Chapter Four

The two friends entered the blitzball stadium and were met by a wave of sound so loud that it was physically jarring. Fans all over the stadium—some draped in the gold and black of the Besaid Aurochs; some in the orange and blue of the Ronso Fangs; and a very small minority in the brown and black of the Al Bhed Psyches—were standing up and cheering, applauding, and shouting their lungs out. The biggest blitzball event of the year was about to start.

High at the top of the stadium, in front of the announcers' booth, a tall man stepped forward onto a podium with carefully measured grace, and the roar of the crowd immediately died down to a dull roar. The man was wearing long, flowing, purple robes decorated lavishly in golden trim. He bore the great seal of Yevon on his back, for he was one of the Four Maesters of Yevon.

Maester Ruko was tall and graceful, with a sharp, chiseled elegance to his fair face. He had dark hair that was only beginning to go white at the temples—Ruko was the youngest Grand Maester of Yevon ever—and a dark Fu Manchu mustache and a goatee. The Grand Maester had hazel eyes that were calm and placid, but made one feel like he was gazing into their soul.

As Neirana and Kecci slid past a group of four people dressed in the purple and gold of the Luca Goers, Grand Maester Ruko spoke in a rich, resonant, commanding voice. "Citizens of Spira, the people of Yevon, and fans of blitzball," he said the last part with a slight chuckle. "Welcome to the three hundred and eighty-first annual Crystal Cup!" As he said that, the crowd once more burst into applause.

"The other three Maesters and I are privileged, no, honored, to be here." he said, gesturing to the three people standing behind him, all wearing purple robes—with less ornamentation, of course.

Maester Nyasa nodded in acknowledgment, aloof as she usually was. She was a Ronso, a tall, massive, bipedal feline. Nyasa was a rarity among her people, having yellow fur, instead of the more common blue.

The third and fourth Maesters were human, however. Maester Shiino was the head of the summoners, being able to call immensely powerful aeons forth in battle. He was a small man, quick and mousy, with graying hair that still bore traces of the brilliant red mane it was in his youth.

Maester Tinei, the final Maester, was almost the size of a Ronso—quite an impressive feat for a human. He had a bushy blond mustache and beard, and crystal blue eyes that twinkled all the time with barely contained mirth. However, Tinei was the head of the warrior monks of Yevon, and it was said that when he was in battle, he was absolutely terrifying.

Once more, Grand Maester Ruko laughed. "Now, I am sure that you are all anxious to see the tournament—" the crowd cheered again. "As am I. Therefore, may Yevon bless all the teams competing, and may the best blitzball players win!" He stepped back, cupped his hands in front of him in the prayer gesture, and bowed.

The gong that heralded the start of the tournament was drowned out by the roar of the crowd.

Well, Jecco, here we are at yet another Crystal Cup! I'm sure excited about this year's tournament, how about you?

I'm practically wetting my pants here, Nita. From what we've seen in the regular season, there are some really outstanding players in the lineup of these six teams. I think that we're going to see some excellent playing today

Right you are, Jecco! Without a doubt, the player to watch—if you're in the mood to see a flashy offensive player, of course—is Olawa Andresen of the Beasts.

"Sit down, 'Rana!" Kecci shook his head, trying not to laugh, as he tugged her back down into her seat. At the mention of Andresen's name, the girl had leapt up and begun cheering like a madman. "Geez. Fangirls."

That's absolutely right. Andresen has proven time and again that he's one of, if not THE best shot in the entire Spira League.

But, he's not alone. The Luca Goers are looking especially strong this year, with the triple threat of Eshi Ames at midfield, and Yaton Chumbo and Paeli Brooks as power forwards. The other teams in the tournament have to really watch out for those three.

True, true. However, Andresen has the speed needed. He can also count on assistance from middie Sena Kukata—

Man, she's a fox.

—I don't disagree, Nita. But she's got a deadly pass to boot.

Jecco, her pass and his shot might not be enough. I expect them to be absolutely clobbered by the defensive team of Ori and Hanta Ronso. They put that Psyche forward off the roster for an entire season, didn't they?

Yes, Likki Mikto, that's correct. Which brings me to the Al Bhed Psyches… nothing looking especially strong this year, but the Psyches are just good all around, wouldn't you say?

