The Gift.

AN: Good mornin' all! Sadly, it feels as though I'm starting to run dry for inspiration for Gravity Rush. We'll see how it goes. The timeline's set just over a whole year after the events of GR2. Any who, please enjoy!

Misai sat staring at the small parcel in front of him. He stretched his arms out above his head, his gaze ever locked on the package.

'Where have you gone…?'

The days felt empty, devoid of meaning. He continued on with his daily routine, helping the Banga settlement with their mining duties and ore procurement. Although this boosted his mood at times, it did little to put him at ease.

"Misai, do you have a moment?" A voice spoke from behind him. He turned, seeing Cecie standing part way through the door to his cabin. He nodded.

"Oh, hey Cecie. What can I help you with?"

"I was just wondering, do you happen to have any leftover rope?" Her question caught him off-guard. Rope? What would she need with rope?

"I should have some in here somewhere, gimme a moment," he replied as he rummaged through an assortment of goods in the room. Cecie's attention flitted throughout the area, finally resting on the small box on his desk. She walked over to it whilst he was still busy.

"What's this," she picked it up, turning it and examining its size. Misai turned after hearing her, jolting upright and walking hastily towards her after realising. He snatched it out of her hands, causing her to flinch. He quickly pocketed the parcel.

"H-hey, I found the rope, here," his voice was a little shaky. He extended his arm, a knot of rope dangling precariously from it. After a moment's deliberation, she took the knot before staring at him for a moment. He turned his face to the side. "...Is there anything else I can do?"

A small smile appeared on her face. She closed her eyes.

"...It's okay, Misai. I miss her too."

The skyline was beginning to grow dark over Auldnoir. Amidst the many deliveries that Misai had agreed to help Vogo with, there was one due for Aki in Pandora's Fortunes. He stopped his van near the venue, unloading the package onto a trolley. Approaching the door to the premises, he stood in awe as it opened before him with no interaction.

"Wow, maybe she really can see the future," he joked to himself as he entered. Aki was there, seated on a large gaudy cushion. "Hey there, you're Aki, right?"

"Indeed I am. I see you had no trouble finding your way," her eyes following his movements through the doorway. "Thank you, please leave it over there."

He merely tutted, grinning towards her.

"It's not that hard with the big sign out front. Anyway, that's all for you. Have a good day!"

He dropped off the parcel and prepared to take his leave. A high pitched, squeaky voice stopped him in his tracks. He pivoted to see the small doll next to Aki was wriggling. He grew unsettled.

"Hmm? What's with that?"

"Oh, Pandora? She's usually so quiet unless I have clients," Aki explained as she walked over to the cushion on which the doll was sitting. Misai shook his head.

"Now, now, I don't have any need of your services," he blurted. The doll grew more erratic in movement.

"This...is highly unusual," Aki lifted the doll into her air. Its mouth began to move of its own accord, although the words were nonsensical. Gibberish, even. Aki began to jot a number of sentences down on a piece of paper.

"Look, I'm goin' now, take ca-" Misai was quietened by a sharp glare from Aki. She walked over to him, handing him the paper, cupping his hands around it. She looked deep into his eyes.

"Read this when you go outside and follow its message. You will find what you seek."

Misai stood outside the building, lightly scratching his head.

"I'll find what I seek? Pfft, if only," his mind wandered through the myriad things that she could have meant. Money? Food? None of it held any relevance. "What a load of bull."

He folded the piece of paper in half, putting it in his pocket before resuming his deliveries. After the next drop off a short distance away, he found his focus shifting back to the note.

"...Maybe I'll have a look," he muttered as he unfolded it. Her handwriting was both ornate and a little difficult to grasp. He squinted as he made out the contents.

"An olive branch of peace...the fountain of eld," his eyebrow raised as he read. Although little in wordage, the fortune was as enigmatic as it was bothersome. After a moment of thought, the final sentence grabbed his attention.

"...The black cat of memories…!"

