FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Officially, it was known as Waystation X5-161-Betelgeuse. But the only people who called it that were accountants. Colloquially, it was known as the Bucket, owing to the large solar panels on the top that gave it a rather distinctive shape. It was one of hundreds of such waystations across the Pan-Galactic Alliance's sphere of influence. It was, in many respects, just like any of the other such stations. It was a place for space travelers to fuel up their vessels, get some directions, have a quick rest, and ingest whatever nourishment and/or intoxicant they could find.

The Bucket was a little bit different in that it was on the outer fringes of what was laughably known as "civilized space", and as such, the crowds tended to be a bit odd.

If one were to look in on such an establishment on any given day, one would see a wide variety of sophonts. There would be mammals, reptiles, avians, synthetics. Some on two legs, some on four, a few on none. Beings of every shape, ability, and gender imaginable and a few that weren't, because all were welcome. "Unusual" wasn't a word that these people threw around frequently.

But the being that stepped into the main terminal on this day turned a few heads all the same.

In and of herself, she wasn't unusual. She was an Avali, saurian sophonts not commonly seen out this far, but not so infrequently so as to be unheard of. And she was a fairly typical example of the species; standard anthropoid body, a little over four feet tall, with muted red plumage accentuated by a soft cream-colored hide. She was wearing a cooling suit, typical of beings whose native climates were colder than most.

No, the thing that made her stand out was the fact that she was an Avali. If you knew nothing else about Avali, you knew that they were an intensely communal species, and it was practically unheard of to see one travelling without a pack. To see a lone Avali this far from their home, you knew that they had been either cast out, or else had voluntarily ventured out alone. And it was hard to say which one of those had been worse.

The surrounding crowds grew hushed as she paced through the terminal with a destination in mind. Her first stop was at a vending machine, where she dispensed a nutrition bar suitable for a carnivorous diet. With that settled, she made her way to the information desk, which was being manned by a synthetic with a bronze-colored taurform body and a draconian head.

"Welcome to the Bucket, friend," they said, as the newcomer stepped up. "How may I be of service today?"

The Avali reached into her satchel and withdrew a small data tablet, offering it to the synthetic. "I'm looking for a planet that matches these criteria," she said. "I think it's in this sector."

"Let's see here." The synthetic slipped the chip into a port in their torso, and the liquid crystal screen that displayed their eyes shifted for a moment as they parsed the data. "Hmm. I believe I have found a result. I am legally obligated by the Pan-Galatic Alliance to inform you that it is a Nirgal-Class hazardous world, and as such, the PGA is not responsible for any harm that befalls you on your venture, nor will you have access to any PGA support systems."

The Avali nodded. "I accept this," she said.

"Excellent!" said the synthetic, their demeanor bright. Their display flashed for a moment, and the tablet was dispensed once again. "The world you're looking for is Eki-756. Would you like to hear a list of reasons why you shouldn't go there?"

"I think I'm good," said the Avali, accepting the tablet. "Thank you very much."

"You know what you're doing! Hopefully. Have a nice day now!"

Without another word, the Avali made her way out of the terminal. Not long after she departed, the idle chatter and motion continued. A few people wondered what she was up to, but most of them couldn't be bothered to care, and by the next day, barely anyone would remember that she had been here.

~*~

Tammy put the coordinates from the data tablet into her shuttle's computer, all four of her ears perking up with excitement as she saw the display light up.

"Yes!" she said, pumping a fist. "Finally!"

This was it. This had to be it. The PGA had the remote world on-file as Eki-754, and it was barely a footnote, one of many small worlds unsuitable for habitation, nor containing any resources of note.

But to her people, it was Davi'Sha'Naar. "The Garden of Demons", in the old language.

Tammy was a very, very long way from home. Not that she felt particularly welcome there. She had been an academic once, as was the rest of her pack, with her field of interest being the pre-history of her species. Everyone knew, of course, that the world that they lived on was not the origin of the species. The common knowledge was that the world that Avali had first evolved on had been an inhospitable place where every day was a struggle for survival. Legend had it that the Avali of old were frequently beset by creatures that they called "demons", creatures that would infest their bodies and drive them to commit abominable acts.

All of this was superstitious nonsense, of course. But there was a grain of truth in the center of every legend, and Tammy was driven by a need to know what that truth was. Most of her peers didn't care. They were indifferent at best and dismissive at worst. Many didn't even believe the world had even existed. But Tammy knew that there had to be something. She had trawled the deepest reaches of the archives, putting together every source she could find, referencing and cross-referencing every scrap of information that had ever been written down, and it had culminated in her bringing a proposal to the Academy to mount an expedition to find Davi'Sha'Naar.

And it had been turned down.

To say that this had ruffled her feathers would have been a gross understatement. She had been furious. She had doubled down at first, making an even more impassioned plea to the review board, and it was only the threat of losing her credentials that made her back off.

After that, her packmates could barely calm her down. They were sympathetic, of course, as only fellow academics could be, but at the same time, they didn't get it. This wasn't something she could just move on from, or try again the next time the review board was accepting proposals. This was something that burned within her. It wasn't that they didn't see how important this was to her; her packmates weren't jerks. No, it was that they didn't seem to think it was important in and of itself. "Your curiosity will have to wait," they said.

This was no mere curiosity. This was a void within her that yearned to be filled. And it was this void that drove her to consider the unthinkable.

They had tried to talk her out of it, of course. Going off on a venture like this alone was madness. But no matter what, they were still her pack, and when one of your pack had something they absolutely had to do, you backed them up, no matter what. So they pooled their savings, purchased a small shuttle with FTL capabilities, and made her promise to come back alive.

The Academy would be scandalized when they found out, of course, but Tammy was light-years beyond caring what they thought now.