They're stronger on defense, I'd say, but yes, they're fairly good all around. However, you can expect the Aurochs to be the kings of defense this year. With Hiro Nolo and Rina Lichi as their backs, and Tendo Gouli as their keeper… I'll be surprised if the opposition scores ANYTHING against them.

Nita, can you think of anything to say about the Guado Glories?

I'm wondering why they bothered showing up this year, if that's what you mean. 

Good point. Sorry, Glories, but you're not going to last very long, in our humble opinion.

They're in the first match, Jecco, so I think we can bid them a premature 'adieu.' They're up against the Aurochs, and here they are entering the arena now!

I gotta say, Nita, that the Aurochs look really confident. They'll probably be taking the cup this year.

Couldn't agree more. The only other teams that might have a chance are the Fangs and the Beasts… but I guess we'll just have to see.

The two teams are taking their places… and they're off!

And we have blitz-off, ladies and gentlemen! It's caught by Trie Guado of the Glories; she flips it to Zev at right forward, he passes across to…no, it's intercepted! Risto Minnd takes the ball, quick pass to Linde Haras, but here comes Trie again, and she looks ticked… she goes for the tackle, but Haras dodges it! Passes back to Minnd—wait, she still has the ball, that was a fake-out, she shoots… GOOOOAL! Aurochs lead, 1-0!

Jecco, the Aurochs just scored without breaking a sweat in the first minute alone. The Glories are completely outmatched.

Right you are, Nita. I almost feel sorry for left forward (and team captain) Lyska Guado, this is officially his last match. We've seen a lot of seasons out of him, but he's out of his prime by far… I guess he wanted to go out with a bang. But one ex-superstar does not a winning team make, Nita.

Too bad for Lyska. But he won't be completely gone from the wide world of blitz; he'll be joining us as a commentator starting next season! Anyway, back to the game! Trie receives the ball, a quick pass… back to the Guado defense? What on earth are they doing, Jecco?

I have no idea—wait—Toka Guado takes it, a LONG pass forward to Zev—he fumbles it! He's gonna hear about that one come halftime, you can bet on that! Hiro Nolo of the Aurochs recovers the ball, and rockets it up to Minnd. Minnd flips to Haras—Toka intercepts it! OOH! Haras and Minnd just took the ball back in a major way! Bet he'll be feeling THAT one in the morning!

Linde Haras and Risto Minnd are the hardest-hitting forwards in the league, Jecco, I've always said it. Anyway… Haras is in control of the ball again, behind the back to Minnd… wait, what's he doing? Minnd is… he isn't! Those can't be the signature 'Tricky Fingers' of… Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's the Slip Shot! Ina Guado goes for the tackle… Risto Minnd evades! He shoots! He scores!!

Talk about adding insult to injury, ladies and gentlemen! Risto Minnd, using the very technique that Lyska Guado made famous ten years ago!

Boy, Jecco, ya gotta figure that Lyska's feeling pretty ticked right now. Minnd pulled that shot off practically perfectly. Almost as good as Lyska himself seven seasons ago.

There's the halftime buzzer, ladies and gents! As the teams make their way off the field, the Aurochs lead the Glories, 2-nil!

Neirana slouched back in her seat, a pout on her face. "Man, this SUCKS! I wanted to see a blitzball match, not a slaughter! The Glories are getting the crap kicked outta 'em!" She sighed. "I wish they'd just hurry up and get this over with."

In the seat beside her, Kecci looked over at his friend, raising an eyebrow. Since many of the fans had gotten up to go get refreshments during the halftime break, the roar had died down, and he could hear her once more. "And this has nothing to do with the fact that you want to see…" he sighed and put a dreamy tone into his voice, imitating her perfectly. "Olawa…Olawa… Andresen," his voice returned to its normal baritone. "Does it?" Kecci smirked at her.

"For your information, it has NOTHING at all to do with it!" Neirana turned and socked her companion lightly on the shoulder. "I just want to see some real blitzball!"

Kecci shrugged. "Well, you can bet that Lyska Guado's really mad. And that means he's probably gonna be more aggressive… maybe things'll even out in the second half, huh?"

