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A dandelion is scary too… Nyoooo!

Edited by: Trismegistus Shandy
Beta Read by: Yuki Kitsune and M A Thermidor

 

I let go of Onee-sama, leaving the snuggling pile when Onee-sama urged us to harvest the tendrils.  I was the first to stop nuzzling at her because Iris-chan was still kinda single-minded, even though she’d recovered, sort of.  I am kinda single-minded too, so I shouldn’t judge her!

 

I wandered around the battlefield and spotted a tendril.  I bent to lift it and found that it was pretty heavy. I strained under its weight as I straightened.  I had trouble slinging it over my shoulder. I was going to head back to Onee-sama when I spotted something odd.  It looked like a strange bush. It was the only one in sight that looked like that. Well, it’s not like bushes aren’t common anywhere.

 

I turned towards Onee-sama, who was trying to peel off an over-affectionate Iris-chan, but then something occurred to me as I looked around.  There weren’t any other bushes at all. This was the Wildflower Funeral Plains. Didn’t that mean there were only flowers? But then, there were also large trees and others.  I’d spied glimpses of them as we’d leapt through the plains on the bounder. I’d been sick more than a few times, so I couldn’t really focus on those features, but I didn’t remember seeing any bushes.  I turned to look back at the bush. It was still there, and as I studied it, I noticed it squirm. “Ahhhhhhhhhh!” I screamed and bolted towards Onee-sama. I tripped and fell on my face. The tendril went flying and landed on me. “Oneeeeeeeeeeee!”

 

Marigold-onee-sama peeled Iris-chan off successfully when she had a reason to rush to my side.  I think she didn’t want to be mean to Iris in that condition, though I wondered how long that patience of hers would last. “Aimi-chan! Are you okay?”

 

I sniffled and squirmed as Marigold-onee-sama placed her hand on the tendril on my back. I screamed as I heard her whisper as she’d done before.  Visions of imploding and being locked into whatever that arcarray was buzzed through my mind, overpowering me with fear. My teeth chattered as I felt the tendril crumple on my back. It was such a weird feeling!  Suddenly, the weight of it was off me.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Aimi-chan!” Marigold-onee-sama gently smiled.  “They’re actually pretty heavy aren’t they? Alright, leave it to me, and if you’d restrain Iris-chan, that would be help enough. But tell me why you freaked out like that, kitty?” She stroked my hair and my ears twitched as I purred.

 

“Oh, that… I think we’re in danger… there’s a weird twitching bush!” I sat up quickly and stared off in the direction I’d seen it.  I pointed as I exclaimed. “It’s there!”

 

“Ooooh! Something interesting is there?” Iris crowed as she bolted in that direction in her grubby rags. I gaped, noticing the bush was gone.  

 

Marigold-onee-sama gasped and patted my shoulder. “Chase her!  Keep her from getting lost! If you get too far without stopping her, I’ll run after you, too!”

 

I blinked and nodded, saluting Onee-sama. “Yes! I’m on it, Onee!” I leapt after Iris-chan.  I noticed quickly that as quick as Iris-chan could run, I could easily catch up to her! She heard me chasing her and looked over her shoulder, and instead of slowing down, she sped up, giggling, as though it was a game!

 

“Iris-chan! Stoooooooop!” I yelled after her as I sprinted.

 

“Iris-chan!” Marigold-onee-sama hollered after us.

 

What was that bush? I wondered as I chased Iris down.  I didn’t see any sign of any more bushes around, though maybe I should be more worried.  Onee-sama didn’t seem like she was very concerned about it.

 

I neared Iris despite her random darting from side to side.  I noticed another really weird thing. For some reason, chasing Iris-chan was really fun!  My heart pumped and I twitched as I bounded after her. The more she evaded me, the more I wanted to catch her.  I started giggling as wildly as Iris-chan was.

 

“Slow dooooown!” I heard Onee-sama shout behind us and her voice was really far off now.  I dimly realized that we were making trouble for Onee-sama. I mewed and suddenly I leapt and grabbed Iris-chan’s ankle. She squealed and giggled just before she face-planted in the grass.  I crawled over and sat on top of Iris-chan. She thrashed and squirmed, flailing.

