Yuki stared at the white keeper gloves laying in her lap. Each had a red square sewed on the back with a white shimmering dragon on it. The leathern palms looked a bit nagged but the gloves still were in fantastic order and condition.

No wonder.

It were Ahito's first and absolutely favorite keeper gloves. The ones he had worn when the Snow Kids had won the Galactik Football Cup the first time. And also the second time. And even after getting some new gloves from Arch for his birthday he preferred 'losing' them and went on with using his old, very well-tended ones.

Yuki smiled. If she wore her cousin's gloves she felt like being assisted by him. Then it felt as if he stood next to her and helped her holding the balls she normally would have missed.

"You're a fantastic goalkeeper!", Thran yanked her from her thoughts. "You even held Luur's shot in the final!"

"Ahito too. And he was badly ill when he did so."

"Oh come on: Ahito just has much more experience. You should have seen him in his first match against the Wambas!" The goalie's brother was much better since he knew about Ahito's improving condition. He didn't have to be pacified all the time anymore. Now he even calmed the others down himself. Smiling he laid his hand on Yuki's arm. "Just concentrate on the game."

Then he stood up and took his workaday clothes to one of the lockers which hung at the wall. Under his blue and white Snow Kids jersey his muscles loomed as he stretched to reach the small compartment. He was in excellent form and so were all the other Snow Kids.

Arch entered the changing room. He had folded his arms behind his back and his mien was serious. "I only have one thing to say", he announced.

"That we mustn't be sure of our victory?", Rocket chipped in.

Arch nodded and sent Micro-Ice, who was pulling faces, a destructive glaze. The striker stopped joking immediately and ruffled his hair in embarrassment. Reasonably satisfied the coach went on: "Right, Rocket. And don't underestimate your opponents. This is the last qualifying game. The Cyclops may not be one of the best teams but they've always been good enough to get quite far in the Cup!"

He looked into resolute faces. The Snow Kids were intent on winning this match. For Akillian! For the team! And for Ahito!

"We can beat them!" D'Jok put forth his hand and his teammates at once put their hands on top.

"GO SNOW GO!"

Arch smiled. "And now go out there and show them what you've got!"

The answer was another "GO SNOW GO!"

In the Akillian Stadium

"Welcome to the home of the great Snow Kids!", Callie Mystic's zealous voice boomed out of the barely visible loudspeakers. Two wide screens at both ends of the huge stadium showed the hooked sports journalist who was trying to bridge the time until the two teams would enter the pitch and start the last qualifying game before the Galactik Football Cup. It couldn't take much longer.

The whole stadium was sold out and the audience had already been cheering for quite some time, waiting for their favorite. From all over the place one could hear the Snow Kid's slogan. Banners with names and pictures of the Snow Kids' players were held high as a spotlight aimed at middle of the pitch.

A circular hole opened in the green ground and with a humming sound an also orbital platform was lifted to the same level as the pitch. The glaring light hit the faces of altogether fourteen players who orderly stood in groups of seven persons in a row, face to face with the opponent group.

"And here they are! Welcome with me: Theee Snow Kiiiiids!"

The audience almost freaked out when they saw their favorites that close.

D'Jok and Micro-Ice smiled and waved and clapped their hands to prod their supporters on. For them – especially for D'Jok – there was nothing better than taking center stage. The other Snow Kids waved their hands, too, but clearly contained themselves.

Callie Mystic said something but although the loudspeakers weren't exactly what one would call quiet she was drowned by the crowd of fanatical fans. It seemed that there wasn't a single Cyclops fan in the whole stadium. But even if there was one he wouldn't show up to not have to take on the opponent supporters.

Actually the Cyclops' small but normally so self-assured players on the pitch looked somewhat depressed and awed. They seemed to have lost all hope of winning considering the huge majority of Akillians.

As Callie Mystic's voice informed about the left minute before the game, the Snow Kids dispersed all over the pitch. Only D'Jok and Micro-Ice, the two strikers, stayed at the kick-off point to start the match. As well did all the Cyclops – except their goalkeeper. Each of the players climbed on a teammate's shoulders and soon they had built their living tower to have the slightest chance at the kick-off.

The audience began to count down. Callie backed them by shouting in her microphone.

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"Seven!"

"Six!"

"Five!"

"Four!"

"THREE!"

"TWO!"

"ONE!"

In the Snow Kids' trainer's cabin

"GOAL!" Arch punched the air in celebration – finally, for the first time during this match. The second half of it had started some time ago and there wasn't much time left for the Snow Kids to score another goals to not get into overtime because of the tie right now.

"They're doing absolutely great!" Enthusiastically Arch stared at the monitor on his desk and seemed to forget that the score still was one-one. With his left hand he grabbed the microphone while propping himself on the tabletop with his right one. "Good pass, Rocket!", he spoke into the little set. "And Tia: Fantastic goal!"