His response was a laugh from Neirana. "Kecci, you haven't been following the Glories this season at all, have you?" She grinned. "Fifty Gil says the Guado won't even score once."

"You're on!" The two best friends shook on it, and then sat forward in their seats as the crowd poured back into the stadium. Halftime was over.

And we're back, blitz fans! For those of you watching on the sphere, the Besaid Aurochs are leading the Guado Glories, 2-0.

Now, Nita and I had a chance to go down into the Glories' locker room and talk with the players, and they're all fired up! We might see a comeback on their part during this half, folks!

"Ha!" Kecci laughed, winking at Neirana.

Jecco, in all seriousness, it's wishful thinking. Lyska Guado's very mad, as you noted, and that will make him more aggressive. However, it'll also hamper his thinking. Right now, what the Glories need is strategy. And an infuriated team captain just can't give that to them.

It was Neirana's turn to laugh.

That's a very good point, Nita. The teams are taking their places…and we have blitz-off! Tula Tambo of the Aurochs grabs it, he's heading straight down the middle of the Guado formation… BAM! Zev and Trie just clobbered him! Trie has the ball, fakes a pass to Lyska, and shoots it over to Zev.

Zev Guado looks like he's in trouble, Jecco. The Besaid defense is closing in on him…he throws a pass… Lichi goes to block it… unbelievable! The pass was aimed at her head, she's out COLD! Trie Guado catches the ball… passes to Lyska, back to Zev, no, to Trie… the Glories are on a roll, Jecco! With one of their defenders unconscious, the Aurochs are being overwhelmed!

What were you saying about a Guado comeback being unlikely, Nita?

I just may have to eat my words there, Jecco…but unfortunately for the Guado, the clock is ticking! Trie evades a tackle from Nolo…passes it to Zev, Zev shoots it! This could be it, folks! Gouli dives…and deflects it! So much for that breakaway, eh, Jecco?

Don't be so sure about that! The ball is recovered by Lyska Guado… and yes…I think he is! The "Tricky Fingers!" He's gonna show Risto Minnd the REAL way to do the Slip Shot! Lyska spins…comes down and around, and boots it! The clock is ticking though… Gouli dives…NO! I don't believe it! Lyska's shot goes wide! He missed the goal!

Lyska misses with his own patented shot! He's gotta be feeling the disappointment of that one right now… and there's the buzzer! The Aurochs win, 2-0!

I feel bad for Lyska, Nita. He came SO close to going out with the bang that he wanted… but sadly, it was not to be. The Aurochs are celebrating, right now, as are their fans! And to the Guado, well, better luck next year! And Lyska, we'll see you in the announcing booth come the start of the new season!

Well, Jecco, next up we have the Al Bhed Psyches vs. Ronso Fangs! That match'll hopefully be less of a blowout, don't you think?

Absolutely, Nita. That, and more, when we return, after these messages!

* * *

Well, Nita, we've certainly seen some fine playing today in this tournament, eh?

You said it, Jecco. For those of you just joining us, we are only 15 minutes away from the start of the finals of this year's Crystal Cup tournament! The two teams that have made it this far are the Besaid Aurochs, with the strongest defense in the league, and the Kilika Beasts, spearheaded by power forward Olawa Andresen and midfielder Sena Kukata.

Let's see how they got there! In the first round, the Besaid Aurochs overpowered the Guado Glories, fending off a surprise breakaway in the second half to win, 2-0. Better luck next year, Glories! Then, the Ronso Fangs squared off against the Al Bhed Psyches, in one of the roughest matches we've seen in several seasons, Nita.

We all knew that the Ronso have the strength, but who knew that the dangerous defensive duo of Ori and Hanta Ronso were so completely vicious?

Not me, Nita. But good news, sports fans! We have word from Luca Hospital that Psyche middie Nissa Chukrum's condition has stabilized, and they expect him to make a complete and total recovery! But his heroic breakaway during overtime was all for naught, however. The Ronso Fangs beat the Psyches, 4-3.

At least he wasn't conscious to see it, Jecco.

That's quite true.

Anyway, that brings us to the second round. The Aurochs faced the fourth-seeded Luca Goers, and had their second shutout of the game, dominating the Goers 3-0. Surprising that the Goers would do worse than the Glories, huh, Jecco?