It had been a long journey, but now it was nearing its end. As the shuttle's autopilot began to navigate, Tammy activated her logbook.

"It's been five decacycles since I left home," she said, recording her thoughts for future perusal. "And I'm finally coming up on something concrete. I'd be lying if I said that my conviction had never wavered, but now I'm onto something. These coordinates are the proof I needed. Davi'Sha'Naar does exist! In theory, I could turn back now and probably get someone on my side here... but you know what? This is my journey, my discovery, and I am going to come home having set foot on the planet myself, and rub it in all of their faces." She let out an amused trill at the thought of the review board prostrating themselves before her. Then she coughed.

"Anyway. I have no idea what I'm going to find when I get there. Whatever the 'demons' of legend really are, I doubt they're anything friendly. Although there is one story in particular that stuck out to me. Most of the stories in the more mainstream publications speak of the demons as monsters that existed only to torment and corrupt us. But there were some more obscure texts that spoke of them 'testing us', and that by enduring these trials, you could discover your..."

She trailed off for a moment, lost in thought.

"The translation was kind of ambiguous at that point. Depending on the context, it could either be 'inner potential' or 'true self'. I don't know what I'm going to discover on Davi'Sha'Naar. What I want, more than anything else, is to find the truth behind the legends."

With that, she closed the log and sighed. Once she engaged the FTL, it would still be about two cycles before she made landfall. So she decided to get some rest while she could.

~*~

Tammy was roused from her slumber by her shuttle's alert tone. She had a brief moment of panic before remembering that this particular tone was the ship telling her that it had dropped out of FTL, not that it was about to explode.

Groggily, she made her way up to the control console and engaged the viewport, and what she saw woke her up faster than her energy supplements ever could.

There was a planet before her, much of its surface dominated by blue ocean and green landmass. This was it. She was now seeing it with her own very eyes.

Tammy couldn't stop herself from letting out an excited cheer. But there would be time enough for celebration later. She had work to do now, and it started by engaging the landing sequence. She plotted a course for the center of the largest landmass, then darted off to start getting her supplies together.

~*~

Tammy's heart was pounding rapidly as she waited for her ship to open up. In mere minutes, she'd take her first step onto Davi'Sha'Naar, and she would be the first Avali to do so in untold thousands of years. The camera in her helmet was engaged, and she was ready.

Finally, the hatch opened, and Tammy's breath caught in her throat as she saw it.

Tammy had lived on her species' homeworld of Avalon for her whole life. Most of the native flora was, like Avali, adapted for cold climates. Shrubs, sedges, and mosses were pre-eminent, and the only species of tree to be seen were imported from other worlds. She'd never seen a place like this before.

Her ship's on-board scanners had found her a reasonably flat place to land, but it had taken some doing. Flat places were at something of a premium here. All around her, as far as the eyes could see, were densely-packed trees, reaching up to the sky. The ground was carpeted with lush grasses and vibrant flowers in exotic colors. Almost every surface was covered with thick vines.

"It's so beautiful," she said, as she took her first steps. The ground was soft and unyielding between her. She took in the sights for several minutes, not wanting to miss a thing, before she let herself shift back into academic mode.

"Initial impressions of Davi'Sha'Naar," she said, her suit recording everything she said. "Initial scans indicate that the atmosphere is breathable, and the ambient temperature is higher than Avalon's, but still cool enough that I should be comfortable without a suit. Before setting off, I had my blood nanites upgraded to buff up my immune system a bit, so I should be able to shrug off anything the local ecosystem can throw at me. ...I hope."

With that, she disengaged the locks on her helmet and, with only a moment's trepidation, she took it off and inhaled deeply.

"The air smells... sweet," she went on. "Floral. The native flora is interesting. Despite the computer's projections for the world's average temperature, the plant life more closely resembles those suited to a more tropical climate. I'm not a botanist, so I'm not going to speculate further."

She took a few steps forward, her eyes darting all around, wanting to take in everything. Part of her just wanted to take off running and chirp in excitement. But she had to wear the academic hat for the moment. She pressed on.

"I've got enough food supplies for ten decacycles, but I'm hoping that I can supplement that with something I can forage. I had considered the possibility of hunting, but my biological scanners have detected no animal life more complex than small insects. I'm not an... animal-ologist either, but that seems weird to me. There's so many unusual things about this planet, and I have so many questions about it."

Now she couldn't stop herself from smiling as the excitement began to well up. She was here. Davi'Sha'Naar was beneath her feet and it was real.

"My goal is to find some evidence of our former habitation here. Something good enough that the Academy will have to send out a proper expedition! And if this planet is really here to test my potential, then I'm ready to be tested! So bring it on, world! Tammy is here!"

Then she heard something rustling in the trees, and she let out a startled squawk, her head whipping around.

"That had to just be the wind, right ...Of course. Just the wind. There's nobody else here."

She had no idea who she was trying to reassure here, but the rustling continued. Tammy felt her heart race. Was she truly alone here?"

Tammy was a scholar first and foremost, and she abhorred violence. But she wasn't a fool, either. From her belt, she withdrew a small and compact stun pistol, which had the capability to harmlessly disable a being ten times her weight. Slowly, she approached the source of the rustling. As she got closer and closer to the treeline, it seemed to stop.

"Maybe it was the wind," she said, as she approached one of the tall trees. Like many of them, this one had thick, ropy vines wrapped around its trunk. She laid a hand on it. It was firm, but yielded slightly to the touch, like a succulent, and it was oddly warm. She squeezed slightly, and...

Tammy yelped again as, right before her eyes, the vines began to shift, slithering around the trunk like a constricting snake. The rustling sounds intensified, and all around her, vines were starting to creep and crawl, moving along the ground and the trees, some of them beginning to knit together. And she took several steps back, raising the stunner.

