Hydrangea ⭐

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The daughter of Diamond Sanctuary's founder, Hydrangea started out as a humble pup. She was doted on by her mother, Ichika, and adoptive father, Moondrop, but as the pack grew, Ichika was unable to spend as much time with her.

Moondrop took care of her, but there were many other pups, and all the sitters had their paws full, trying to keep an eye on them all. One late evening, when Moondrop's back was turned, Hydrangea wandered off into the forest, and got lost. It grew darker and darker as she padded through the foliage, but she wasn't scared.

She could hear whispers all around her, as if the plants themselves were guiding her. The trees were wise, the bushes were playful, and the flowers were kind. Their soft voices eventually led her to a small meadow, and as she looked up, she realized that the moon was high in the sky, shining a silver light on the grass, which tickled her paws as she wandered towards the middle of the clearing.

Hydrangea shoved her nose down to sniff the flowers, complimenting their sweet smell. When she looked back up, there was a large stag standing in front of her.

He had large antlers, decorated with golden rings and drooping plants, a golden neckpiece resting on the back of his muscular neck. There was a green snake, with what looked like ram horns spiraling out of its head, wrapped around one of the stag's back legs, but it made no move towards Hydrangea, tongue flicking out for a moment as it stared.

The stag lowered his head, and Hydrangea realized he had glowing yellow eyes, which were looking at her with kindness.

"Hello little one," The stag spoke in a thick accent, and the way his voice echoed out, dancing around the clearing, made Hydrangea giggle. "What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

She told him, telling about her mother, and her father, and how she felt lonely after they stopped playing with her. Everyone in the pack had become so serious, and she was too old to play with the other puppies- they were too small, too fragile, and she could hurt them.

"I followed the whispers," Hydrangea finished, craning her neck up so she could see the stag's face better. It made no difference.

The stag nodded, and the snake's head bobbed up and down, letting out a soft hiss. "I see," the stag mumbled. "It appears that the forest calls to you," one of his ears- the one with the two golden rings- flicked, and his head lowered again. "I can hear it too." His voice was lowered to a whisper, as if he was sharing a secret, and his eyes narrowed in a playful manner.

They talked for a while, the stag spoke of the forest's plants and critters, and Hydrangea spoke of her pack. At some point, the stag was laying on his side, and she was nestled close against his stomach.

"What's your name?" she asked, and the stag smiled.

"I have been given many names," he said, staring off in one direction. "I've lived a long time, after all."

Hydrangea pouted. That didn't answer her question. So she thought. It was silent for a while as she tried to come up with something. She wanted to give him a name herself.

"I think I'll call you Oak." She looked up, smiling. "Because you're big and strong like an oak tree!"

He smiled again, bending his head down to tap his nose against hers. "That's a wonderful name, I will treasure it forever."

Hydrangea fell asleep soon after, when the moon dipped past the trees and out of sight.


When she woke up, she was in a different area, and her side was cold. Looking around, there was no sign of Oak, but she realized that she was close to her pack. Following the scent of the wolves, it took hardly any time for her to stumble into the main clearing, catching the attention of a few adults. They rushed over, worried and shoving Hydrangea around as they made sure she wasn't hurt. They brought her to her parents, and as she got a scolding from Moondrop, Ichika was crying, relieved that she was alright.

Since then, any time Hydrangea looked out into the forest, there was a pair of kind, glowing yellow eyes watching her from the shadows.

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Months pass, and Hydrangea is nine and a half months old. Her body has changed rapidly, as most puppies' bodies do. She's taller, has more muscles, yet, she's still clumsy and naïve. So, once again, she gets herself lost in the forest, and- once again- is not afraid. The plants and trees guide her, pawstep by pawstep, whispering reassurances into her ears. Her pelt, turning green and brown, glistened in the dappled light patches that filtered through the leaves overhead.

After hours of wandering around, she comes into a field, and, with a large smile, she prances around, hopping in the tall grass while panting.

In one moment, she's running, but in the next, her rump is firmly planted on the ground, her head spinning. She had bumped into something solid, something soft, something... warm?

She shook her head, focusing her vision and gazing upwards.

"Hello again, little wolf."

It was Oak! Hydrangea hopped to her paws, tail wagging. She paced around him in a full circle, smelling him. Where had he been? Why hadn't he visited her before now? Was he sick? Oak chuckled, watching the adolescent inspect his pelt. The snake on his leg flicked its tongue out at her when she got close, and she gave it a quick sniff before moving on.

"I've been hoping I'd see you again, Oak! Were you traveling?" Hydrangea stopped her investigations, sitting back down in front of the stag. He let out another chuckle, something strange but pleasant.

"You could say that, my friend," he said, his accent just as thick as she remembered it. Hydrangea watched as the stag laid down, flattening the tall grass around the two. "I Have come to you bearing a gift."

Hydrangea tilted her head curiously. A gift? Where could he be keeping it?

He raised his head, shaking it slightly, and she watched as a small copper scaled snake slithered out from the plants adorning his horns. It traveled down his neck, to his legs, to his hooves, and then onto Hydrangea's front leg, where it wrapped itself, before stilling. It almost looked like some sort of accessory she would see someone from her pack bring from a scouting or hunting mission. She looked back up at Oak, who's eyes were soft with kindness.

"Thank you, Oak," Hydrangea said, moving to bump her head into his stomach. He smiled, nodding.

They continued to speak for a couple more hours, with the moon climbing the sky at an impossibly quick rate, before Hydrangea stood.

"I should go, my pack will get worried," she said, touching noses with Oak, who nodded.

"Very well, Hydrangea, my friend." He slowly rose to his hooves, and Hydrangea stared up at him, in awe at his size. "May the plants guide you back safely."

With that, Hydrangea turned to start running back towards the treeline, following the whispers and murmurs. When she turned to glance back, a moment later, Oak was nowhere to be seen, and, somehow, the grass was standing, remaining untouched even after they had been laying there for hours.

With a smile, Hydrangea made her way back home, her new snake friend curled up around her leg.

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[Future look]

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