Well, you have to figure that Lyska knew this was his last chance. He wanted it more. We'll see him next year as a commentator, though.

The victory over the Goers put the Aurochs in the finals. In the last round we witnessed, the Fangs' defense once again put the hurt on the other team, this time the Kilika Beasts.

If you're watching on the sphere, you can see a replay of their double tackle on Kilika power forward Andresen… BAM! They just came in out of nowhere, Nita! I seriously was expecting Andresen to be out for the rest of the tournament, not just the game! But amazingly enough, he waved the medcrews off and continued to play! He is truly an astonishing blitzer!

The Beasts won that one, but the Fangs made 'em work for it. Ori and Hanta forced their second overtime, before a quick pass from forward Jike Yan to Andresen gave him a wide-open opportunity for a shot. Kilika Beasts win, 3-2!

The clock is ticking, Nita. 12 minutes until the start of the game! Who will win? Who knows? We'll find out soon! Until then, this is Nita Rodis…

And Jecco Tilber, signing out!

* * *

"I'm gonna go take a walk." Kecci said, standing up from his seat and stretching his arms. "The noise level is…" he shook his head. "I gotta get up for a little bit."

Neirana immediately looked up at him. "But the next match starts in 8 minutes!" she pointed at the clock on the top of the blitzball sphere. "Are you gonna be back in time? I want you to watch it with me!"

The boy laughed, and smiled at her. "Relax, of course I'll be back in time. It's not like I'm gonna go walk around the entire blitzball stadium!" Kecci laughed again. "Besides, once the match starts, you'll be focused on Olawa Andresen. He didn't dedicate either of his two goals last match to you, you know."

His best friend crossed her arms defensively. "Well, he will this match! You just watch!" She sighed and then shot him a soft smile. "Just hurry back, okay?"

"No problem!" With that, Kecci edged his way past the other blitzball fans, and walked up the stairs to the next level, stretching as he went.

Something caught his eye off to the side, a flicker of red and blue… he turned, and his heart leapt into his throat. The Crusader from earlier and his son were stationed on the level above him, several paces to his right. The little boy was sitting on the railing, his father's strong hands on his shoulders, keeping him safe. The boy was cheering—Kecci couldn't hear for which team—and his father was smiling down at him protectively.

Wiping his eyes on his sleeve, Kecci fought the whispers that boiled up within him… the sorrow, the grief. 'Sin took you away, Dad… I never even got to say goodbye…'

* * *

Crusader First Class Gim Hawling beamed down at his son, Yuma. This was Yuma's first blitzball game ever, and the six-year-old was having a blast. "Go Beasts! Go Aurochs! Go Beasts!" his son was yelling, unsure of which team to actually root for.

"Now remember, Yuma," he leaned down to speak to his son, who turned his head to look at his father in rapt attention. "When we go to meet the Maesters, you need to be on your best behavior, okay?" His son nodded excitedly. Gim had been posted with the squad of Crusaders that were selected to guard the Maesters' booth, a great honor. After the tournament, he and his son would get to meet all four Maesters. "And you know what that means, right?"

Yuma's face fell, a disappointed look in his brown eyes. "No pulling Ronso tail."

His father chuckled, nodding. The boy had always had a fascination with the Ronso, and unfortunately he was inclined to give a hard yank on their tails. However, the members of the tribe were disciplined enough to restrain their considerable strength, and merely gave the young boy a stern warning, which had apparently never covered other Ronso to the boy. "That's right. You need to leave Maester Nyasa's tail alone, Yuma." Gim playfully reached out and ruffled his son's dark brown hair.

'He really does look like me…' the father thought proudly. 'I wonder if he'll be a Crusader when he grows up. I'd be so proud to be at his graduation from training…or maybe he'll join the warrior monks. Maester Tinei can recognize talent even at his age, they say.' As he thought that, Gim reflexively looked over at the Maesters' booth.