"Plant-based lifeforms," she said, breathlessly. "Is that why I didn't detect any animals? They're all... plants?"

Several of the vine clusters bunched together, slowly rising from the ground, forming stalks, and from the clusters, plump buds began to emerge. The buds, in turned, opened up into enormous pink flowers, dozens of them. All of them pointed at her. If she didn't know better, she'd almost swear that they were watching her.

Tammy took several steps to the right, and found that the blossoms tracked her movement. Whatever this was, it was definitely alive, and definitely aware of her. But the question remained... was it intelligent, or simply acting on instinct?

She knew that running back to the shuttle and considering her next move carefully was the right move, but if Tammy had one fatal flaw, it was curiosity.

Slowly, she raised one gloved hand and waved it back and forth, and the flowers turned to follow the movement, swaying like a metronome. Tammy saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned to the left, finding herself face to face with a bud the size of her head, coming off from a cluster that was hanging from a nearby branch.

The bud slowly opened up, revealing long yellow petals surrounding a dark orange bulb. It didn't have a face, but it seemed oddly inquisitive.

"Um... hello?" she said, waving once again. "It's... nice to meet you."

The flower trembled for a moment. Was it responding to her voice? Did it have any way of-

Before Tammy's train of thought could get any further, it was promptly derailed as the bulb pulsed open, releasing a cloud of extremely fine pollen into her face. Tammy began to sneeze and sputter as the particulates got into her eyes and sinuses, and she darted off, running back to her shuttle and closing the door behind her. As quickly as she could - which was not very, considering that her vision was quite blurred - she made her way to the bathroom and splashed her face with water.

"Oh, tailfeathers," she groaned, as she toweled off. "If I get some sort of space plague from this, the academy is never going to let me live it down." She took a moment to compose herself, taking her breath. She got all of the pollen off her face, but some bits of it still clung to her plumage. She brushed some of it off with a hand, looking down at it. Against her better judgment, she gave it a sniff. There it was, that lightly sweet smell that she'd gotten when she first took her helmet off, except much, much stronger. It wasn't an unpleasant smell, though. On the contrary, it was very pleasant. It was a nice, warm aroma, and it made her feel warm inside...

Very warm, in fact. She started to undress, breaking down her suit. A shower would be a good idea.

One short but very intense shower later, Tammy staggered out of the shuttle's bathroom and collapsed out of her bed, not even bothering to get re-dressed. It had felt nice, but hadn't helped much. She still felt warm. It was like she was generating heat from within her. A pleasant comforting heat, flowing out of her core and into all of her extremities, filling her body with a delectable tingling sensation and her mind with visions of-

Tammy suddenly sat bolt upright, very pointedly aware of something that was tingling. She looked down at herself and saw that her member had fully emerged from its protective sheath and was lightly throbbing.

"Really?" she said, looking down at herself. "All of the things you could be feeling right now and horny is the one you decide to go with?"

Her body's response was an additional flare of hot desire. Stars, she hadn't wanted to ravish something this badly since her first molt!

Tammy sighed. Well, it had been awhile since she'd had any sort of release, and it wasn't like she was on an especially strict timetable, and well, she did have an entire planet to herself.

Well, that settled it. She reached in a nearby storage cubby and retrieved a little vial of personal lubricant. and emptied it out onto her cock, then got down to business, gripping it gently and starting to stroke. She hadn't intended for it to be anything particularly special, just to get things done so that her natural impulses would stop bothering her and she could get back to work. But as soon as she gripped herself, she felt an intense surge of pleasure, causing her to let out a shocked trill.

"Since when am I that sensitive?" she said, taking a moment to catch her breath before continuing. She started off taking it easy, stroking at a light, steady pace, but it wasn't long before that was inadequate. She gripped harder, pumping her hand up and down with intensity, her breath quickening, but she still wanted more. She changed positions, pulling her legs up behind her head, and with her free hand, started pumping a lubed-up finger into her tailhole. That was the stuff! It didn't take much longer before, with an inelegant squawk, she finally managed to get herself off, letting out a thick rope of seed with enough intensity to clear the bed entirely. With a satisfied sigh, she unfolded herself and flopped back, lying spread-eagle on the bed.

"I should really clean that up," she murmured. "And then get back to work. But first, I'll just... rest my eyes for a bit. Yeah, that's the ticket."

But if there was one thing that Tammy's many hours cramming for the Academy's entrance exams should have taught her but never did, it's that no-one in the history of civilization had ever managed to successfully 'rest their eyes for a bit', and it wasn't long before she was out like a light, dreaming of lush jungles and beautiful flowers.

~*~

Tammy woke up a few hours later, mildly annoyed with herself. But there was nothing for it. She had another brief shower and got herself dressed again, this time in a simple coverall rather than the full environment suit, and set out into the world again.

It was still bright and sunny out. Either the planet had a very long day/night cycle, or she had been out longer than she'd thought. Either way, there was nothing for it but to get to work exploring. She wasn't entirely sure what she would be looking for, of course, but that was the exciting part!

As Tammy approached the treeline, she could see that the thick clusters of vines that were still in place from the other day. A bit more cautiously, she approached them once again. The cluster didn't seem to be moving this time. Were they... sleeping? Did plants sleep? She really didn't know. She gave the cluster a cautious poke with a stick, and it began to rustle as the vines started to move once again.

"Um, sorry?" she said, watching as the cluster untied itself, revealing what looked like an enormous bulb at the center of it, bigger than she was, wobbling from side to side as the vines crept away from it.

Tammy wanted to get out her recording equipment, but... there would be time enough to record things, of course. Right now, this place was for her and her alone, and she wanted to take some time to appreciate its wonders.

