Morning had arrived. The bright, blue sky held puffy clouds of lace which floated across the horizon. The outside air carried the fervent scent of ocean salt, and a light breeze drifted in and out of reach. The people of Luca were awake in the city that never sleeps.
The giant display of the blitz ball stadium gleamed like a colossal sapphire, yet it lay empty. No water filled the crystal interior, no blaring horn sounded, and not a single fan occupied the stands. This might have been the first time in Spira's history where the stadium had been abandoned.
At the Luca plaza, a crowd had begun forming. They clustered around the gilded water fountain that rested there, but their attention was turned towards a nearby café. Electric energy sparked among the crowd like a live wire, every person adding more current to the growing intensity. Small children played among the cobblestone street, while their parents stood transfixed on the café doors. Time was passing by... But nothing had happened. Surely, it would not be much longer.
Suddenly, the café doors swung open, and a single man stood in the stone doorway. The crowd momentarily froze, hypnotized in awe. Audible gasps could be heard from the crowd, and at once, everyone bowed their heads to this man. Wordlessly, he stepped forward and the people immediately parted to let him through.
This man simply radiated power. He tilted his chin up in response, devoid of any arrogance as well as meekness. He was adorned in scarlet robes that fell to his ankles. His cropped, midnight hair was tainted with flecks of silver, and in his right hand, he held a glinting katana, both large and menacing. He gripped the hilt very gently, as if it was a prized possession. His left arm hung limp in a sling, but it seemed natural in that position.
As he walked, an older man dressed in white broke through the crowd barrier and approached him. Barely giving notice, the man in red turned his head an inch or so in the other's direction.
"Auron," the man whispered, "It's been nearly 15 years!"
The man called Auron removed his tinted spectacles revealing two onyx eyes, lacking any color. In addition, an aged scar was visible, extending from his right temple to the bottom of his jaw. The lesser man shrank back slightly.
"Yes, it has."
Auron stepped around the man known as Kinoc, one of the maesters of Yevon. He had been a friend once, he supposed, but that was a different lifetime. He continued at a steady pace, giving no one his desired attention. No time of his was going to be spent on crazed fans and old acquaintances. He was a guardian; the best in fact, and he had more important things to do. He had to save the world.