Maester Tinei and Grand Maester Ruko were pointing at the blitzball dome, both of them huge fans of the sport. In fact, Tinei had played for the Goers before becoming a warrior monk. He had been one of the best defenders in the game, ever. Maester Shiino was reading a book—most likely something about summoning, Gim thought—Shiino was supposedly obsessive about that. The Ronso, Maester Nyasa, was standing by the rear wall of the Maesters' booth, silent, impassive, as always. And finally, there was the stranger…

A chill ran up Gim's spine as he looked at the stranger. He was dressed in an outfit much like that of a Crusader, but in black and white instead of the usual blue and red… his hair was long and black, with graying streaks, tied back in a ponytail. But the worst part about the stranger was his haunting silver eyes. When Gim had been ordered to let the stranger into the Maesters' private booth, he had looked into the stranger's eyes for a moment, and seen an immeasurable… something. Whether it was sadness, or fury, or worry, or mourning, or anything else, Gim couldn't tell. But the eyes were overflowing with whatever emotion it was.

As the stranger had passed, he had paused, several steps to the left of Gim. "An ill wind blows…" he had said, looking out to sea, before moving on. Another shiver ran through the Crusader's body at the memory of the encounter.

"Are you okay, daddy?" Yuma was looking up at his father, his round face showing bare traces of concern.

Gim exhaled, relaxing muscles he hadn't even known he was clenching, and gave his son a warm smile, gently rubbing his shoulders. "I'm fine, Yuma. I was just thinking."

Even as he said that, however, he felt yet another chill run through his body, almost as if he were being watched. Gim looked down to the lower level just in time to see a young, dark-skinned boy dressed in the white tunic of the Healers-in-training turn away, hiding his face.

'Too many weird people out today,' he thought to himself, trying to focus on his son and the blitzball match that would commence in two minutes. 'But at least my son's here. I just hope he enjoys the final match, that would make the day perfect…'

* * *

Kecci slid back into his seat with thirty seconds left until game time. The girl sitting next to him turned and frowned at the expression on his face. "Are you okay, Kecci?"

The boy nodded quickly and forced a smile onto his face. "I'm fine." He lied. Neirana looked as if she were going to say something, but then the loudspeakers crackled. "Shh! The match is about to start!"

Well, blitzball fans, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! The final match of the three hundred and eighty-first annual Crystal Cup tournament! This year, our two lucky teams are the Besaid Aurochs and the Kilika Beasts!

Even as we speak, Nita, the two teams are entering the dome! And just listen to that crowd roar! This is gonna be a great match, eh?

You said it! Before the match started, I got a chance to talk to Beast power forward Olawa Andresen down in the locker room. He wished the Aurochs the best of luck, but then added that he and Jike—that's forward Jike Yan—had, and I quote, "something special cooked up."

Well, I can't wait to see what they deliver, Nita. The Aurochs are taking their position at the north side, now, and the Beasts are taking theirs opposite them. Say, Nita, who do you think is going to win this tournament?

That's tough to say, Jecco. The Aurochs' defense is totally A-quality, but so is the Beasts' offense. From what I can see on their stats, they're a totally even match. This one is in completely up in the air.

Although, if Andresen was telling the truth, whatever he was referring to might give the Beasts the needed edge.

Very, very true. Well, there's the buzzer, so hold on to your seats, blitzball fans! The finals are underway!

We have blitz-off! Sena Kukata of the Beasts recovers the ball—

Oh, stop drooling, Jecco.

—Nita, you're just as guilty of it as I am. Kukata recovers, passes forward to Andresen, he takes it around the right side, Nolo comes up in a tackle—no, wait, Andresen got the pass off, a rocket to Yan, but it's intercepted by Aurochs' midfielder Tula Tambo. He flips it behind the back to Haras, across to Minnd…oh, that's a NICE hit by the Beasts' Mizi Chikara; she definitely looks happy about that one.

Chikara throws it up to Yan, it looks like it's going wide… no! Nice catch by Jike Yan, there. I thought that was gonna be a wild ball for sure. Yan, through the legs to Kukata, she's hit by Lichi, but she keeps her grip on it…a nice pass back to Yan. Yan, over to Andresen—Nolo gets a hand on it, it goes wild…Tambo recovers it!

Not for long, Nita. He's triple-teamed by Kukata, Yan, and Andresen…ouch.

You said it; Tambo looks completely out of it.

He's waving the medcrews off, though. Let's hope he knows what he's doing. Maybe Tula Tambo is made of stronger stuff than we thought.

