Equilibrium: Shattered

A light drizzle showered the emerald glade, dampening the forest leaves with beads of tranquil dew.

The afternoon was a calm one, and the pitter-patter of raindrops on the rooftop of her quaint abode served to put her at ease. Still, she could not help but feel slightly bored. Most of her days went by without event, and although she dearly cherished the vibrant nature surrounding her, there was a certain spark that had faded from her life.

It had not always been this way. The spark had been there before, she was sure of it. Her days with her sisters, her days with her husband, her days with her children. It had been a wonderful life, and she harbored nary a regret in her heart.

But, with time, all things must change. She could not recall the last time she had seen her sisters, but she hoped they bore her no malice. Her children were off forging their own paths, accomplishing great things, but it was no longer her place to intervene with them. Her husband was likely off in some faraway land immersed in some absurd endeavor, but that was also why she loved him.

Gazing out the window to the cloudy sky, the woman recalled the day he had taken her by the hand, wishing that he would come home again before long.

Alas, she was here, and he was not. She pondered if it was perhaps her fate to always find her life growing dull, but she was not willing to lose that battle so easily.

Thinking to alleviate some of her boredom, the woman rose from her seat, and stepped out into the rain.

The emerald glade was as beautiful as ever, though a tad somber from the overcast sky. She didn't mind, however. The rain was nice. The way it bounced off her alabaster skin, the delightful petrichor it brought about; it all filled her with a sense of relaxation.

Delightful though it may be, it was not the spark she was looking for.

Midway through her stroll, the woman gazed up to the heavens, and pondered for a moment. 

What if she were to go back? 

Quickly, she discarded the thought from her mind.

Knowing how things were back there, she found it doubtful that anything might have changed. And without change, how could she ever hope to gain the spark she sought?

Resuming her walk, the woman seemed to give off a faint glow as she made her way through the glade. It was as if the very air around her was glistening, the silvery radiance of her hair unmarred by the cascading downpour.

Having walked all the way to the outermost edge of the glade, an indistinct sound suddenly caught her ear.

Her heart skipped a beat. Eager to identify the cause of the sound, she marched toward its general direction.

Slowly, the essence of the sound became more and more clear. She could tell it was a faint sort of groaning. Something was hurt, and it was calling for help.

Could this be, a spark?

Finally arriving at the source of the groaning, the woman discovered a mess of black fur drenched in the rain, lying beside some shrubbery.

Lesser beings seldom ventured deep within the emerald glade, but some could be found near its outskirts. A shame, really. She did find them quite endearing.

To find a stray cat here, however, was quite the peculiar sight indeed.

Jet-black fur clad the entirety of this little creature, save for a gash on its left fore-paw oozing crimson blood.

Its ears were folded, and its whiskers drooped from the moisture. And, with piercing golden eyes, it gazed at her with a sense of despondency.

Receiving that gaze, the woman felt a spark ignite within her. She could tell that from this day forth, the status quo of her life would shift dramatically.

Her lips curving into a gentle crescent, in order to vocalize the feelings welling up in her heart, the woman spoke.

"Aw, you poor thing. Come here, sweet."

――And the world would never be the same.