Yo cool cats. I thought I'd start posting all my ficlets from my daiharu blog for more exposure, because yay reviews! I wrote this when I was having a lot of FFVI feels, so for those of you who have played the game, you'll know exactly what part of that game that this story is based upon.

"It feels like…I've been sleeping…for forever…"

Steven groaned as he struggled to open his eyes, his entire body feeling weighted down. Everything felt too cumbersome to bother sitting up, or even moving.

"S-Steven?!" a voice exclaimed in shock. The voice was old, tired, weak, but that wasn't enough to mask the feeling laced within it. "You're…really awake?"

As his eyes came in to focus his surroundings, Steven tried to recognize the withering body in the chair across the room from where he was in bed. "Drake?"

The old man only nodded, but it definitely was him. His mustache still retained its distinct shape, but it was ragged, along with a full face of facial hair to accompany it.

His clothes were dirty, tattered, and he looked like he had something to say, but rugged coughing came first.

"Steven…thank goodness you're awake…" Drake struggled to say, "you've been sleeping for five months…I thought you were out for good. Yeah, you woke up some days only for brief moments to drink, eat what little food we've had, and to relieve yourself, but even these instances were rare."

Steven's brain was not cooperating. He'd been sleeping for five months, and he was alone in a tiny hut with Drake, who also wasn't looking the greatest. His voice hardly cooperated. "And…you've been looking after me this entire time? What happened?"

What little hope that was in Drake's face was gone again, his face sinking back into its former wrinkles that time and stress had put on him. "Yes, and I'm about out of energy. Five months ago, Primal Kyogre brought complete havoc upon the seas and skies, destroying most of the world. Us here, we're on a tiny, deserted island. By the time I woke up, it was just us…and some strangers."

"The world…so, Kyogre wasn't just a dream," Steven said. He could barely remember. All he really remembered was Primal Kyogre bursting from the Cave of Origin…and May on its back. He tried to sit up in urgency, but was held back by his frailty, and said, "Where is everyone? The rest of the Elite Four, the gym leaders, May…?"

Drake shut his eyes. "I don't know. There's no way of knowing for sure. There isn't any technology that works anymore. All I know is that we're here." His descriptions were cut off by his own coughing, unproductive, heavy coughing. "Unstopping torrential downpours and tsunamis continued to destroy the world, and everything slid into ruin. Pokémon and plants alike have been dying…and the few people that washed up onto this island with us have either died of malnutrition or killed themselves out of despair…"

He trailed off, his lungs unable to let him keep talking, his body rendering him into another massive coughing fit. "Steven, you're the closest thing I have to family at this point. We…could try to live out our lives in peace here."

Steven could barely think. He at the least knew there was basic explanation for his brain's inability to function. Drake clearly wasn't doing well either.

"Do you want something to eat?" Steven asked, not knowing what else to say. He had to start somewhere. "What are our options at this point?"

Drake managed a chuckle. "I haven't eaten in about four days, since I became too ill to make it to the shore. And if I said anything other than fish, that'd be a joke! That's all we've got as an option at the moment!"

It made sense that water Pokémon were all that were left to thrive considering what had happened to the world. Steven forced himself out of bed. "I'll go catch some."

Days and days went by as Steven made the effort to leave the house and catch any fish Pokémon near the shore to bring back to eat. All he could think about was becoming healthy again, getting his strength back, for him and for Drake. It was a task, learning to use his legs again, trying to catch fish Pokémon with his arms, it was all a struggle, but he pushed himself every time. He didn't have the energy to think about the consequences of what he said. Drake sacrificed his energy keeping him alive, now it was his turn to do the same. He had to.

Until one day when Steven came back, and Drake didn't respond when food was ready and Steven tried to feed him.

"Come on, Drake, you have to eat…Drake…what's the matter…"

Steven's voice shook, then fell. "No…"

Then came anger. "NO. ANSWER ME. This is just another joke!"

Still, no response.

The bowl of Feebas stew crashed to the floor. He dashed out of the hut, and even though it was physically difficult and hurt as he still hadn't finished recovering and building back muscle, he ran as fast as his legs would take him.

He knew where the cliff was.

All he could see from the peak was vast, endless sea. Waves were still forceful, but without much land left, there wasn't much destruction. Just water, water in every direction, for miles.

Steven physically felt exhausted, empty, and insignificant.

"Any others that were here on this island…I bet it was here they took their leap of faith."

The salt winds were harsh on his already weak and tattered skin. Too tired to cry, not hydrated enough for tears to form to begin with.

"Everyone's gone…even May…the one person who should have stuck through it all, above any of us. If she couldn't survive…in this world that's swallowed in sea…"

He turned his back to the ocean, so the sky where they once flew with Latios was the last thing he could see.

Until he came to. He was woken by a beautiful melodious soprano voice, and it was like lying in a cloud. Steven's brain was restless. He was hurt, annoyed even, his voice showed his irritation. "Why did you nurse me back to health?! Did I asked to be saved?!"

He felt around with his hands and tried to open his eyes. He was on a cloud. Or more specifically, as his thoughts slowly became more coherent, he realized it was an

Altaria that saved him.

Then he saw it.

His hands flew to the Pokémon's neck. It was wrapped in a red and white bandana.

He untied it, and it revealed a healing scar. He clenched the bandana in his hands, mind racing.

"This bandana…no…it couldn't be…"

The Altaria started to rise, letting its cloud wings and body catch a breeze to soar into the sky. Steven panicked.

"Altaria?! Where did you get this?! Is the person who healed you still alive?! Answer me!"

The Altaria craned its neck around to nuzzle Steven's head, gently humming a soft and simple melody.

He hadn't the energy or the mind, but the ugly, salty tears still managed to roll, soaking his face.

"She's alive…May's still alive!"