Andresen has the ball, back to Yan, then back to Andresen again…he hits it quickly to Kukata, she tosses to Yan… what are they doing, Jecco? They're just going back and forth! Kukata is now on a defensive screen, the Aurochs' defense is closing in…

This is one of the strangest things I've seen in a long time, Nita. But it's working! The constant volley between Yan and Andresen is confusing the Aurochs' defense! They don't know who's going to shoot!

Now they're swimming towards each other…wait, what's Andresen doing? He's pointing right at the north goal…what on earth is going on?

Search me. Now they're barely ten feet apart, going closer, they're just hitting it back and forth… Nolo's being held back by Kukata, but Lichi is getting closer…which of them is going to shoot? I have no idea! Andresen is still pointing at the goal…and now they're both together!

Yan knocks it straight up, the two of them go after it…the ball's coming back down again, this is it, folks!

BAM! Did you see that?!! AMAZING! They BOTH kicked it! A double kick, that baby's rocketing at the goal…Gouli dives… HE MISSES! TENDO GOULI MISSES THE BALL!

GOOOOAL! That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen, Jecco! They pulled off a double kick successfully! I am in complete and total shock, and so are the Aurochs! They're just standing there, dumbfounded! And the crowd is going completely wild.

That's a lot more noise than I've ever heard them make, Nita.

And there's the buzzer! That's halftime, and the Kilika Beasts lead—with one of the most amazing techniques I've ever seen—with a score of 1-0!

"Hey, 'Rana, that guy Andresen is pretty good!" Kecci said, awestruck in spite of himself. "And he pointed to you, just like he said he would!"

He got no answer.

"Yo, 'Rana? 'Rannnnaaaaa… Neirana?" He turned to look at her, quizzically.

His best friend had fainted dead away in her seat, a crimson blush on her face.

Sighing, Kecci gently shook her by the shoulders. "Neirana, wake up! You're going to miss the blitzball match!"

At that, the fainted girl bolted upright frantically. "Huh? What? I'm up, I'm up?"

She turned and noticed her best friend, not even trying to hold in his laughter anymore. Kecci was practically rolling on the stadium floor laughing. "What? What happened?"

Still chuckling, Kecci smirked at her. "Well it so happens that Miss Fangirl here fainted dead away when a certain member of the Kilika Beasts dedicated a goal to her."

"Oh. Yeah, I remember." Neirana's voice took on a dreamy tone, and her face showed signs that she was about to faint again.

"Will you stop that?" Laughing, Kecci sat back in his seat, successfully keeping any jealousy from his face. "If you faint again, you'll miss your team taking the cup!"

Well, blitzball fans, we are back! That was an amazing half, wasn't it, Jecco?

I still can't believe what we saw there. It seems like a dream. I went down into the Beasts' locker room and talked with Olawa Andresen about that amazing technique, which he and Jike Yan refer to as the "Fireball." He said that the element of surprise had been lost, but if the two of them saw an opening, they would once more do the shot—although probably without all the passing between them, don't you think, Nita?

Indeed. That was obviously for show…if Kukata hadn't held Hiro Nolo at bay for so long, it would have failed. Now that the opposition knows what they can do with that, I don't think Yan and Andresen can afford to do that again.

The teams are coming onto the field, Nita, and will you hear the crowd cheer for Olawa Andresen and Jike Yan! Even the most die-hard Besaid Aurochs' fan has to be impressed by what the two Beasts did.

I know I am, Jecco. And here they go…we have blitz-off, ladies and gentlemen! Tambo recovers it, he passes back to Nolo, who's coming up behind him, and so is Lichi…Nolo holds it for a bit before flipping it to Haras.

I see what they're doing. They're going with the 'Flat Line' formation, Nita, and that's quite a risk. They're trying to overwhelm the Beasts' defense to score, but they're leaving themselves wide open on defense.

Personally, I have to disagree, Jecco. They're gambling on the abilities of their goalkeeper, and as we've seen today, Tendo Gouli has skills to be reckoned with.

Linde Haras taking it around the left flank, she's going low, here comes Chikara to meet her… Haras fakes a pass to Nolo, and…shoots!