"Thank you, Coach", his nephew's voice came out of the speaker.

As this was an important and official match, Arch refused telling him to call him 'uncle' and turned to Dame Simbai instead. "Simbai, how are they?"

The medic looked at the screen in front of her, where stereoscopic pictures of every single Snow Kid would start to blink if the person concerned was hurt or ill. "Everything's fine. They are all in perfect shape", the woman said as there were no unwontnesses. Even the speed of the game didn't spot the Snow Kids too much. "At this state they can go on playing for about fifteen more minutes."

"That won't get them through overtime. And I think you're underestimating the Cyclops' Flux." Nin stood next to Dame Simbai and watched the game on her computer screen. From time to time she had asked the medic about the different tasks on her high-tech monitor and the woman had explained them to her. "If only two of the Snow Kids get hit by the Brainwave, you'll have a big problem 'cause you have only one substitute left."

Mark – who had been leaning against the wall for the last few minutes – stood up and looked over Arch's shoulder to be able to watch the match. "Is their Flux really that bad?"

"That depends", Dame Simbai said, "on the affected person's thoughts and memories. The worse they are, the more intense the effects of the Flux get. But don't worry: The Brainwave only works this hard if you look directly into a Cyclop's eye."

"And I've warned the Snow Kids about that", completed Arch. Then he turned towards his monitor again and spoke some instructions into his microphone.

Mark stepped besides Nin and put his hand on her upper arm. "You're worrying too much", he smiled.

"Am not. I'm just not as optimistic as the rest of you guys." With a fending gesture the blue-haired girl thrust his hand aside and sat down on the bench where he had been resting the whole time, arms folded in front of her chest. One destructive glare was enough to keep Mark from taking a seat next to her.

The elapsing countdown on Arch's computer screen was reflected in the coach's sheeny eyes. There were only three more minutes left to play and once again the Snow Kids were on the ball. This would be the last attack of the match.

On the pitch

Mei was in possession of the ball but passed it to Rocket when she almost got tackled by a Cyclop. The Snow Kids' Midfielder jumped up in the air and headed the white leather with the blue snowball logo on it straight in front of Micro-Ice's feet. Thanking his teammate by tipping his fingers against his temple the younger player began dribbling up to the opponents' goal.

Even though the Snow Kids had been playing way better than them, the Cyclops still saw their chance to win the match. Three of them thwarted Micro-Ice when he had almost reached their goal. They grinned.

Slightly nervous the Snow Kids' youngest player looked for some way to get rid of the little green creatures but they didn't give him any chance to get away.

Suddenly their eyes began to spin around. First slowly but soon they got faster until the black, jagged pupils were just dark, blurred circles in the middle of the yellow eyeballs. Green, circular waves of the Cyclops' Flux began to blur Micro-Ice's view as they seemed to pierce into his body.

The boy knew about the mental pain, that Flux could bring on. Arch had told him and the other Snow Kids about it often enough before the match. With his eyes slitted tightly he waited for the ache to come – but nothing happened. Micro-Ice chanced a glimpse as he heard a sizzling noise in front of him. What he saw was a big white two on red ground. And Thran's smile.

The defender stood in front of him, his arms outstretched, holding up a shield of the Breath, which blocked the Cyclops' Brainwaves. He was the only Snow Kid – apart from Rocket – who was able to use the Breath like that. "Now score!", Thran shooed the smaller striker.

Micro-Ice grinned back at him and released a little amount of the Breath himself to jump over his teammate and the three opponents who were far too slow to react in time and stop him again.

Callie Mystic's voice announced the last seconds of the match.

"Three!"

Micro-Ice raced to the goal as fast as he could.

"Two!"

The Cyclops' goalkeeper edgily took a step forward and sent a Brainwave to the single attacking Snow Kid.

"One!"

Micro-Ice spun around, the ball still at his feet, releasing a big amount of the Breath and narrowly escaped the Cyclop's Flux-attack. Now having his back to the goal the boy looked over his shoulder and kicked the ball with his heel.

The siren went off and ended the match.

Still everybody looked at the goal, waiting for the cloud of Flux to disappear. Slowly the bluish energy cleared away.

Then the siren shrilled again and the score on the big screens in the stadium changed to two-one. The Snow Kids' fans cheered and Micro-Ice raised his fists into the air, jumping and dancing around with joy until he bumped into D'Jok. Both of them fell to the ground and lay there laughing happily as all the other Snow Kids launched themselves on top of the two strikers.

Now they were in the GFC again. Fighting for the Cup, to win it a third time in a row.

In the room with the big TV-screen

"We're back on again!", jubilated D'Jok and was hit by a white pillow immediately.

