part, she had trouble distinguishing which among the herd was the most beautiful or handsome. The bulls were meager compared to Cain, but they had spirit in them. Eagerness instead of confidence, an aspiration instead of dominance. They would never truly rise, but they would always nurse that ember, and that made them seductive. The cows, blissful in their one purpose, attracted her with their simplicity. They got fucked and gave milk, gallons of the stuff a day. With their swollen ponderous tits, round bellies, and fat rumps, they were irresistible to any man or woman. And they were free from the worries of running a reality.

Lucy emerged from the barn as Humphrey struggled to free himself from the cab of his truck. The man loved his porcine form, but it did present several practical issues. Catching sight of Lucy, he stopped struggling to dislodge his rotund form from the steering wheel. "Mistress, something's happened at the Garden."

She reached out, searching for the souls of her gardeners. They were all present and happy, except one. "Where's Bethany?"

"She walked into the forest. Tried to talk to her, but she couldn't answer. Something made all the plants go wonky."

"Calm down," she said, putting her hand on the old pickup truck. It shimmered, becoming a sleek, new thing with plenty of room for hog-men. She didn't like to see Humphrey distressed, but it intrigued her. It was the first time since her ascension where one of her minions had felt anything other than pleasure or amusement. "She probably stepped beyond the bounds chasing after a hiker or something. Too far out of town and --"

"It's not that," he squealed, rather unbecomingly. "Sorry, mistress. It's something big. Bigger than..." He trailed off as she climbed into the truck, but his meaning was clear enough. You, he'd meant to say. Lucy was not a stranger to the feeling of other powers in the background of her world, but none of them had troubled her.

"Alright. Drive us. We'll sort this out."

***

The Garden did look unsettling. Plants drifted idly in the wind, but her people, the gardeners, stood still and upright facing the forest. They swayed to the sound of unheard music. Music that was distinctly not Lucy's. Lucy could hear it, too. It was coy and then bursting and shifting, like a melancholic tango shifting quickly to a vibrant buzzing. Lucy stood at the edge of the Garden, watching and listening. Humphrey shuffled his hooves beside her. "What's wrong with 'em?" he asked.

"Nothing," she answered. "Not anything new anyway." She looked down at herself, realizing she was naked. With a thought, emerald sequins spread down her form, hugging tight against her breasts to create massive cleavage and a straining bosom. It complemented her red hair and lips nicely, even if green wasn't particularly her favorite color. Turning her attention to her hands, she added a pair of elbow length ruby gloves. "I don't look like a Christmas tree, do I?"

Humphrey grunted or snorted. It was hard to tell the difference.

Lucy gathered her skirt and proceeded forward to the Garden. As she approached, the plants moved with life, opening a way for her. She curtsied and continued, Humphrey fumbling along behind. "Do you know why you're a pig, Humphrey?"

He oinked, "Hadn't thought about it."

She stopped, turned to look at him, and sighed, "Really? You turn into a man-pig, desecrate your wife into the same, and it doesn't cross your mind to question why a pig? Why not a badger or a tiger or anything?"

"Figured you had your reasons."

Lucy opened her mouth to argue, but realized he was right. "Well, yes. I did. Wouldn't have killed you to question it though." She resumed walking. "The changes that come about in people. At first, I drew out traits that I wanted. Everyone has a little bit of everything in them. But some people have much more of one thing than another. You, for example, were a glutton. For food, for booze, for sex if you could have gotten it more often. You wanted to consume, and what common member of the domesticated animal community is known for its gluttonous behavior."

"Pig?"

"Indeed. And as for Bertie, she was a little of the same, but still quite different. But that wasn't up to me, it was up to you. Your soul, purifying itself down to little more than want and lust, bonded with the same parts of her. You two were in love, after all. And that's a kind of link to each other. Look what happened to my husband. I become a goddess of lust, and he becomes life support for an enormous dick."

"What're you tellin me for?" She could sense the discomfort in his head, both at her conversation and the unease of seeing his friends locked into some kind of trance.

"I'm explaining what's wrong with everyone," she said. Gesturing around at the green, flowery people, "These people came here for a reason. It drew them to it like you were drawn to the bar or Cain and the cows to the dairy. The souls which come here are stripped down to almost nothing, some more than others. They're as close to a pure soul as I can make, I think. Everything taken away except for the desire to grow, to cultivate. Which is rather unintentionally cruel because we don't. Anyway, a pure soul is like a moth, drawn to whichever is the biggest flame around." She stopped at the far edge of the Garden and pointed into the forest. "And that is a bonfire."

Humphrey nodded. Whether he did it because he'd followed what she said or because he simply had the habit of nodding whenever people stopped talking, Lucy didn't know.

"Am I getting better at metaphors at least?"

"Wouldn't know, would I?" Humphrey took a step back. "Think I'll stay on this side of the line, though. If'n you don't need me."

Lucy shrugged and let her dress drop into the twigs and leaves at her feet. "No, I don't. If a god is going to smite me or something, we can at least deprive it of a second course of bacon." She pushed forward.

***

Lucy's pulse quickened as she approached the thing in the forest. She saw Bethany, once again hearing her disciple's voice in her song. Bethany knelt on a giant lily pad spread across the forest floor. She looked unchanged and gave Lucy a calm smile. Before her, the immense flower hovered, but it was no longer a bloom of open petals. It contorted and moved, forming a face, slightly feminine but altogether otherworldly. The thing looked at Lucy with hollow eyes. The whole forest trembled as she approached.

"Crimson," it said, the voice a wind through rushes.

"Lucy's fine," she answered, trying to remain as puffed up as possible. Lucy put all her glory on display, save only stripping out of her dress to dazzle nature itself with her brazen body. It was enough to reduce a mortal man to a puddle of whimpering cum, but Lucy felt small in the glade. "And who or what are you?"

The plant creature seemed to smile, or rather it moved its leaves and branches into the facsimile of a smile. When it spoke again, it seemed to find the answer amusing, "Viridian."

"Not exactly an informative answer," Lucy said.

The wind gusted. The voice became voices, hundreds of them, speaking at different tones and pitches. "We are Viridian! The seed of life. The consort of Time. The Ending, The Beginning, The Cycle Unceasing."

Lucy's eyes widened, but as the winds died down, she held her hands out to her sides and cast a glance at Bethany. "Ok?"

The giant flower contorted again into something like a frown. "You are small. A sliver of the Passion. You hold this realm. Deep roots. Strong vines. We would not see it remain an abomination."

"Sorry, are we calling each other names now?" Lucy asked, hands on hips. "Cause listen, plant-face, that's not...nice." She thought for a moment of her actual devils and decided not to press the issue of civility.

"No cycle. Abomination." The plant lowered one of the petals that formed its cheek. On it a seed floated into the air. Lucy watched as the seed sprouted and grew into a small tree. The tree sprouted fruits that fell and rotted. And then, floating before her, the tree withered and collapsed to dust. "The Cycle Unceasing," the wind said again. As it did, the fallen fruit sprouted in thin air, growing into small trees as well. "This place is outside. Omitted from the Cycle. It does not End. It does not Begin. It simply Is."

"Yeah, that's how I like it," Lucy said. "No disease, no death. Eternal pleasure, that's sort of my whole deal. What's it to you, beanstalk?"

"I would see you grow," it answered.

Lucy's brow furrowed. It sounded like the plant thing wanted to help her. "We do grow. Bethany has quite the garden, if you haven't noticed. And my people swell in number every day. I'll have a whole town pretty soon."