NO! The shot is intercepted in mid-flight by Tambo, who immediately flips it over to Minnd…Minnd shoots… he scores! GOOOOOAL! That was a brilliant maneuver, Jecco!

Absolutely fantastic, Nita. Whoever thought of that one is a complete genius. Simple, yet effective!

Kukata gets the ball, she takes it up quick, man she's fast! They can't touch her! Haras and Minnd collide! That's gotta hurt, Jecco! She jukes out Tambo, she's unstoppable—BOOM! Jecco, I take that back. She never even saw Lichi coming. And Kukata looks like she's out cold!

Ouch. That's all I have to say about that. Lichi spins, passes to Tambo, he shoots it up to Minnd, Minnd across to Haras—intercepted by Yan, Yan to Andresen…Haras smashes Andresen but he's holding on, he's going for it again…and another tackle by Rina Lichi! There was no way he could hold onto that one, Nita.

Tambo recovers the ball, throws it to Haras…a fake to Minnd, she still has it, now she really passes to Minnd, he avoids Beast defender Ijo Yuronna, rockets back to Haras, she gives it a boot…Daimi Juksen dives, but she's too slow! GOOOOAL! And the Aurochs take the lead, 2-1!

This game has completely turned around, Nita! The Beasts have only one minute and thirty seconds to maybe force an overtime, and they know that, too.

Kukata is woken up, and the medcrews are saying that she's fine to stay in. Gotta hand it to that girl, she's a trooper. And here comes the ball… she recovers…passes to Andresen, it's intercepted by Haras, but Andresen steals it back from her! Nice moves, Olawa!

One minute left! Andresen over to Yan, he dodges Nolo's tackle, right back to Kukata, she shakes off a tackle by Minnd and Tambo…

The Aurochs have just put everyone on defense, they know that all they have to do is keep the Beasts from scoring, Jecco. Kukata back to Andresen, he tosses it up… swims after it… and so does Yan! They're going for the Fireball, blitzball fans! Can they pull it off? Only twenty seconds left!

And here comes the double kick…they shoot! It flies at the goal…if they score, they force an overtime! Ten seconds! Nine… eight… seven…!!

NO! Tendo Gouli deflects it! And there's the buzzer! The Aurochs take the cup! The Besaid Aurochs are this year's champions!

What a great game, Nita. We saw some truly amazing play by both teams, and it really came down to the wire. It could have gone either way, really.

The Aurochs and the Beasts are shaking hands now… and with that done, we'll take a break! We'll be right back for the award ceremony, blitzball fans! I hope you enjoyed the tournament as much as we did!

Neirana sat back in her seat, her exuberance completely gone, a pout on her beautiful tan face. "They lost! Aw… MAN!" she kicked the seat in front of her, which the occupant had luckily vacated mere moments before. "I can't believe they didn't win! They deserved it! There must have been some mistake!" She crossed her arms, sulking.

"Well, there's always next year, huh, 'Rana? Maybe they'll win next year… and it was a really good match, you have to admit." Kecci shrugged, next to her. "Even YOU can't deny that."

She sighed. "Well… yeah. But it still sucks that they lost."

* * *

Up in the Maesters' private booth, Tyron Sul closed his eyes, and his hand reflexively wandered to the handle of his katana blade that he wore on his side. There was definitely an ill feeling… but what was it? What was disturbing him so? 'Amono, my friend… why do I feel the touch of your mind? Why are you sending me this foreboding from the Farplane? Please… answer me.'

* * *

Several miles off the coast of Luca, where the city was just a small blur on the horizon, the water was a deep blue color, rich and majestic. There was nothing out here, only seagulls, fish, and the waves. However, there was one lone fishing boat out, today. The catch around this season was typically not very fruitful, yet the captain of this particular boat was deep in debt, so he had to try nevertheless.

The captain was out on deck with his crewmen, hauling in an almost-empty net, when the water around them started to churn and eddy, rippling with whitecaps, sending all four of the fishermen sliding all over the deck. The captain screamed as he fell, but managed to grab a bulkhead and hold himself steady. "Holy Yevon…" he muttered, pulling himself to his feet. He watched the churning and the bubbling, and felt the current tugging at his boat.

Something big was moving beneath the surface.