The bulb slowly began to split open, oozing a clear, viscous fluid from the tip as it did so, and Tammy wondered what sort of remarkable plant this could possibly be. She trembled with anticipation as it peeled open, slowly but surely, and...

Tammy would have screamed, but her voice caught in her throat. From inside the bulb, what was unmistakably a hand emerged, starting to pull the petals aside. Another one soon joined it, and judging by the way it gripped the petals, it was having a bit of trouble.

Cautiously, Tammy approached it. "Do you, um... need some help?" she said. The hands withdrew, and Tammy's self-preservation instincts began telling her to run. But they were quickly beaten into submission by her curiosity, and she reached forward, giving the petals a tug downward, peeling them apart, and from within the bulb, and shape emerged, and Tammy's heart froze.

It was an Avali.

Except... it wasn't an Avali, not exactly. It looked like an Avali, but more like a sculpture of an Avali, made in the medium of natural materials. It was about her height, her build, but its body looked like it was made from roots and grasses knit together. Instead of feathers, it had long stalks covered with vibrant yellow flowers, reminiscent of goldenrod. And it looked back at her through a pair of vibrant green eyes that shone like crystals.

Tammy was rooted to the spot as the plant-avali took a few clumsy steps, as if it was still trying to figure out how legs worked. It took a step toward her, and Tammy took a step back.

"What... is this?" said Tammy. And as if the day could not have gotten strange enough, the plant responded to her.

"Well, that's no way to greet a new friend," it replied, its voice high and reedy, with a distinctly musical lilt to it.

Now Tammy actually screamed. The plant-Avali-thing waited patiently for her to stop.

"Are you done?" it said, once she stopped to catch her breath.

"Who are you?" said Tammy, hand over her heart as she struggled to compose herself.

The being threw up its hands in an exaggerated shrug. "Is that not obvious?" it said. "We are a demon. Nice to meet you."

Tammy looked the figure up and down. It - they? - stood there, smiling pleasantly, as she tried to process all of this.

They didn't wait for her to finish. "At least, that is what you would know us as. It has been a long time since we have seen one of you. It is hard to say how long... we do not reckon time quite the same as you."

"You're... a demon," said Tammy, as her brain caught up with her. "A real, actual demon. But you're a plant!"

"Very astute of you."

Great. Demons were sarcastic. That would look great in her thesis. "And you're also... an Avali?"

"We are not," said the demon, gesturing around her. "We are what we are. We simply took on this shape in order to facilitate communication with you. We were curious about you ever since you landed, but we lacked the means of understanding. The DNA contribution that you gave us earlier was an immense help in that regard."

"DNA contribution?" Tammy racked her brain as she tried to think of what the demon could possibly mean. Then something clicked. "...You mean when I sneezed on that flower?"

The demon laughed. "Not exactly the method we would have chosen, but one has to work with what one can. You took some of our essence into yourself, and in doing so, you forged a connection between us. Which is why we are speaking in a tongue that you can understand."

"That was going to be my next question," said Tammy. Now that the initial panic had worn off, she could feel excitement surging within her. "I have so many questions!"

"We know," said the demon. They had begun to pace around her, sizing her up. "Through our connection, we can feel what you feel. Your enthusiasm is absolutely delightful."

"Um, thanks, I think," said Tammy, turning around to keep her eyes on them. They were shaped like an Avali, but they didn't move like one, walking with a slow, sensious strut. "Do you have a name, or something I can call you? ...Are you even an individual?"

"We are ourselves, but we are also a part of a greater whole. Those in the whole have little need for identifiers, for each one knows each other like we know ourselves. But we suppose an individual name would make us a bit easier to relate with." They stopped in place for a moment, as if mulling something over. "How about 'Jaune'? We like the way that word sounds."

"Alright then, Jaune," said Tammy, rubbing her hands together with delight. "I have so much I want to ask you! Maybe I should make a list. Hold on, I need to go get my notebook."

Jaune laid a hand on Tammy's shoulder, their eyes meeting hers. "There is much we cannot tell you," they said, "for you would not be able to comprehend it. But there are things we could show you. But before that can happen, the connection between us must be deepened."

Tammy blinked. Something about the way Jaune spoke the word 'deepened' set her on edge. If the legends were to be believed, then Jaune was one of the very creatures that drove her people off of this world in ages past. But she refused to believe that it could be as simple as that. Who were they, after all, to decide who was or was not a "demon"? Tammy wanted to learn more about this, so much more, and for that, there was little she wouldn't do.

"Do whatever you need to!" she said, pumping her fists. "I want you to show me everything!"

"And so we shall," said Jaune. And with that, she pulled Tammy close and kissed her. Tammy's eyes went wide as Jaune's mouth connected with hers. Despite the botanical makeup of their body, their mouth felt as soft and sensuous as any other that Tammy had kissed. And Jaune's grasp of Avali anatomy was more complete than Tammy could have imagined, as she felt a long tongue, very much like her own, slip into her mouth.

This was definitely not what Tammy had signed on for, and yet she could not help but lean into the kiss. She could feel tingles down her spine as she made out with the demon. And as they parted, she could feel her chest heaving. Jaune's face was mere inches away from her own, their eyes locked.

"We want you to understand something, little bold one," they said. "Nothing will happen to you from this point on that is against your will. Everything that follows will happen only if you want it to happen. But if you let us in, then we can show you things beyond your wildest dreams."

Tammy had no reason to trust Jaune. She had just met them, and they were of an unknown and possibly mythical species. She knew nothing of their psychology and their motivations. And yet, she believed them when they said that if she wanted to be let go, she would be.

But being let go was the furthest thought from her mind right now. The possibility of turning back was utterly preposterous to her. She would do whatever it took to learn the secrets of this world, and of the beings that inhabited it.

