(There's something so magical about a warm spring night, isn't there? Oh, I hope I'll meet my love beneath a flowering tree!)
(This is no time for romantic dalliance, Aphrodite! Tonight is Spring's Stand, and we must safeguard the woods against the lingering chill of winter.)
(Oh, Thor, you meathead -- don't you know all that "last stand" nonsense is purely symbolic? Our host is a peaceful one.)
(Not this time. It appears there is indeed a troublemaker in these woods tonight.)
(A troublemaker...? Could it be... my beloved? I must find them before they disturb the great Yum Kaax!)
Wait up, Aphrodite Dragon! We still need to get your favor-- I mean, help you!
Grr! It's too late... the Aphrodite Dragon's escaped into the woods.
Let's hurry and find it! All we have to do is follow the wistful sighing!
(Better not, humans. Stay by my side, or I cannot be responsible for what may happen to you... That said, we probably SHOULD seek out that airhead.)
(Halt! In the name of the Benevolent Yum Kaax, I forbid you from proceeding.)
(It's all right, attendant of Yum Kaax. You'll find no trouble here. I may be a warrior... but plants are my passion.)
(I am not talking about YOU, mighty Thor. I speak of your rowdy human companions. Even I can see they have greed in their eyes!)
(Alas... you have defeated me. To the victor go the spoils. Do with me as you wish -- just leave Yum Kaax in peace.)
W-We don't want to hurt you... we just want to go into the forest.
That's right! The Brigid Dragon charged us with looking after the Aphrodite Dragon... and we've lost it in the woods!
(Oh. Why did you not just say so? Anyway, please go on ahead. And be sure to smell the nightblooms.)
So, uh, Thor Dragon... Who's this Yum Kaax everyone's been mentioning?
I've been wondering the same. Some sort of forest warlord?
("Warlord"? Certainly not. Yum Kaax preserves nature's peaceful balance. You might even call it a real sweetheart...)
(Yum Kaax's soft heart makes me ever more eager to ensure that there's nobody toying with it. Let us forge onward.)
Helloooo? Aphrodite Dragon?
Things look pretty peaceful around here... I can see why you dragons would all gather on a beautiful night like this.
(And I can almost FEEL the love in the air...! It's terribly annoying!)
(Good evening, O thunderous Thor. It's a wonderful, peaceful night, don't you think? Spring's warmth is filling my heart.)
(But there is much activity in these woods. I think we'll have a far more exciting Spring's Stand than usual. Why, I just saw Aphrodite scamper by in a panic!)
Which direction did it go?!
(Hehe. You'll have to battle me for that morsel of information.)
(Bravo! A fine springtime battle! I feel even more full of life!)
(As promised, the Dragon of Love fled in the direction of the Twin Ponds.)
(Thank you -- and please take care of your foliage, in honor of spring's arrival.)
(Will do, your thunderousness.)
Why are you here anyway, Thor Dragon? You don't strike me as a "springtime" sort.
(You Vikings are so presumptuous. I'll have you know I also help oversee Dragolandia's harvests.)
(Which is why I'm interested in the health of the plants, especially in this fragile season. Let's carry on.)
(I see the Twin Ponds, but I do not see Aphrodite. Still, something is bothering me about this peaceful glade.)
C-Could it be the terrifying sound of that wind? What IS that?
Some sort of dragon, I'm sure... but I won't let man nor beast stand in my way!
Arya! Dad! What are you DOING here?!
Ah, fear not, my boy. I heard a new Divine had arisen, and I simply had to investigate! Seems this Moose Dragon took issue with that, however. Ho-ho!
Hey, guys! Would you mind helping us out? This Moose Dragon's REALLY stubborn.
I should've known YOU would be the "troublemaker" that has all these Divines chewing on their claws!
(At ease, forest guardian! These humans are friends of the Divines... even if they DO often stumble into trouble.)
(I see. I was wary of their... poking about. But as you say, thunderous Thor, they were not doing anything egregious.)
*sigh* You guys had better come with us.
So THAT'S what you two are doing here... helping the Aphrodite Dragon with love troubles? I can see Ned entertaining it, but you, Eliza?
HEY. You don't know everything about me. Maybe the Aphrodite Dragon has promised me something in return, hmm? Ever consider that?
(Oh no... how did I end up babysitting these messy humans? Maybe I can lose them if I hurry ahead... but Yum Kaax would be displeased...)
Come now, Thor Dragon -- I see that worried brow. I promise I will help you shepherd the young ones.
