Prologue

He slowly drifted without direction, without desire. He vaguely remembered the dying orange of the clouds and the screeches of the sent, but not clear enough to discern when or why they happened. This sea was not a happy place, nor was it in any way full of sorrow. It was oblivion; a bit depressing, but gently comforting somehow. It was as though he had forgotten how to feel, how to piece together words and pictures into one discernable thought. His memories, his mind, his very soul seemed to be drifting away into dreary, placid nothingness.

It was slow at first. There was no current or force to carry him above or below. But suddenly, he felt what might have been a gentle push. It didn't change his depth, but rather hinted that he should swim up. He didn't take this hint; he hardly knew what to make of anything anymore. Then a few moments later, there was another push, this time forcing him to rise a few feet closer to the surface of the pitch black, yet somehow warm sea. He began to see light. The surface shimmered with an unearthly glow, like when moonlight is filtered through the leaves of a tree. Moonlight amongst the trees...had he ever seen moonlight or trees? He felt almost sure he had...but where...

The current began to tap at his back again, ushering his ever closer to a surface that was growing increasingly luminous...

Somewhere in the forest, amongst the waters of a cool spring, filled with memory...his memories...

Another push...

Were they only his memories? His thoughts? It couldn't have just been him; someone else shared this memory...who was he? Or...she?

Another push, with greater force....

She?

A few meters away from the surface...

She...

And suddenly, he went from no recollection of thought or emotion to a million memories, feelings, and realizations. Everything rushed into his unprepared mind in a blurry instant. He needed to breathe! He had to get to the surface! Bursting for air, he wildly groped for the surface, and-

SPLASH!

A rush of warm air hit his face, and he began to gasp for air, as though he had never experienced this before; as though he had been deprived of sweet oxygen for his entire life. Still gasping, he slowly opened his eyes; his vision was still blurred by the new light burning in his eyes.

"Calm down."

This voice was familiar. He allowed his eyes to adjust, and the looked ahead to see whom the voice belonged to.

"It's all right, you really don't need it."

He gazed dumbfounded at the ghostly figure in front of him, gently rising and falling, glowing and fading. Auron?

"W-what do you mean?"

"You don't need to breathe. It...doesn't matter anymore."

He couldn't believe it. It couldn't be. Please don't let it be, he thought frantically. His eyes felt hot with tears of disbelief. I won't let it be. I'm so young, and I'm still so alive...

Auron chuckled with amusement. This was nothing new; he was always reasonable and had an explanation for everything.

"You're dead. It feels rather strange, doesn't it? Heh...I suppose after ten years or so, I've gotten used to this...but still...this place is new to me. "

"You mean..."

"well, there's nowhere else for us to go now," Auron murmured. "We're in the farplane."