Creatures of Sonaria random oneshots

Ardor Warden x Verdant Warden

(pairing suggested by BirbMonster) 

(Relationship type: Platonic w/ romantic implications) 

(I know this is probably really underwhelming for the long wait, but writer's block jumped me while my back was turned)

Aphrodite slowly walked through the Flower Cove, her large, ursine paws leaving prints in the ground. The beautiful sunset light shined onto her glittery pink pelt as she strolled leisurely, knowing that no creature here would dare to challenge her. Little creatures skittered below her feet, fliers looked down on her curiously from above, and she heard a Hygos roar in the distance.

Although Aphrodite and most other Ardor Wardens rarely left their swamp territories, she decided to visit the Flower Cove. She hadn't been here since she was a little cub, and the sight of the lush, tropical area almost made her nostalgic. She noticed the Verdant Warden shrine in the distance, frozen in a graceful pose. She smiled at it. 

Aphrodite had always had some sort of strange connection to Verdant Wardens. While Ardor Wardens and Verdant Wardens did have a naturally close bond, she would see Verdant Wardens always appearing in her dreams. When she was a cub, she had this one reoccurring dream where she would be prancing around with a herd of Verdant Wardens. She was fascinated with them. Sometimes, when she was younger, she wished she was a graceful Verdant Warden, leaping through the lush Flower Cove. Her brother, Passion, would always tease her, calling her "a Verdant Warden in an Ardor's clothing."

Aphrodite plucked some cherries from a small tree with her mouth, careful to not crush the delicate fruits between her sharp canines. She returned to the shrine, dropping the small fruits carefully before the gorgeous statue. A faint green glow emerged from the Verdant Warden statue. The glow became brighter and brighter and then suddenly, the cherries disappeared. 

Aphrodite smiled, putting her paw on the statue's head, stroking it softly before turning around to explore a bit more. However, she noticed a Verdant Warden simply standing there, staring right back at her, his deep blue eyes piercing her soul. "Thank you for the offering, Zohutek." The Verdant Warden said, bowing his head slightly.

"Oh, no need for the fanciness. I'm Aphrodite." Aphrodite said politely, waving her paw. "I'm Floral." The Verdant Warden said, smiling a little. The two of them stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, before Aphrodite spoke up. "Well, see you around?" She muttered as she began to turn around. "Yeah." Floral nodded as the two Wardens went separate ways.

Aphrodite walked around a little bit more before deciding to make the journey back to her swamp home, her paws shuffling across the ground. Once she finally reached her swampy den, after a day of walking, she plopped down into it, sighing. 

She realized how empty the swamps were, and how little she got to interact with other creatures. Almost every day, the same: Wake up, eat and drink, relax, eat and drink again, sleep. Whenever she did get to see other creatures in the swamps, they were other Ardor Wardens that she knew to stay away from, or small critters that hastily scurried away at the sight of her. And while the interaction she had before with that Verdant Warden was short, she liked it. It was comforting. 

And so she got up, grabbed some food for the trip, gave one last look towards the swamp, and headed towards the Flower Cove again. It was a tiring journey to her new home, and she hoped it was worth it. 

Arriving at the Flower Cove, Aphrodite noticed a small herd of Verdant Wardens, grazing on grass near the Verdant shrine. She spotted Floral in the group, and she suddenly felt a little nervous. Weird. Maybe it was because of her lack of social interaction. Probably. 

Floral lifted his head from the grass, noticing Aphrodite walking by. "Ah. Back again, Aphrodite." He smiled, strolling down towards her. Aphrodite waved at them. "It might seem strange, but I decided to move here. I felt like it would be a change of pace from the lonely swamps." Floral nodded. "Welcome to your new home, then!" 

It took Aphrodite a while to adjust to living in the Flower Cove. She had to get used to the vibrant rays of sunlight instead of the gloomy darkness of the swamp. She had to get used to the noise and the pungent aromas of the plants all over the place, and all the other little annoyances of the Flower Cove. But she still loved the new experience. Plus, Floral was an excellent teacher, and told her all about surviving and thriving there. They became pretty close friends. 

One day, Aphrodite was wandering around the area, looking for any edible berries. She ambled past a large cave, barely paying attention to her surroundings. She didn't worry that much. She was an Ardor Warden, barely any creatures would challenge her! But she was mistaken.

After walking by the cave, Aphrodite heard a low, thundering growl behind her. She swiveled around, turning to face a huge, grumpy-looking Hygos. The Hygos had dark, navy-blue coloring, like a starless night sky. Aphrodite took a few steps back, startled. "Uhm, hi?"

The Hygos smirked a little. "You know, recently I've been looking for a food source that lasts for a long time." They said, flexing their claws. "And I think I've found it, standing right in front in me." Before Aphrodite could even react, the Hygos lunged at her. 

Aphrodite let out a shocked roar as the Hygos pinned her down. She struggled for a few seconds before she managed to shove the plant beast off of her. She got behind the Hygos, sinking her fangs into their fern-like tail. The Hygos let out a hiss, shaking Aphrodite off of them, sending her crashing into a wall. The Hygos immediately jumped at her again, dragging Aphrodite by her tail and raking their claws across her back. Aphrodite howled in pain, wiggling herself loose and turning to smack the Hygos in the face with her huge paw. 

The Hygos snarled and stumbled backwards, holding their paw to their face where Aphrodite had slapped them. Aphrodite tried to move our of the way, but the Hygos leapt at her again, holding her down with their claws on her back. Aphrodite roared, attempting to shake the huge plant monster off, but to no avail. 

Aphrodite heard frantic pawsteps nearby, and both she and the Hygos snapped their heads around, only to see a herd of Verdant Wardens standing a few feet away, staring the Hygos down. Near the front of the herd, she noticed Floral, and a small smile spread across her snout. 

"CHARGE!" One of the leading Verdants yelled. All of them quickly rushed the Hygos, ramming into them with their antlers. The Hygos roared, attempting to chase away the swarm of Verdants with their sharp claws. However, they failed and were forced to flee. 

Aphrodite laid there helplessly, panting. The claw marks on her back still stung more than 1000 Beezu stings. Floral approached her slowly. "You okay?" He said softly, sitting next to her. They sat in silence for a few moments, before Aphrodite spoke up. "Hold on...did you really get a whole army of Verdants just to help me beat that Hygos?" Aphrodite asked playfully. "Yeah. And?" Floral smiled. Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "You're crazy. I could've beat that Hygos myself." 

"Well, it didn't look like you could!" Floral smirked. "Whateverrr." Aphrodite grumbled before turning to Floral. "I really appreciate it, though. The fact that you would do all that for me. Thank you." 

Floral nodded politely. "Anytime." He said, leaning his head on Aphrodite's shoulder.