"Please, show me," said Tammy. "Show me everything."

"Everything, hmm?" said Jaune, grinning at her. "That may take awhile." They leaned in and kissed Tammy again, and this time, Tammy reciprocated. She tried not to let the strangeness of this situation sink in, and instead focused on the sensations directly in front of her, and they were very nice. So nice that it took Tammy a few moments to realize that something was creeping up the leg of her pants. She pulled back and looked down, jerking the leg of her coverall up, and sure enough, there was a vine curling around her leg.

"Um, is that...?"

"Part of us?" said Jaune. "Yes, indeed. This body we have made is merely an extension of the one you speak to. There is more to us than you can see, but soon, you will feel it."

Tammy hesitated for a moment and considered her options. Some sixth sense told her that if she really and truly wanted to back off, now was the time to speak up. But she knew what she wanted, and she suspected that Jaune did too.

"Just hold on for a tick, will you?" she said. "Let me get a bit more comfortable."

The vine relinquished its grasp, and as it did so, Tammy unzipped the jumpsuit, balled it up, and tossed it in the general direction of the shuttle, leaving her just as naked as Jaune was. Then she gave a nod, and the vines began to return, and they brought friends. Jaune smirked and seated themselves on the ground before Tammy as more and more of the thick vines began to sprout, curling around Tammy's limbs, not restraining her, but merely supporting her, and sure enough, she felt herself lifted off the ground as some of the vines stiffened into a sort of harness.

"We can feel your pulse quickening," said Jaune, in a sensuous whisper. "It is something we have not felt for a very long time."

"A long time... you mean the last time that Avali were here?"

Jaune raised a hand and waggled an accusatory finger from side to side. "There will be time enough for questions later, little bird."

Tammy let out a yelp as she felt several more vines begin to wrap around her, holding her just tight enough to be comfortable. They were smooth and just a little slick. And just when she was starting to get used to things, she could feel one of them probing into her tailhole, while another began to gently rub across her vent, coaxing her member free.

Despite the fact that she was sitting several feet away, Jaune was shivering with delight. The vines really were, if not directly a part of them, whatever "they" actually were, then at least close enough to share in the sensations they were feeling.

"You can... go a little harder if you'd like," said Tammy. "I can take it."

"As you wish, then."

And with that, one vine wrapped around her cock, forming a snug sleeve around it, while the other plunged deep into her ass, eliciting a delighted trill. Acting as one, the vines surrounding her cock began to pulsate, moving steadily back and forth. The inside of the pocket felt soft and squishy in the most divine way, and it was just as intense as any sexual encounter that Tammy could recall, if not more so. At the same time, the vine filling her rear began to thicken, stretching her out just enough to be pleasant without seriously hurting as it began to steadily pump into and out of her. More and more vines were covering her body, massaging and caressing her all over as they rhythmically fucked her ass and milked her cock.

"Good!" she cried out, squirming in their grasp. "Feels... so good!" She couldn't move much, as the vines held her tight and would not let go, but that only added to the overall sensations. And just when she thought she couldn't take any more, she felt one vine, thicker than the rest, plunge itself into her open mouth, and Tammy did what came naturally. She began to suck, bobbing her head back and forth on the thick vine, and as she did so, she could hear a staccato hum from Jaune, the demon beginning to shudder heavily, as surely as if Tammy had been directly pleasuring them. And indeed, perhaps she was!

It wasn't long before Tammy was pushed to the brink of orgasm. She was quite incapable of doing anything to indicate this other than moan around the vine that filled her mouth, but it seemed that Jaune could tell, and the demon increased the intensity of their assault tenfold. And Tammy couldn't hold back any more, letting out a muffled cry as she came hard. At the same time, she was aware of a sweet, nectar-like fluid flowing into her mouth, which she swallowed down eagerly.

As she was utterly spent, she felt the vines begin to let her down, setting her gently upon the ground. Jaune approached her and ran a hand down her cheek.

"You are beautiful, little bird," they said, leaning down to kiss Tammy once again. "Have a short rest now. You will need your strength for what is to come, after all."

Tammy sorely wanted to ask for some elaboration in that regard, but she felt completely and utterly wrung out by the intensity of her orgasm. And so she heeded Jaune's suggestion, letting herself splay out on the soft grass beneath her and closing her eyes, as a pleasant tingling sensation washed over her whole body.

~*~

Tammy had no frame of reference for how long she was out of it. What she did know was that she couldn't remember the last time she'd slept so well. She was completely and utterly blissed out. She stretched and yawned, rubbing her hands on her face.

Then she stopped, looking at her hands. She waved them around, looked at the front and the back, flexed her digits. Yes, those were definitely her hands. And she was almost positive that they hadn't been purple when she'd fallen asleep. She looked around, but there was no sign of Jaune.

Tammy was in no mood to wait for them. She got to her feet and made a mad dash back to the shuttle, stopping only to retrieve her clothes. She looked at herself in the first reflective surface she could see, and let out a shocked squawk. It wasn't just her hands. Her hide and feathers had changed all over to shades of violet, and her eyes had gone from their usual soft peach hue to a brilliant yellow.

There would be time for panic later. She needed to sort this out now. Her shuttle, small as it was, didn't have a fully-equipped medical bay, just a first aid station, but it did have a bioscanner. She let the device take a drop of her blood and fixed its sensor pads to her temples and chest, tapping her feet idly as she let it work.

The results came back. Body temperature, normal. Organ functions, all normal. No pathogens detected, no allergic reactions, everything green across the board. The only things it picked up out of the ordinary were slightly elevated hormone levels and the presence of an unidentified compound in her tissues.