"Of course we are!", Micro-Ice laughed. He paused to escape the said pillow he had thrown at his friend. "Don't tell me you ever doubted that!"

"After all it's 'your destiny' to win the Cup a third time." Yuki grinned and poked her tongue out at the red-haired striker. The Snow Kids started roaring and Tia had to wipe away some tears of laughter when D'Jok began to chase Yuki through the whole room and Micro-Ice went after his roommate to keep him from killing his girlfriend.

The chivvy didn't end until Thran's cousin bumped into Arch who had just entered the chamber with the huge TV-screen in it. The coach raised one eyebrow. "Well, whatever you're doing there; please just stop it."

"Yes coach", Yuki and D'Jok answered while Micro-Ice blushed a bit and began to wheeze innocently.

Arch smiled. "Actually I didn't come to scold you but to congratulate you. You were very good today and I think there's nothing to be said against if you go out tonight. Go to the wherever you like as long as you're on time for training tomorrow. And now go and have some fun!"

For one second the Snow Kids stared at their coach to make sure he wasn't joking. After all a night off wasn't actually normal. Again Arch smiled – even bigger this time. Yes: He was definitely sure about what he had just said.

"Thank you, Coach … um … I mean … Thank you, uncle Arch!" Rocket grabbed Tia's hand and together they left the room. They were probably going to the so called 'Cliff' where one could wonderfully watch the northern lights at night. Well, Rocket was quite a romantic freak.

Micro-Ice poked Yuki to get her attention. "What about going to the disco?"

"For dancing or for watching nice girls?"

"Two words: Deadly pillow."

The girl chuckled. "Ok, I'm with you!"

"Me too!" Mark lay his arms around her and Micro-Ice's shoulders. "Guys, you joining, too?"

"Sure. Mei?"

"Oh, come on. You don't think I'd leave the best boyfriend in the world alone with his fanatical fangirls?" The brunette linked arms with him. "See you tomorrow, Coach!"

Arch stepped aside to let the chatting and laughing teens out. As he just wanted to leave the room, too, he heard steps coming back and some moments later Yuki plugged her head through the door again. Her look was centered on somebody inside the chamber.

"Won't you come with us, Thran?", she asked her cousin who was standing in front of the window.

"Maybe I'll join you later", the defender answered and rubbed his still bandaged, left wrist. "But first I want to see Ahito. And maybe Dame Simbai allows me to take off that annoying bandage 'cause it itches like hell." He grinned.

"Ok, see ya!" Yuki becked quickly and then ran off to catch up with the others. She seemed really happy about the time she could now spend together with Micro-Ice.

Thran turned at Arch. "Do you think he's awake again?" The time without Ahito by his side was horrible. It was like half of himself had gone missing.

"Maybe, but I really can't tell", the white-haired man answered shrugging his shoulders. Then he pushed his sleeve up and looked at his watch. "I have to see Dame Simbai in the doctor's room in a couple of minutes", he told Thran. "You can come with me."

The boy nodded and left the room, switching off the light in passing. Arch closed the sliding door behind him and walked off, heading to the medic's room. The pale light of the crescent was falling through some smaller windows and drew blurred, silvery squares at the ground where the lights in the corridors didn't work. Clamp would have to fix them if he had time.

As the two men reached Simbai's workplace, a dark figure disengaged itself from the shadows next to a column. Before any of them had enough time to get frightened the person said with her low-pitched voice: "I would let Ahito sleep. The more rest he gets, the sooner he's gonna be out of here."

Nin. Who else.

The door to the treatment room opened quietly and Dame Simbai appeared. "It's ok, Nin. Thran can come in." She beckoned the defender over to her and let him pass. Carefully – to not wake Ahito up – the medic pushed the door shut behind him again. Then she turned back at Nin and Arch who were observing every single one of her moves.

"Will you now tell me, why I was supposed to stay here the whole evening?" Getting a bit pissed off now, the blue-haired girl folded her arms.

Arch and Dame Simbai flashed each other a glance. With a slight nod the Snow Kids' coach gave the floor to the medic. She cleared her throat. "I wanted to tell you again, that you did good work today when Ahito had that epileptic seizure. I would've been there to help you much sooner, but as the Galactik Football Cup is going to start in a few days I have a lot to do and I can barely handle all the work." She sighed and looked at Arch again.

The coach carried on: "You appear to be very well-informed in terms of medical application and you also seem to get along with the Snow Kids quite well. And so we – that means Dame Simbai, Clamp and myself – wanted to make you an offer: You can work as a medical assistant in the team and watch over Ahito. In return you can stay with us as long as you wish, use all of our premises and you'll be paid monthly."

Smiling, Arch offered his hand to Nin. The girl only stared at it. Then she looked back into his eyes. And finally her mien changed from total surprise to a wide, happy smile. Gripping Arch's hand he said: "I'm game!"