He felt a renewed vigor fill his heart. Looking around the premises, he wanted to see if anything resembled the words in the note. To his annoyance, nothing immediately stood out.

"Darn, this is going to be tough," his mind wandered once more to the final sentence. A small smile curved his lips. "I'm not gonna give up though. I have to find out what this means."

He boarded his van and started the engine. A higher view may just provide the insight he needed. As the vehicle elevated, he looked all around.

"Wait a minute, that's it! The olive branch," his gaze trailed over to the nearby post office. The sign for it was a dove with a branch in its beak. He immediately drove close, parking it nearby before dismounting. He reached for the piece of paper once more. A sudden, husky voice caught his attention as a figure emerged from the alleyway adjacent. It was Raven.

"Hey, Misai, it's been a while."

"Hi Raven, fancy seeing you here," his attention shifted to her. He could see that she was holding a hot dog in her hand. "Enjoying the sights?"

"It's hardly sightseeing when I live around here," she retorted as she took a bite from her snack. "What're you doing?"

"Oh, just some delivery business. I just dropped off a package to Aki," he chuckled, noticing Raven walking closer to him. "She gave me this note."

She gulped.

"Would you mind if I take a look?"

"'Course not, to be honest I'm having a little trouble following along, here," he passed it to her, watching her intently. "I don't suppose you know where this 'fountain of eld' could be?"

Her gaze shot to his face. He took a step back, wondering if he had said something odd. She took another bite of her hot dog.

"It's probably the one in the plaza, but...did Aki give this to you...for free?" Her inquisitive expression leered at him. He began to feel quite uncomfortable.

"Yes, yes she did," he nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"She never does anything for free."

"Maybe I'm special," he joked, watching her finish the last of her meal. "Either that, or she likes me."

Raven shook her head fervently, handing the note back to him.

"That's impossible," she spoke with a stern voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that this is serious. You'd better follow it through, for your own sake," she spoke as she began to levitate. A moment later, she shifted high into the sky, leaving Misai to his thoughts.

"So, the fountain is in the plaza," Misai mused as he walked ever nearer. His meeting with Raven had helped him with the previous step, but now, once more, he was somewhat at a loss.

"The black cat of memories," he whispered as he closed his eyes, looking upwards. There was only one black cat he could think of. One that he could not, and would not, forget. He opened his eyes once more and approached the fountain. The faint mist produced by the fountain danced lightly on its surface. Nothing resembling a cat was to be found, no sign, picture, nothing.

'I thought it was too good to be true.'

A shrill meow filled the air. His eyes widened as he looked all about. The area was quickly emptying due to the oncoming twilight. The stalls nearby were closing down after a day of sales. He blinked.

"Maybe it's just my imagination," he looked to the fountain. Once more the sound of a cat mewing grabbed his attention. He was determined, and this time he heard where it was coming from.

"There…? It's gotta be it," he turned back towards the stall on the plaza outskirts. As he eyed it, a small, dark figure emerged from behind it, skulking about. His heart skipped a beat as he walked closer. "Wait a minute, that's…!"

A small, star-dashed cat was sitting in front of the stall, preening itself with its paws. There was no mistaking it, it was definitely Dusty. Misai knelt beside it, reaching his arm out to pet it.

"There, there, good boy," his voice grew raspy. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I don't suppose you know where she is now, do you?"

He continued to pet it. Although somewhat sure he would not get an answer, at least one he could understand, he felt a sense of relief.

"Geez...all this over a note," he spoke, seemingly towards Dusty. It meowed in response. "You know the funny thing? I really was hoping to see her, too."

He felt compelled to relay his thoughts to it. Whether as a way to vent his frustrations or because he simply needed to, he could not say. He sat fully on the floor, legs crossed, his gaze fixed on it.

"I should've told her how I felt when I had the chance. It's not like I'm gonna get another go now, is it?" He smirked, watching as Dusty leaned into his hand as he pet it. "I even bought her a gift, one which I thought she would've loved. Fat lot of good that is now, huh."

The air grew quieter with each passing moment. The pair, almost in unison, looked towards the heavens.