Tammy glowered at the scanner. "You don't say." She sighed and looked at herself again. Well, if the machine wasn't going to give her any answers, then she knew one person that probably would.

Marching out of the shuttle, she made her way back to the treeline and gave the first tree she came across a kick.

"Jaune! Where are you?" she snapped. Like a piece of overripe fruit, a shape dropped from the tree above, quickly unfolding itself into the familiar shape of the demon.

"There's no need to get violent," said Jaune, sounding more amused than upset. "Is something the matter?"

Tammy glared at the demon and gestured at herself. They stroked their chin, looking her up and down.

"We think that it is a good color on you."

"That is not even remotely the point! What did you do to me?"

"Nothing that you didn't want to happen, little bird."

Tammy let out an annoyed groan. "I'm sorry, but where in our little encounter last night did I say the words 'yes, please turn me purple'?"

"You said you wanted to know everything," said Jaune, stepping closer to her. "Well, this is part of it. You are closer to us than before. Can you not feel it?"

"Feel what?" said Tammy, looking down at herself. "I don't feel any different!"

"Do you not?" said Jaune, with a cryptic grin.

"...I realize that you're enjoying this, but please just give me a straight answer."

Jaune sighed. "You are no fun. Very well. Come here." With that, they took Tammy's hand and pressed it against a nearby tree trunk. "Concentrate. What do you feel?"

Tammy decided to play along. She relaxed and closed her eyes. "Bark? Moss? Something like lichen?"

"Deeper than that. What do you feel?"

Tammy concentrated harder, trying to 'feel deeper', whatever that was supposed to mean. And then she did; it was like a tingling sensation in the back of her mind. She honed in on that feeling, and she realized that she was much, much more aware of the space around her. It was like she was reaching out and touching things off in the distance. She could see trees and shrubs and vines in her mind's eye, stretching out and out, and a bit further in the distance... something distinctly inorganic that she could not quite make out the shape of.

She let go of the tree, and let her awareness snap back into her head.

"What was that?" she said.

"You let us in," said Jaune, hand on her shoulder. "And the more of us that you let in, the more we can show you. We have only given you a taste, little bird. There is so much more that you can see."

Tammy put her hand on Jaune's, meeting the demon's eyes. They had their usual playful smirk, but there was something softer and much more genuine behind those eyes.

"Come with us, please," said Jaune. "We feel your desires. We want to help you."

Tammy considered her options. She could just get back in her shuttle, fly off, and hope beyond hope that someone back home could find a cure for whatever this is. Or she could trust that this "demon", this monster of myth and legend, genuinely had her best interests in heart and see what happened next.

In the end, curiosity won. As it always did. But she couldn't always let it win that easily.

"Alright then. Show me."

And Jaune smiled wide. They started to walk off, beckoning for Tammy to follow. "This way," they said. "Do not look so nervous, bold one. This is going to be fun for both of us."

Knowing in her heart that there was no point in hesitating anymore, Tammy followed Jaune. She looked back over her shoulder to see her shuttle disappearing from view, before turning back and focusing on what was ahead.

As she followed Jaune deeper into the jungle, the foliage got denser and denser, and yet she always seemed to have a clear path before her, as if something (or perhaps someone?) was making a way for her.

"Where are you taking me?" asked Tammy, trying to keep her bearings, but one patch of greenery was the same as the rest. It was hard to tell where they were, or how far they had traveled.

"Here, of course," said Jaune. They made a flourishing gesture, and a massive clump of tangled shrubbery parted right before Tammy's eyes, revealing a ruined building. It was made from roughly-hewn stone and looked positively ancient, and it was covered with vines and moss. It looked positively ancient, and it was a wonder it hadn't fallen to ruin. Or perhaps not. Maybe the plant life was holding it together now.

"We were not alive when your people last walked this land," said Jaune, putting a hand on Tammy's shoulder as she marveled at the sight before her. "It was many generations ago. Many cycles of germination, growth, and decay took place. But all are of this world, and some part of us will always remember. And that is why we - all of us - preserved this place. Because we always hoped that someday you would return."

Jaune walked toward the overgrown entrance, and Tammy followed. As they moved, vines and shoots followed them along the walls, as if they, too, wanted to see what was within.

It looked, to Tammy, like a massive temple, built for the worship of nature itself. There were seats and altars and pots set about in regular intervals, and every surface was covered in greenery. Every surface except for one. Set into the far wall was a beautiful mosaic, depicting...

Tammy let out a gasp as she dashed towards the wall. "Those are avali!" she said, looking up at the mosaic. "And they're..."

She followed the image from one side to another. There was a whole group of Avali, and all around them, flowers grew. The focal point of the mosaic was an enormous bloom that was being tended by the surrounding Avali. Emerging from the bloom was a large anthropoid form rendered in shades of green, with shining golden eyes, and from its hands ran a series of long strands, each one touching the heart of one of the Avali. All of them had hides in various shades of purple.

The art was very detailed. Tammy was no expert in interpreting art, but one thing was clear. These Avali were not scared of the central figure. They were welcoming it. They looked happy.

"What does all of this mean?" said Tammy.

"We do not precisely know," said Jaune. "As we said, this was long before we were even seeded. There is much we have forgotten, as have your people, little bird."

"But I have to know more," said Tammy. "This is why I came here! I need to know the truth!"

As she spoke, the ground began to tremble. She jumped aside as, from the large earthen dais in the middle of the chamber, something began to emerge. It was an enormous purple flower, out of which grew an enormous seed pod.

"In order for us to know more, the bond between us must be deepend," said Jaune, their features suddenly serious. "We cannot say for sure what will happen when we do this, but we do not think it is something you will be able to turn back from. What happens here will change you. Are you prepared to accept that?"