I see... So, if we follow the Thor Dragon to track down the Aphrodite Dragon, we will get to meet this new Divine!
Exactly! And then we can get the Aphrodite Dragon's favor for-- Uh... never mind.
It's a true blessing to get a Divine Dragon's favor! Perhaps the Divine of Love can give you some writing advice. I KNOW your taste in novels, my boy!
Oh, great Chronos, strike me down...
(Nidhogg! I thought we had apprehended tonight's troublemakers, but now I see that the true threat to Spring's Stand has been...)
(... Hiding in a cute little shack by the river, all along!)
(Oh, come off it, Thor. All I wanted was a little nibble of spring's freshest delicacies!)
So WE weren't the troublemakers? Well, that's a relief. I'd hate to get in the way of an important dragon ritual!
(Fine! I'll leave it alone. This new growth is too small to satisfy my hunger anyway...)
(That's better. And yet, there's no sign of Aphrodite. Something still feels off.)
We'd better continue our search for the Dragon of Love. For entirely unselfish purposes.
So, NED, what will we do when we find the Aphrodite Dragon and help it with its "trouble"?
Well, obviously, the one of us who helps the MOST will get a favor. A romantic favor, probably. And we BOTH know who has more experience in that!
What a presumptuous little boy you are. A more mature woman, such as myself, CLEARLY knows more about the subject.
(I cannot WAIT to pass these two off to Aphrodite... Where oh where are you, Dragon of Love?)
(Oh, hello! It's you two and a gaggle of others. Come to make fun of me for my error in judgment? My poor relationship sense?)
N-Not at all! We just want to help you, Aphrodite Dragon!
We even brought along a few more humans who will "understand" you. Didn't we, Ned?
You mean us? I never really understood the whole "love" thing... but if the Aphrodite Dragon is here, maybe I'll learn a thing or two!
(Ah-ha! Ne'er-do-wells! Yum Kaax has sent me to quell your collective chaos!)
(Frankly, I am SHOCKED at your behavior! Especially from two Divine Dragons! Have at you!)
Amazing -- the Thor Dragon just let loose the mightiest sigh I have ever heard. I wasn't aware dragons COULD sigh! I'll just jot that down...
(Don't you see, Blue Knight? WE are not the troublemakers -- Ares is! And I must hurry to my darling and convince it to calm down!)
(You're mistaken, O Divine of Love. Yum Kaax explicitly warned me that a pack of lovelorn fools would be skulking around the forest tonight.)
(O-Oh dear... Um... Perhaps we should set things straight with Yum Kaax...)
"Lovelorn fools," huh... Certainly this great guardian of the forest couldn't have meant US.
(Of course it meant us! Look at the way you stare at the Arya Human! It's painfully clear! I bet you two chased me down just to see if I could set you up with her.)
W-Well...
(AUGH! THIS is why I rarely come down from Mt. Dragolympus!)
(Hm...perhaps I acted too rashly. Setting one of you up with the object of your affection could be just the thing to break me out of my funk.)
(Very well! Whoever can get us out of trouble with Yum Kaax shall earn my favor!)
(Oh, Aphrodite... This cannot end well.)
(Aphrodite... What are you doing here, my love? I am supposed to spend the night helping Yum Kaax defend the woods. I am much too busy for a date.)
(W-With Yum Kaax... instead of me?! Change of rules: Ned Human, Eliza Human, the first one to defeat Yum Kaax will win my favor!)
(Oh my... it's true what they say about springtime, I suppose. The night of Spring's Stand is never without a bit of excitement.)
(It's okay, Ares -- I'll accept their challenge. The passion of early spring is a sight to see when it's as pure as this!)
(All right! I understand the strength of your love -- all of you! I only wish you could resolve it peacefully.)
(The woods appreciate your warmth, but fuss about too much and you'll trample the tender shoots and saplings.)
(So I insist that you GENTLY enjoy the rest of Spring's Stand... OR ELSE.)
(P-Point taken, Guardian of the Woods... I'm certain we can ATTEMPT to enjoy ourselves in a, uh... respectable manner...!)
(You humans are probably wondering who "won" my ill-conceived challenge...)
... No, not really. If I had to make Arya like me through magic, I think she'd be pretty angry with me.
We agree, for once. And that aside, I think YOU could use some love advice, Aphrodite Dragon. Shall we share our expertise?
What do you think they're talking about, Professor?
Something of great importance, surely. Perhaps one day they'll tell us!