Where the Wind Blows
Japanese Lilac

Dedication: This fanfic is dedicated to my best friend, Gining. She's always been there for me and is known for constantly pushing me to finish my stories. On behalf of nearly four years of friendship, I promise to finish this story unlike my constant habit of, well, not.

Prologue

The Farplane had been in utter chaos for hours.

The world itself - the land, the falls, the pyreflies... all were disappearing. People were disappearing. One minute you'd be talking to someone and then the next they'd poof out of existence without so much as a say in the matter. Some who vanished, however, went down with a fight. Screaming in bloody agony as their forms melted into nothing. Literally melted. Whatever was happening was frightening.

No one knew exactly what was going on. Even high summoners, such as Braska, legendary guardians, like the formally unsent Auron, and the last known Sin, Jecht, had no idea why these events were taking place. Amidst the torment, the three had taken it upon themselves to meet up in an undisclosed to discuss what was happening.

"I'm tellin' ya know, the world is ending," a gruff voice spoke from with a cave, hidden beneath what was once crystal clear falls.

"Jecht, let's be serious," another voice spoke, smoother than the first but still rough in it's own way.

"I'm one hundred and six percent serious here, Auron!" The gruff one now being identified, the owner of said voice waved his dark arms in the air as he stared expectantly at his friend and former co-guardian. Dark, shaggy hair fell into even blacker eyes as the wildest one tried to justify his explanation.

A snort echoed briefly before the latter spoke once more. Salt and pepper black strands fell over his glasses as he pushed the accessory farther up the bridge of his nose. A typical Auron habit. "I don't think using the term 'one hundred and six' will make it anymore convincing."

"Why, you -"

"Now, now. Let's discuss this calmly," the third and final voice broke in, much softer and calmer than his companions. Large robes covering a thin frame moved as the oldest of the three moved between his two companions. "We need to speak of this in a rational manner."

"Which is why I'm sayin' that the world is ending! That's the most "rational" thing I can think of, ya know?" Jecht spoke up after Braska finished, crossing tattooed arms against a broad chest. "I mean, think 'bout it. People are disappearin', the place itself is disappearin'. Somethin' had to of happened in Spira for this place to start collapsing, Braska! Don't ya think?"

"Perhaps... but we can never be too sure," Braska spoke calmly, shaking his head. Things weren't going very well. When the land had begun disappearing, leaving blank and bleak areas, people were concerned of course. But when the people themselves started evaporating into thin air or just melting, people were frightened. Terrified even. Why were some chosen, yet others left behind? What made them special to be left to their own devices... What could be happening to Spira?

With another shake of his head, Braska looked towards Auron with a critical eye. "Do you have any conclusions other than the possibility of the world ending, Auron?" While typically blunt, Braska was never so straight-forward. He would normally wait for the opportune moment to address certain subjects. However, as things being as they were, tip-toeing around important matters at hand wouldn't be such a brilliant idea.

Auron shook his head, reaching his one clothed arm up to push hair back from his face with a sigh. He had a faint inkling on what could be happening, but one could never be too sure with this world. "I'm not too positive, my lord, but I have a bit of an idea."

"Well?" Jecht interjected, turning to look at younger-older male. "What is it?"

Auron, resisting the urge to glare at Jecht, murmured "The Fayth".

"The... Fayth?" Braska enunciated the word, almost as if he had never heard, nor spoken it before.

Jecht snorted, putting his hands on his hips. "Care to elaborate, huh?"

Forget resisting the glare. Auron turned towards the tanned-male and glared hotly at him. He was so infuriating at times... "As previously stated, it's an idea, but I believe something is happening with the Fayth. Perhaps they are being destroyed?"

"Or maybe they are the ones doing the destroyin'? Ya think 'bout that?" Deep azure and earthy brown met with molasses toned eyes as the three displayed their shock in different mannerisms.

Then the screams began once more.

"No, not again!" Braska cried out, running from the cave in haste. His two former guardians followed behind him swiftly, coming at a stop behind him as a new scene greeted the three.

Pyreflies. Everywhere. There wasn't a single area within the thirty foot radius surrounding them that did not have a cluster of them floating in the air. It was typically normal for them to be wandering around the planes, but with the events that had been taken place, it was unheard of for them to be so close together in such large amounts. When they grouped together liked they were, it typically meant the disappearance of the dead.

"Gotta find Nera!" The second oldest man yelled out, his eyes nearly bugging from their sockets as he watched the little lights in horror. "Can't let her not know what's goin' on. I think she's hidin' with Malitu and Lyndi somewhere off in the fields. I'll be back," Jecht growled to himself before running off. He wasn't completely sure what was going on, but there was no way in heaven, hell, or Spira between that he was going to allow his wife to be taken from him.

Auron shook his head, letting out a frustrated rumble himself. Things were beginning to fall apart and people were beginning to panic. He wasn't too keen on any of this himself, either. Pushing his glasses farther up his nose, he looked to his lord. Braska was just staring out into the empty space the Pyreflies had gathered in. He seemed to be in shock of some sort. It wasn't surprising in the least. Or that's what Auron thought. With everything he had seen in his thirty-some odd years alive – well, alive in a sense – the ex-warrior monk was shocked at nothing anymore. He had lived through two pilgrimages and seen the death of Sin. Nothing, even the Fayth perishing or destroying their world, could surprise him anymore. The High Summoner, on the other hand, had simply lived through his own pilgrimage before passing on to the next world. He hadn't seen nearly as much as the younger, yet also older guardian had. For that, Auron knew he would have to handle this carefully.

"My Lord," he spoke quietly, trying to keep himself from sounding too cold. "I'm going to find Jecht, along with your wife and sister-in-law. I'm sure their fine. Just... please, do not leave this area. I'll return shortly."

And with that said, the red-clad man ran after the blitzer.

Braska mentally tried to break himself out of his reverie, but to no avail. His body seemed frozen while his mental state thrashed in angst. He needed to find Lyndi. His wife was all he had here, other than his friends. He couldn't stand the thought of her disappearing. If she left him, whether to be whisked away by popping out of existence or simply dematerialize, he wasn't sure how he'd handle it. He went through her death once, when they were still in the planes of the living. He simply couldn't do it a second time.

Just as Braska took the first step into the area surrounding him, the bottom part of his robes began to fade. He was becoming transparent. Invisible like. Almost as if he were being sent whilst still living. Gasping in shock, the summoner lifted his hands to face to see that they were nearly see-through.

"What's..." He trailed off, crystal clear eyes widening as he shook his head. "What is happening?"

The transparency was taking over far too rapidly. Much quicker than those who he had seen disappear before his own eyes. Something wasn't right.

"No -" Braska's last word cut off as he faded completely from existence. Nothing was left of the healer but a cloud of Pyreflies floating lazily in the last place he had once stood.

Author's Note: This is a re-write of a story previously written by me on my other account. Mind you, this chapter is completely new and is not even relatively part of the old fic. The old story had many errors (as it was my first story on Fanfiction under my previous name from nearly four years ago) and was plot less. I've now revamped the plot and come up with a completely new idea.

I'm still waiting for guesses on who I am. Maybe next chapter will make it easier for those who were once closest to me to guess.