This time there was no hesitation. "I'm already changing," she said, gesturing at herself. "I can't turn back now. Please, do whatever it takes!"

Jaune smiled again, and the seed pod began to open up. It was full of a slimy fluid, deep purple in color.

Tammy didn't need an invitation. She stepped toward the pod, prodding the fluid with a toe. It was warm. She looked back over to Jaune, who nodded.

"I'm ready," she said. "Do what you need to do."

From within the pod, a pair of tendrils emerged. Tammy held out her hands and grasped them, and with their help, stepped into the pod, sinking into the fluid. It felt very strange, like slipping into a bath of gelatin. As soon as she got settled, the pod began to close around her, and it was hard to shake the feeling that she was being swallowed. As the pod closed completely, Tammy could feel more vines slipping around her, embracing her closely. It felt utterly bizarre, and so good. And as the warm embrace of the pod tightening around her, she felt a euphoric sensation flood her consciousness, and it was difficult to think about anything else. She'd indulged in a fair share of illicit substances alongside her pack, especially when they were young students together, and this had all of them beat.

She wasn't sure how long her blissful high lasted, but when her mind began to clear, she saw something before her. It was like she was floating in mid air, observing a scene through a thick haze, but as she took stock of her surroundings, she saw something familiar. It was the same room that she was in, but it was... different. The walls were much more intact, though still overgrown with plantlife, but it was full of people. Full of Avali.

One of them, a young male with vibrant orange plumage, stood at the forefront, speaking to the crowd in a language that Tammy couldn't understand. The assembled Avali let out a cheer, turning to the large flower that was the central point of the room. From the flower emerged several pods like the one Tammy had just climbed into, and one by one, they opened up to let an Avali inside. The scene distorted for a moment, and when it came back into focus, the scene had changed somewhat. More Avali were filling the room, only this time, The pods were already full, and bigger than they had been before. One of them began to tremble, and one of the onlookers pointed at it excitedly. People gathered around the pod, holding their breaths in anticipation, until finally, it burst like an overripe fruit, showering those closest to it in violet fluids, and a new figure stepped out of the pod. It was an Avali, but they had changed. They were a good bit taller than they had been when they entered the pod, their hide and plumage stained a deep purple color, their eyes now gleaming gold. They were rapidly embraced by friends and family, even as, one by one, more pods began to open up, each containing a newly-changed Avali. More and more, they were overtaken by throngs of admirers, who hugged them and kissed them and... oh!

They were doing a lot more than hugging and kissing now. It didn't take long for the scene to erupt into a full-blown orgy. But just as things were starting to get interesting, the scene began to fade again.

"Aw, come on!" said Tammy. "I was just starting to enjoy that!"

"We do not know when things changed," said the voice of Jaune, though Tammy could not see them. "Something happened that caused your people to decry us as demons, prompting a mass exodus from this place. But once, we lived in harmony. We entered your bodies, granting you strength and capability that you could never achieve on your own. And in turn, you were able to help us grow and flourish."

"Symbiosis!" said Tammy, excitedly. "That's why my medical scanner didn't detect any contaminants! The plants aren't contaminating my body, they're... harmonizing with it!"

Tammy felt a brief sensation of being squeezed all over, and suddenly, her vision exploded with light again. Gasping, she stepped out of the pod, blinking fluids out of her eyes and brushing herself off. Her knees felt weak and her head was swimming. And Jaune was still there, waiting for her with a smile.

"How long was I in there?" she said, patting herself down.

"About twenty days," said Jaune. "Though we are not sure how that translates to the time scale that you are used to."

Tammy looked herself over. She was still purple all over, of course, but now her body had gotten taller and thicke.

"I don't feel all that different," she said, looking at her hand.

"Oh, quite a few things are different about you," said Jaune, smirking and pointing down. Tammy did as instructed. Sure enough, she had a throbbing erection, but something felt different down there. Curiously, she probed a finger into her vent, right below her cock, and yelped as she felt her finger slip deeper inside than it ever had before. She pulled her hand back, and her finger was now slick.

"...I have a vagina now?"

"Something very much like it, yes," said Jaune, approaching her. "As I said... we need your help to flourish and grow. Those who embraced the change carried the capability to do that. Now, will you help us?"

And as Tammy looked back at Jaune, she could see that between their legs was a protuberance very much like a cock of their own, a deep green in color, the tip dripping with a clear fluid.

"Well," said Tammy, returning their smirk, "it would be rude of me not to, wouldn't you say?" And indeed, while part of her was reeling from having suddenly acquired a whole new set of genitals, a much more prominent part was eager to take them for a spin.

Tammy heard the familiar sound of creeping vines, and looked around to see several of them growing up towards her, reaching out for her. She reached out in turn and gently pushed one of them aside, and they shied away.

"Not this time," she said, approaching Jaune with a determined look. "This time, we're doing this my way."

Jaune looked surprised, but not at all disappointed. Tammy stood face to face with them, laying a hand on their chest. The demon caught her meaning, and settled back onto the mossy ground, their ersatz cock sticking straight up into the air. Tammy knelt down before it, grasping it gently and giving it a squeeze.

"Does this feel good?" she said, stroking it like she would have done to her own. "I know that this body isn't you, but..."

"We can direct our senses into whatever part of our biomass that we desire," said Jaune. "Right now, what we desire is to feel good. And so we are directing our senses very intently."

Tammy nodded, stroking harder. Jaune certainly reacted like it felt good.

"Well then, I don't know about you, but I'm not in the mood for foreplay," she said, straightening up and straddling the demon. She held her cock in one hand as she lowered herself down, slowly letting Jaune's member into her new pussy. That first touch was positively electric. It certainly felt good to take something into her tailhole, but it was nothing like this. Was this a result of her transformation, or did it feel like this for everyone with a vagina? This was a deep and important question that would have to wait for another day. Tammy didn't want to think about questions now. Tammy wanted to fuck.

