The pale orange tabby scanned the parking lot, familiar ground for the curious stray as he cheerfully trotted across the asphalt. With a quick hop his paws landed lightly on the raised bed of dirt and grass that ran along the edge of the lot. Pausing occasionally to enthusiastically take in every new smell, he darted through a familiar hole in the chain link fence that led to his favorite alley. Small pink nose in the air and whiskers atwitch he followed the scent of the coffee shop’s discarded tuna salad to the hallowed dumpster, preparing to squeeze under the gate that stood between him and the treasure within.

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Rowan released her hair from its ponytail as she walked out the coffee shop’s back door, relieved to see the end of another day on her feet behind the counter. One quick nap would set her right before her nightly patrol. The purple storm that continued roiling overhead did nothing for her frayed nerves, nothing positive anyway and her nights had been sleepless almost as often as not. It didn’t seem quite as bad as what she had seen on Tempesti but it was enough that she had stayed indoors whenever she could, leaving only for work, school, and the rounds she did to dispatch youma to wherever it was they came from. The fact that they knew so little about what caused the storm only stoked the fires of her anxious imagination as she considered every possible terrifying explanation that danced across her mind when she allowed herself to be alone with her thoughts.

The young woman felt the panic rising inside her well before she realized what was happening: the sensation of the hair raising across her body, the smell of ozone that was somehow familiar and alien, the spinning faintness that threatened to overtake her. Before she could register the danger she was on her back, body convulsing gracelessly as the lightning sought the ground beneath her. Her head swam as she fought to keep her eyes open and staring at the bruised sky above. With effort, she struggled to her feet before doubling over under a wave of overwhelming nausea. Her left arm stung and tingled with the force of the strike and as her eyes focused she was stunned to see what looked almost like the silhouette of a snake winding painfully around the raw skin of her bicep.

Rowan’s hands shook violently as she pulled out her cell phone and snapped a few blurry pictures before managing one or two with any clarity. She didn’t have it in her to power up so she hoped that her civilian phone would be sufficiently secure until she was able to send in the photo. As she put her phone away the reality of the situation set in and she frantically scanned the area for any other threats.

To her horror, her eyes landed on the still form of an orange cat near the dumpster. Adrenaline forcing its way through the dizzy haze she stumbled over to the animal, nearly toppling over as she crouched beside them. The cat’s breathing was fast and shallow as they lay on the asphalt. She couldn’t tell if they were conscious or not, but the absence of any apparent burns made it seem unlikely that they’d taken the brunt of the lightning strike.

There was no question of whether this cat was coming with her and she scooped them into her arms before scrambling toward her car. She’d driven past a nearby emergency animal hospital more times than she could remember and if this little orange fellow was going to make it, Rowan was sure that she needed to get them to a doctor as quickly as she could. She carefully placed the cat atop her jacket in the passenger seat, she hurried on wobbling legs to the driver’s side. Fighting dizziness, she let out a soft, disgruntled groan and leaned heavily against the steering wheel.

She couldn’t drive like this but the hospital was only a few blocks away, she had to risk the weather. With a determined huff Rowan pushed herself upright and stepped around to the other side of the car, cautiously burritoing the orange fuzz. The ground continued to undulate beneath her as she and the cat made their way down the street. Her shoulder made solid contact with the glass door of the animal hospital and she shoved her way inside, all but teleporting to the counter.

With the exchange of a few words, hospital staff hurried the cat behind the swinging metal door. A few anxious hours and one large charge to her credit card later, a nurse emerged from within, a groggily stirring orange cat in her arms. Without hesitation, Rowan accepted the slightly disgruntled bundle. “Alright buddy, let’s get you home.”