 

“Get offa me!” she protested, bucking like a horse.  My ears twitched and my tail stiffened as I felt the elation of the chase replaced with annoyance.

“Okay! It’s time for my revenge!” I squealed.  I snagged one of her kicking legs, which was easier to do, since catching my own tail was nearly impossible in comparison.  I yanked off the ratty soft leather shoe from her left foot and started mercilessly tickling her foot.

 

Iris screamed so loud! Her anguished shrieks and giggles made me giggle myself. I tickled her and she thrashed violently, tearing at the grass as violently as she had before.  I was worried she was going to start eating the grass, but she didn’t. I tickled her until she was a quivering twitching mess! I turned around, straddling her back and I looked down at her cute panting face.  I blushed a little. She was already really grubby but she was pretty cute.

 

I chewed my lower lip as she thrashed again. “Get off me, Aimi!” She wriggled.

 

“Nyope!” I grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her back and sat on them.  She bucked around, but she was breathless and weak at the moment. I looked down at her, wondering if Onee-sama would catch up or if she was gathering the tendrils.  My nose twitched when I noticed some of the grass she’d been tearing at was in her hair. I reached down to dust it off her hair. It was hard to see since it was green, though the shade wasn’t quite the same.  When I tousled her hair, I noticed the grass wouldn’t fall off. I finally pinched the grass between my fingers and I pulled it. Strangely enough, Iris-chan screamed at that moment.

 

“N-no! Did I accidentally pull some of your hair with it?” I stammered, worried for her. If I’d hurt Iris-chan, I couldn’t forgive myself!

 

Suddenly Iris-chan started moving her fingers on my butt and crotch in a way that made my eyes bulge.  I shrieked as loudly as she had. I didn’t have any panties at the moment! Her fingers went into places that I never thought...

 

“N-noooooo!  Don’t touch me there!” I stiffened and collapsed from the shock of being touched like that!  Mischievous Iris was ready to glomp me. She wrestled me down and I thrashed. She felt me up all over, but it was interrupted. I might have been a little disappointed.

 

Suddenly there was a roar when the ground nearby erupted.  My heart was already racing and when the explosion happened, it  started to jackhammer my ribcage.

 

Small tendrils reached for us and we were quickly captured. Maybe we were both weakened after everything. The thinner tentacles woman-handled us as freely as the giant lily tendrils did, and weak me wasn’t strong enough to fight it!  I twitched and squirmed as the tentacles wrapped around us, binding us together. Our breasts pressed against each other as we were wrapped up. We struggled and thrashed.

 

“N-no! Not by a dandelion!  Noooo! I won’t be killed by… ahhhh!” Iris-chan’s eyes bulged like mine had and I heard the sound of fabric tearing.  Soon Iris-chan was twitching and squirming and rubbing against me, and while I wondered what was happening to her, it wasn’t long before it started happening to me too!  It was far too easy, since I had no protective panties!

Nooooooo!  Tendrils thrashed over sensitive parts and we twitched as we struggled.

 

“Ahhhhhh!!! I donwanna die like… eeeeeeee!” Iris-chan squealed, drooling, her face flushed.

 

“Nyaaaaaa!!!” I screamed loudly.  “Onee-sama! Saaaaave us!!! Oneeeeeee!” I thrashed and mewled.  The tendrils couldn’t squeeze us to death, but a few did wrap around our throats.  Suddenly, relief came.

 

There was another loud eruption, and I wondered if it was the same thing that usually happened when I was in danger. I heard a smaller scream as the dandelion died, but instead of the sounds of crashing and glass breaking, I heard a crunch as though a stalk of celery was bitten, and the tendrils wrapping around us went limp.  I looked around with hazy eyes and Iris-chan panted and drooled on top of me. She was drooling so much I wondered if she’d gotten sick again. She looked as unaware of her surroundings as she could be.