With ill-conceived gusto, Tammy let herself drop and cried out as Jaune's cock entered her fully. For several moments, she just sat there and tried to catch her breath as she got used to being filled in a new and wonderful way.

Once she could see straight again, Tammy leaned forward, finding a comfortable position, and began to buck her hips. She could feel her own cock twitching as she began to pump.

"Stars," she gasped, trying her best to keep a steady place. "I can't believe this is happening...!"

"Your body feels incredible," said Jaune, who was practically vibrating now. "Our progenitors told us such tales of the act of unity, but we never knew it could feel like this!"

Tammy could feel Jaune's member pulsating inside of her, and as much as she wanted to prolong it, she knew she couldn't take it anymore. She threw back her head and wailed as she came intensely, and as she clamped down around Jaune, she could feel herself being pumped wonderfully warm. She could feel herself being filled to the brim! Groaning, she fell back, landing spread eagle on the ground, her pussy oozing the translucent fluid.

"That was... different," she said, wiping her brow. "What... happens now?"

"Your garden has been fertilized," said Jaune, who was now kneeling by her side. Tammy hadn't seen them move. "Now it is time to help it grow."

Before Tammy could ask them to elaborate, Jaune laid a hand on her belly, and the warm feeling that lingered within her began to intensify, forming a gurgling knot inside of her, as if she had just eaten something that hadn't agreed with her.

"What's happening?" she said, pulling herself into a sitting position. Jaune simply smiled. Tammy gasped as she felt something lurch inside of her. Right before her eyes, her belly began to slowly stretch outward, like an expanding balloon.

"Am I... having an egg?" said Tammy, putting a hand on her middle and marveling as it grew and grew.

"Not quite," said Jaune, smiling wider than Tammy had ever seen them do. "You will see."

In a matter of minutes, Tammy was sporting a belly that looked like it contained a fully-grown egg, and sure enough, something inside of her felt like it had formed a hard lump. But she didn't have very long to appreciate it, as she felt a tight cramp inside of her as all of her muscles tensed up at once, and a gush of purple-tinged fluids exploded out of her nethers.

"Oh, stars!" she groaned, doubling over. "Am I about to lay already? I've never done this before!"

"Do not fret," said Jaune, offering her a hand. "Your new body was made to facilitate this. There will be no distress. You will know what to do."

As she took a moment to compose herself, Tammy realized that Jaune was correct. There were cramps, of course, and a feeling of pressure inside of her, but it was nothing like as uncomfortable as she was told having an egg could be.

And Jaune was right. She did know what to do. With the demon's help, she got up and settled into a deep crouch with her tail held high, and immediately, she felt a strong urge. Trusting her instincts had gotten her this far, and so there was nothing to do but give into it. And so she began to push.

Almost immediately, she could feel that lump inside of her begin to shift, working its way through her body. Whatever it was, it was big, and it wasn't going to let her slack off. She needed to work hard at this. Bracing herself, she grit her teeth, gripped the ground hard, and pushed. She could feel it descending, and there was something almost blissful about the strain. Before long, she could feel her vent begin to stretch open as whatever it was began to emerge, and she wished she could see it happening! But somehow, she knew that it wouldn't be the last time. She would have her chance.

"You're almost done, bold one," said Jaune, who had started to rub her back encouragingly. "I can see it emerging!"

Before she could ask what they saw emerging, the urge to push overpowered her once again, and push she did, feeling herself stretch open wider and wider, and despite the immeasurable effort she was putting into the task, it felt absolutely amazing, like a full-body orgasm.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it was over, as she felt something slip free of her body. Panting heavily, she turned herself around to see the fruit of her labors.

It had a rounded capsule shape to it, but rather than the leathery texture that a newly-laid Avali egg had, this had a hard shell, and it was a deep maroon in color.

"Is this an egg?" said Tammy, picking it up gently and regarding it.

"It is a seed," said Jaune, reaching out and taking it from her. "From this, a new being shall sprout, stronger and hardier than those that came before it."

Tammy watched as several vines emerged from the ground, and set to work making a small hole in the earth beneath them. Jaune reverently laid the new seed into the hole, then set to covering it up again.

"Our growth cycle has stagnated in these recent years," they said. "We can only propagate so many new forms without assistance, and they never grow as vibrantly. But when this one sprouts, they will bloom like never before."

Tammy watched the planting with stunned awe. She felt like a piece that she hadn't known was missing was slotted back into place. And with it, she felt a renewed sense of purpose. She had gone on this journey in the first place just to prove that she had been right. But now she knew that this would be no mere matter of academic vindication.

Which wasn't to say that she was not going to enjoy the academic vindication immensely, because she was.

"...I have to go," she said, standing up straight.

"We know," said Jaune, giving her a somber nod. "But you will come back, yes?"

"I will," said Tammy, beaming brightly. "I'm going to have to take some additional samples, maybe record some videos... but then I'm going to go home, and I'm going to tell everyone how amazing this was! And I'll come back with more people, and we'll all help this place grow together, just like we used to!"

"That would be wonderful," said Jaune, their floral feathers ruffling in a very Avali-like way. "Thank you, Tammy. Thank you for coming back."

Of course, it wouldn't be that simple, Tammy mused to herself as she prepared for departure. Obviously, there wouldn't be swathes of Avali queuing up to get down and dirty with demons and turn themselves into purple sex machines. Some of them would probably be shocked and appalled at what she had become.

But she knew, from the bottom of her heart, that some of them would. And once some did, that would open the door for more, and then?

Well, Tammy didn't know what then. But that was what had always driven her forward. There were always new things to find out!