Rock and Magic.

"Hey! Help me with this!" Blue waved the fairy troupe down after her as she dove for the rock, most eager to obey a commanding voice. She wedged her fingers under the edge of the stone and the others joined her, straining to move the slab. It wobbled but otherwise remained in place.

"Stand back!" Daisy flew down, raising her hands and calling magic to her. With a gesture, the rock began to rise. The other fairies, catching on, channeled their energies to the straining fey as she lifted the rock and positioned it. With a grunt, she sent the rock hurtling into the stem of the offending flower, not quite severing it but causing the whole plant to rock drunkenly. It's leaves and petals seemed to writhe as it slowly tipped, its compromised stem buckling under its own weight. With a thud it struck the muddy ground, sending fairies scattering, and the abomination stilled. Its veined petals wilted, spilling a naked Aster out onto the ground with a rush of red dust and slime. She was wracked by a fit of coughing as Blue and Daisy hurried to her side, the others in tow.

"Aster! Are you alright?"

Her eyes were fevered and she squirmed between her two lovers, biting her lip and groaning lustfully as her coughing subsided. Daisy exchanged an uncomfortable look with Aster's other second in command, "Um... I think the flower had some kind of poison or... something."

"Agreed." Blue deftly caught Aster's pawing hands as they reached for her breasts, "Everyone stay away from the flowers!" The gathered fairies huddled together nervously, eying the vibrant flowers anxiously. They seemed to rustle slightly out of synch with the breeze and the surrounding grasses.

Aster straightened her dress uncomfortably. It hadn't taken long for the effects of the pollen to pass and she'd abruptly awakened to find herself struggling against Daisy and Blue as she tried to **** them. They had been very understanding but the other fairies tittered at the deep blush that infused Aster until Blue shushed them.Now that the embarrassment had passed, somewhat, Aster couldn't help but be horrified by what had just happened. She eyed the fleshy petals, which occasionally twitched or furled before once more appearing inanimate.

"The others understand it wasn't your fault, it could have happened to any of us." Aster smiled at Daisy's gentle assurances but shook her head.

"I don't care about that," -much- "I'm worried about what these flowers mean."

"Maybe we aren't to blame for what happened? We're close to the stream, maybe the nymphs did something?"

"...maybe."

They stood solemnly for a moment before Aster turned to address the group, "alright, nothing's changed: we go to the Sprites." She paused, thinking, "But watch out for trouble, who knows if these flowers are just the beginning? Don't land if possible and keep your distance, be ready to help one another if something happens." The fairy swarm nodded in unison, taking to the air behind Aster and flying high above the dangerous grasp of the mutated plant life.

In a few moments the stream was in view, babbling along as it always had. Aster narrowed her eyes. She couldn't quite make it out but she could almost feel a miasma of... something, rising from the stream. It felt distinctly unnatural.

"Do you feel that?"

"I can smell it." Blue had swept lower than Aster, examining the water, and was now rising as high as she could while covering her mouth in disgust, "It's musky and... thick somehow, that water is not pure!"

Aster looked further downstream, trying to make out any indication of the nymphs. They were usually slow to get started but they absolutely hated having dirty water, she couldn't imagine them not working to fix this. Aster considered their options, hovering with her swarm out of range of the musky fog and warped plant life. It was crazy but the pond downstream almost looked muddy, she thought she could make out a faint clamor of female voices in that direction. Upstream she could sense the miasma continued out of sight, finding the source should be a simple matter of following the river.