 

I squirmed and looked to notice that strange bush nearby.  It wiggled with the rattling sound of leaves blowing in the wind.  I noticed something strange. There were eyes in that bush which were focused on us.  I heard Onee-sama call out to us then.

 

“Aimi-chan!  Iris-chan! I-I’m here…” I heard her panting as she approached us.

 

“O-onee-sama!” I yelled, and Iris-chan seemed to focus at that. “T-that bush thingie came back!”

 

“Bushi?” Onee-sama asked as she stopped and fell to her knees by us.

 

“N-no… a bush like… with leaves.  Not a kitty!” I explained and tried to point but I was kind of tied up again. “T-there!” I felt my tail stand up between our legs and somehow it worked with me for once, pointing in the direction I’d seen the bush thing. Oh! Good tail!

 

“I don’t see anything…” Marigold-onee-sama peered towards where my tail was twitching towards.  “Are you seeing things? I guess after what you’ve been through, it wouldn’t be a surprise…”

 

Her eyes focused on the corpse of the dandelion, and mine did as well. I noticed that a large chunk of it was missing from its body.  They were mostly tentacles with a large core with a menacing maw in it. A miniature version of stylidium lilies.

 

“Ah, a dandelion got to you.” Marigold-onee-sama commented. “Really, they’re just pests if you’re a licensed adventurer, but I’ve heard of a few that still managed to die against them.  They may be smaller but then can kill the unwary or untrained. They can’t hunt humans effectively, so their primary prey are usually small creatures… this one maybe got too greedy. I’m glad I got to you in time, but what...”

 

“It was a pervert!” I screamed loudly, blushing intensely.

 

“Per-vert! Pervert plant! Stylidium dandelions aren’t dandy!” Iris-chan sang in a silly tone.

 

“Oh, it did something other than trying to eat you?” Onee-sama blinked. “I’ve never heard about that kind of thing happening!  Was it actually that bush you’ve been talking about… um...” Marigold-onee-sama drew her sword and started to cut us free from the smaller tendrils.

 

“Yup! It explored my whole body… e-everywhere… Per--vert!” Iris sang, seeming weirdly happy for some reason.

 

“Ummm… Which one?” Marigold-onee-sama blushed scarlet, picking up on the meaning of Iris’ silly song-like words.

 

“The plant!” Iris squealed out playfully.

 

“W-which?” Marigold-onee-sama glared at Iris-chan, looking annoyed.

 

Iris-chan only danced and squirmed like she always did, minus the dancing part.  Honestly, I wasn’t entirely sure which thing had done it. I gaped, unable to help.

 

“Um… okay.” Onee-sama chewed her lip as she stared at Iris-chan. Finally she spoke again after a long moment of silence.

 

I opened my mouth to explain more about the bush I’d seen, but I still wasn’t entirely sure what had happened to the dandelion.  “Per-ver-ted things!” Iris chimed again.

 

Onee-sama gave up. “L-let’s call this one a loss… it’s too dangerous to stay here in the plains, you two. I think I might understand…” Marigold-onee-sama facepalmed.

 

I could tell that Onee-sama was as stunned as me, so I changed the subject, thinking about the way Iris was still kind of limited.

 

“W-we shouldn’t leave without the tendrils, right!” I poked one of the thin tendrils that had wrapped around us. “For the sake of Iris-chan, right?” I asked as I sat up, freed from the tendrils.  Iris-chan’s silly dance ceased as she focused on me. She smiled warmly in a way that made my heart pound for a moment.

 

“These? Not really.” Onee-sama smiled lopsidedly. “Dandelion tendrils aren’t worth anything except for making soup,” Onee-sama explained.  “I guess I could make soup. We’re on a budget.”

 

Iris-chan recoiled.  “N-no! Anything but that soup!” Iris-chan complained loudly as she went to her knees. “I-I’ll stab you if you make me that soup! Take me to dinner, Marigold!  I want meat!”

 

“Eh? You threaten me and ask me for dinner in the same breath?” Marigold-onee-sama looked at Iris with an annoyed expression.

 

“But,” I chimed. “I think Onee-sama’s soup is delicious… does it really taste like people?”