A/N: So, I've decided to make another update. This is the first one in a long time, but I haven't really been motivated to make any. So please review! Whenever I used to hear other authors saying that reviews drive them, I thought it was rubbish. But it actually does. If you don't get some sort of feedback, there's no sense of accomplishment. So just review about anything. It don't really care what you say. You can tell me that something doesn't make sense, or that something's confusing, absolutely anything. As long as you tell me something…. OK then, happy reading. I hope you like the next couple of chapters.

Chapter 10: Blitzball

As soon as the group was on the S.S. Winno, they told Yuna of the conclusions they had made while she was in the Chamber of the Fayth. Yuna was quite impressed with their brainwork, but the look of resignation only grew. After having this meeting, the group spread about the ship to do what they pleased. Corlan spent the trip practicing with the Aurochs for the tournament in Luca. He first honed his keeping skills, while Wakka practiced his shooting against him, and then practiced his shots against Keepa. Keepa didn't save many of Corlan's shots.

Just before their arrival in Luca, Wakka approached him.

"Hey Corlan. I think I'll be playing you as goalkeeper instead of Keepa. He just ain't up for it, ya?"

"Yeah, he didn't block many of my shots."

Wakka nodded and turned to the team.

"Aurochs!" Yelled Wakka, "In formation! Look smart for the people of Luca!"

The Besaid Aurochs and Corlan disembarked from the S.S. Winno and were met with thunderous applause.

"And here are the current blitzball champions, the Besaid Aurochs. What a show they gave us last year, coming from dead last on the rankings to win the cup!" Came a voice from nowhere.

"Take it in, boys. Returning as blitzball champions. What a day!" Said Wakka in exaltation.

Wakka lead the team down to the change rooms and left to check the standings for the tournament. The team was shuffling around and generally agitated by the time Wakka returned.

"We've been seeded… again. Our first match is against the winner between the Kilika Beasts and the Ronso Fangs. The Fangs will probably win so we should be ready to play them. Ok, here's the set up team, it's all the same, except Keepa, I want you sit this one out. Corlan will be keeping. And I want you guys to watch the game between the Fangs and the Beasts. Watch for any weaknesses you can, or any strengths we can defend against. Ok! Break!"

The Aurochs plus Corlan moved to the stands where Yuna, Lulu, and Rikku were seated. Corlan barely had time to sit down before a loud disembodied voice yelled "Blitzoff!"

Immediately the same voice broke into fast commentary. Corlan blotted out the noise made by the commentator and focused wholly on the game.

A large Ronso had ball in hand and was swimming full pelt towards his goal. The Ronso barged through the Mid-fielder as well as both Backs from the Beasts before kicking the ball unbelievably hard towards the goal.

"And Argai Ronso scores! Beasts 0, Fangs 1!"

Game play continued in this manner. Corlan realised that the Fangs possessed no real skill, and were only managing to win on sheer brute force. The Beasts had skill, but the Fangs' strength more than outweighed it. Not to mention the fact that the Fangs had a pair of really good backs. Corlan also noticed that the Ronsos couldn't swim very fast. With correct use of speed and technique, the Fangs would go down easy.

Corlan was so focused on the game, that before he knew it, there were 30 seconds left in the game. The Fangs had just scored putting them on 8 to the Beasts' 2, and the Beasts were desperate to end the game with a goal. Corlan watched, and having half-listened to the commentary, he had connected names to players.

Deim threw a pass to Vuroja, who immediately shot the ball off to Isken. Isken passed to Larbeight, then Larbeight to Isken, all the while headed towards goal. And then….. Rikku?

What's she doing in the way?

Corlan was about to yell at her to sit down when his mouth froze. Corlan began to inspect Rikku for the first time. The skin of her legs was lightly tanned and smooth, and totally bare from the top of her boots to the bottom of her very short green shorts. Corlan's eyes continued to travel upward, over her exposed midriff and onto the tight fitting orange shirt she wore. His eyes continued up to see her face, looking down on him with a smirk about her lips.

"What are you looking at me for? You missed the end of the match!"

And indeed he had. The commentator was screeching about what a great end to the game it was, even if the Beasts had lost. Corlan heard that it was Larbeight who had sunk the final goal of the match, just before the sound of the end of the game. Corlan was ashamed that he had missed it, and blushed when he thought of what he had been looking at instead.

However, before he had the chance to speak to Rikku about it, he heard Wakka calling for all the Aurochs.

Once in the change room, Wakka went over the basics with the team before asking if anyone had noticed anything they could use to their advantage. No one spoke until Corlan voiced his own observations, which Wakka then incorporated into the game plan. Corlan tuned out for this bit, as he was the goalie; all he had to do was block shots. Instead he used the time to tie his hair back into a ponytail so his hair wouldn't float over his eyes and block his vision.

In no time at all it seemed they were swimming into the sphere pool. The whistle sounded and the ball flew into the air. Letty grabbed the ball and immediately started swimming to the left. He belted the ball to Wakka, on the other side of the pool, who made a dash for the goal. When Wakka reached a comfortable distance he shot the ball and it floated past the Fangs' Keeper.

"Nice shot by Wakka of the Aurochs! Aurochs 1, Fangs 0!"

Blitzoff again. The new Mid-fielder for the Fangs, Zev Ronso, grabbed the ball and swam straight forward; he was immediately tackled down by Letty, Wakka, and Datto. Datto had managed to snatch the ball from Zev and swam with it towards the goal. He narrowly avoided being tackled by Nuvy Ronso and swam upwards only to be tackled hard by Irga Ronso. By some miracle he managed to hang onto the ball and shot it into the goal from above.

"Datto scores! Aurochs 2, Fangs 0! And it's halftime!"

After some words of encouragement from Wakka back in the change room they were sent back into the sphere pool. Blitzoff! Three minutes passed of backwards and forwards play. The ball was passed, intercepted and tackled, and nobody had gained much ground. Wakka had the ball and sent it soaring to Letty. And out of nowhere came Argai Ronso, intercepting the ball and making a dash for the goal. All there was between Argai and the goal was Corlan.

And then, at that most crucial moment in the game, a few stray strands of hair found their way out of his ponytail and into his face. It wasn't enough to block his vision, but it was enough to tickle his nose.

He sneezed.

If there was ever one piece of advice Corlan could have given, it would be: Never sneeze under water!

Corlan coughed and blubbered, and this only seemed to make the situation worse.

Argai was twenty metres away and he prepared for a Sphere shot. In the dim recesses of Corlan's brain that weren't busy trying to keep him alive, he knew that letting in this one goal would not lose the Aurochs the game, but he didn't want to let any goals through on this, his first and possibly last stand as Aurochs' keeper.

Corlan watched as Argai tossed the ball up and did a back flip, connecting the ball with extreme force. Time slowed. Corlan could see that the ball was going to the top right corner of the goal. He closed his mouth, plugged his nose with one hand, and reached out with the other. Corlan placed his feet on the bottom left goalpost and pushed off as hard as he could, towards the opposite corner.

And a fleeting thought came to him. I'm not going to make the save!

He would never be able to catch the ball, but he did manage to push it just slightly to the right, making the ball miss the goal by a hairsbreadth. He retrieved the ball and shot it off to the closest player to him, who happened to be Wakka. Wakka turned around to find the other four Fangs right on top of him. Four Ronsos tackled him all at once, and he slowly fell to the bottom of the pool.

This was all Corlan got to see before following his friend into the blackness.

"An amazing save by the new Aurochs Keeper, Corlan! And it's Fulltime! Aurochs win 2-0!"