"...I want to see her again," a pleasant smile formed on his face. "This time, I'll tell her how I really feel."

Dusty stretched its paws out in front of itself, sitting upright. After a brief moment staring into the distance, it walked behind him. He laughed to himself, turning back to follow it.

"Wow, I know that was corny, but-" He paused, motionless. There was someone standing behind him.

His eyes trailed from the floor to her legs, noticing the gold accents adorning her figure and her shoes. He glanced upwards, noting the ashy-blonde hair and the piercing crimson eyes looking at him. There was a moment of hesitation.

"...Kat? Is it really you?"

She nodded as she gave a large smile. Her cheeks were tinged a slight pink. He instantly clambered to his feet, finding it hard to look her directly in the eye. Dusty appeared beside her as it affectionately brushed her leg.

"I, uh, it's great to see you! It really is," he choked a little on his words, pondering on the situation. "...How long were you standing there…?"

She giggled as she covered her mouth. An awkward silence fell on Misai as he turned a deep red.

"Oh, only a little while," she teased, poking him in the arm. "It's really good to see you too."

He sighed. All this time he was thinking solely of her and all the things he wanted to say to her. Now that she was present, he was at a complete loss for words. Meaningful ones, at least. He turned to face the fountain. Kat followed suit, standing beside him as they watched the water flowing.

"I used to come here to look at the fountain and think about things," she spoke with a hint of sadness. "It felt like such a long time ago that I wanted to come here once more."

He looked towards her briefly. He had often thought about what had become of her.

"But...where have you been? I was...uh, I mean we've all been worried about you," he quickly reverted back to the fountain as she looked at him. He could feel a heat rising to his face once more as she contentedly watched him.

"I don't really know. I remember a few things, like...the Destructive Force. I remember hearing everyone's voices help me overcome the ordeal...and then I had to finish it," she trailed as she frowned. "It wasn't too long ago I woke up. I saw Raven shortly after, who filled me in about what's happened. I honestly felt as though I was gone for much longer!"

'Raven? So she knew that Kat was back? Why didn't she say anything earlier?'

He shook his head once more, dispersing the thoughts. All that mattered to him was that she was here, now, next to him. He turned to face her. All he wanted to do was see her smile once more.

"It's true, so much has happened...Kat, listen, I...I've been meaning to give you something for a while now," he put his hand in his pocket. A curious look befell Kat's face as she furrowed her brow. He could not help but chuckle. A moment later, he pulled the small box and held it out to her. "Here, it's for you."

"But...you shouldn't have, honestly," her face betrayed her words as it lit up with a mighty smile, ear to ear. She seemed to toy with it, giving it a little shake before holding it tight to her chest. "Thank you, Misai."

He reached his hand to the back of his head. After a brief interlude, he opened his mouth.

"It's true, you know, what I said earlier," he uttered in a quiet breath. She leaned closer to him, giving him the impression she did not hear. He straightened his posture, arms rigidly at his sides. "I...I, um..."

She burst into a fit of laughter. Taking a deep breath, she looked towards him, noting his almost sorrowful expression.

"Wow, a lot must've happened in the past year, huh," her voice cracked slightly as she tried her best to contain her giggling. A moment passed, before Misai stepped forward, embracing her in his arms. She immediately fell silent.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered as he gently stroked her hair. He felt a sudden urge to let go, thinking that what he was doing was stupid, reckless even. An even greater part of him hushed the notion. The pair stood in peace. "...I don't want to lose you again."

She was at a loss for words. To think that Misai had been harbouring these feelings for so long caused her to feel a little unsure of her own heart, but at the same time, grateful. She was indescribably happy to know that someone out there cared so much for her. She raised her arms to return the embrace, closing her eyes.

"...Thank you, Misai."

After what felt like an eternity, he loosened his embrace, looking down to her. As a tear began to form in her eye, he gently wiped it away, smiling as he did so.

"No, thank you, Kat. Thank you for coming back to us...to me. I love you."