Author's note: An unorthodox idea just floated into my brain while I literally played the game. Ideas tend to come after I shut off the console. Happily, I wrote.

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It's too much for her. The confusing talking, the sharp noises, the disturbing smells. This dank alley attracts unsavory people, but she is too out of it to register the life around her. She's tired and unresponsive to her surroundings. She wants to sleep.

She didn't even notice them approaching in her hunger-weakened state. They're nearly upon her. Two rowdy teens, a girl and a guy. The girl snaps the gum in their mouth loudly, a firecracker or a shooting pistol start.

She trembles, arms and legs shaking. A stomping foot rams down from above and she has a sliver of a second to dodge it. Concentration is so hard because she just wants to be undisturbed while she feels the strength drain from her body.

More striding legs advance, now circling her sides. She leaps away from a hard boot to her stomach. There are too many legs to keep track of, all four of them stomping and scuffling on the dirty alley ground. One of the swinging legs clips her face and she recoils in pain, hissing.

They snicker at her pain. They mutter something about hanging which she doesn't understand. The boy's large shadow looms over her, obscuring the faint luminance of the only doorway bulb nearby. She hopes her end is painless.

"Hey, morons, get lost."

The gruff order is recognizable to all, though to her the comprehension takes longer because of her fuzzy headache. But when she spots the person standing behind her, she remembers who it is.

The gum-chewer reacts first. She nudges her partner. "Shit, it's Shinjiro! Let's go!"

Shaking his head in mirth at having their fun ruined, the guy complies. They leave, still laughing amongst themselves about their adventure.

The lone man approaches, this Shinjiro. Her muddled head spinning, she instantly is on guard with a growl. He should go away.

The strangest thing happens, then. Shinjiro chuckles, almost to himself than her. And more directed to himself is when he muses, "Well, you seem to have gotten your spunk back."

No spinning legs to keep track of here. Her memory trickles back to her. Shinjiro. The one who pulled his friends out of danger in this very same alley last month. The event plays through her mind. The assailant slowly relents, relaxing her tense body. She's so tired all of a sudden.

She wants to thank him before she dozes. It's the least she can do.

Stepping lightly and silently towards Shinjiro, he's cautiously eying her movement. He crouches and takes a look around the empty space in his little corner of the alley. When he's satisfied that nobody is around, he holds out his hand. Slightly cranes his head. Smiles.

She can't smile in return, but does what she can to show her appreciation. This fatigued, but grateful cat Mewlie meows and rubs against the outstretched hand. A strong, compassionate hand.

Shinjiro frowns, similar to the others' negative expressions, but he cracks a smirk. "Shh, not so noisy." He glances around as if he'll be caught.

Mewlie ignores his request and purrs again. Weariness finally catches up with her bones after all the excitement and she slumps onto her haunches, missing the contact of Shinjiro's touch.

"Hey." He seems surprised, not expecting Mewlie to drop like a lead weight.

She tries to tell him she's fine with a pathetic-sounding purr.

Shinjiro continues to stare down at Mewlie, contemplating something. He should leave so she can fade away in peace.

Mewlie finds strength to flail once when Shinjiro picks her up. He stands and Mewlie is rocking on the boat of his arms when he walks.

"Y'know, I prefer dogs, but I can make an exception tonight." Shinjiro whispers this, a secret between only them. A vacant set of stairs is his seat and he settles on it. Smothered on his lap, Mewlie's head sinks onto it.

- THE END -