Brendan stared into the reflection of the helmet. His reflection stared back. He looked into his own dark-brown eyes and began to wonder about what had happened in that cave? How did he fail to defeat Kyogre? Where did he go so wrong? Could he fix it? Was it too late? Had he caused all of this? How many people had died? How many of his friends and family had been lost? Did they suffer? Are they still out their? Searching for him? Searching for May? His thoughts took him deeper and deeper into the dark depths of his mind, depths which he had try to bury into the back of his head.
"Everything okay?" May asked, pulling him out off his thoughts.
"Yeah." Brendan replied. "Just thinking." He placed the blue helmet down on the floor next to the other pieces of the Devon Suit which May had found him in. "I'm trying to get this stuff working again." He gestured over to the suit and she nodded. "Then we don't have to rely on poor Sealeo to get all the food."
"And?" May asked, a cheeky smile on her face. "Any luck?"
Brendan rolled his eyes and stood up. He was only slightly taller than May, but his broad shoulders and strong arms made him seem stories higher. "None." He replied, wrapping his hand around the mug of coffee she had prepared for him. He took a sip and placed it down on the table. "That's good coffee." Suddenly he placed his arm around May's back and pulled her forward so that their heads where barely an inch apart. She placed her hand on the side of his neck and reached up, standing on the tips of her bare toes to reach his lips with her own. They both closed their eyes and forgot about all the troubles they where facing for just a single moment. All that mattered for that one second was that they where together. Then their eyes opened and out of every open door, every window the view of their broken world forced them back to reality.
"We're running low on food." May said begrudgingly. "I planted the seeds from the samples in my bag, and Lotad can help me grow them. Could be months before anything turns edible though." She shrugged but Brendan placed an arm on her shoulder and gave her an encouraging and warm smile.
"We'll be fine." He calmly stated. "I'll get this suit working. Then we can recover supplies from," He paused. "Down there. Tropius can keep doing scouting runs. Remember those cargo ships we saw at Slateport City? They wouldn't have sunk. And she may even finds signs of life." May's hand reached out and grabbed Brendan's. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She let go and looked away from him but then quickly turned back. "I'm must worried that all this flying is wearing her out," She turned to the window and watched the sky as the giant Tropius flapped it's wing and danced around the much smaller Sealeo.
"May," Brendan took a hold off her hand and squeezed it tightly. He knew what she was really worried about. "I know things look bleak." He started. "I know there isn't much hope." She looked at him. Her big eyes like black holes sucking him in. He placed his hand on her cheek and gently stroked a small tear from her eye. "I think there are people out there. I can feel it. In my heart. In my head. There will be survivors." She nodded.
"But," She gulped. "What if..."
"Don't worry about the 'what ifs'. Let's just worry about the now." Brendan interrupted. "Thats what the Professor would want. That's what your father would expect of you." She nodded, grabbing his wrist and cuddling into his chest. "He'd want you to just carry on." Brendan continued, placing a hand through the back of her hair and massaging her head.
Mays eyes wondered toward the Devon suit in the corner. "I'm scared." She whispered, staring into it. Remembering her guilt. Remembering seeing Brendan, beaten, bruised, broken. "I nearly lost you in that suit once. I can't see that again."
"You won't," Brendan replied kissing her forehead. "You won't."
---
May looked into the helmets blue visor. Her reflection staring back at her. Her guilt wrapping around her again but the sound of Brendan pressing buttons on the suit drew her away. He tapped a few controls. Checked his oxygen levels and raised his arms and legs, making sure the suit was working correctly.
The suit had taken a month to repair. This was the first test. Although the suit had an 8 hour oxygen limit, Brendan had agreed to test it for only three. One hour of falling to the land below. Another to explore and the final one to raise himself back up. Originally he wanted to spend five hours but May insisted he take it easy. She was very nervous about the suit and Brendan wearing it. Brendan could understand why. If that situation had been turned the other way around he doubt he would even let her try it on. Let alone dive into the depths with it on.
May walked up to him and he turned to face her. She let the helmet drop to the floor and placed both her hands around his cheeks, kissing him on the lips and wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, burying her head into his shoulder. "Don't die." She commanded quietly. "Please." She kissed him again and then retreated back down to the ground, holding the helmet once again and raising it up too him. He took it from her hands and took a deep breath.
"I won't." He said simply.
"Promise?" She asked.
"Promise." He replied.
"I love you." May confessed, biting her lip.
"I love you." Brendan repeated.
"Three hours?" May questioned.
"Three hours." Brendan repeated. "Not a second more." She nodded. He nodded in reply.
The two stared at each other for a moment. The sun rising beside them. Lighting up the brilliant ocean which surrounded them on all sides. The ocean that Brendan was about to explore. The ocean which has once sat below and entire region. Once full of life and purpose, now buried below the sea.
Without another word, Brendan carefully took the helmet out of Mays hands and placed it over his head, locking it into place. She watched as he walked into the ocean, with her precious Sealeo following him eagerly as the water climbed up his body and over his head. She continued to watch as the last of the Devon Suit disappeared beneath the waves. She watched and waited until he would return to her.
"Three hours." She whispered. "Just, three hours."
