"We're playing Luca in the first round," Beclem told the rest of the Aurochs. "You guys better not choke this early, even if we are playing the Goers."
The rest of the Aurochs, minus Tidus, sat in the locker room. They were only thirty minutes from their first game, and they were getting themselves pumped for it. Beclem, still considered the coach of the team, was also the new captain of the team as the Right Fielder. His attitude was still less than desirable, but his knowledge and skill in blitzball was undeniable.
"Now I made a couple changes to the lineup," Beclem continued. "Our defense is already strong enough, as always, but our offense has had a couple holes the past few practices. I'm going to start at Right, and Tidus will play Left. Datto, you're riding the bench today, and Vilucha will start at Center instead."
"Vilucha's been hurt all off-season though," Datto protested. Vilucha sat on the bench with a nervous look on her face.
"Beclem, I've never started at Center," Vilucha said. "I'm not the best passer, as you already know."
"But even though you've been hurt, you still have higher endurance than most of us," Beclem replied. "Somehow that small female body of yours can actually take some hits, and with that, you might be able to get a defender off of me or Tidus so we can make a shot."
"You can do it," Datto told Vilucha. In his head, he was somewhat relieved he was sitting on the bench. He knew he was the team's weakest link, and preferred to stay on the bench until he could improve more."
Suddenly the locker room door opened, and Tidus came through. He was still in his regular clothes, and was whistling as he walked in. Everyone turned to stare at him, and Beclem had an outraged look on his face.
"Uh, hi," Tidus said quickly. He dropped his bag and grabbed his uniform from out of it.
"You were supposed to go to the selections with me," Beclem snapped. "How are you going to become captain if you can't even do something as simple as that?"
"Oh you'll survive," Tidus replied with a carefree tone. "Yuna and I had to help a lady find her missing son. A guardian's job is apparently never complete."
Beclem's face was almost completely red. He was no longer mad about Tidus being late, but was furious over Tidus' seemingly complete lack of respect.
"I should put you on the bench for this," Beclem shot.
"You're going to sit your best chance at winning the cup?" Tidus asked through a chuckle. "I knew you were a little out there, but I didn't think you were that dumb."
Beclem threw his clipboard to the floor. "Listen Tidus, I don't care who you are or what you've done in the past. In this locker room, I am the coach and leader of this team and you will show me respect."
"Calm down, Beclem. You're real smart when it comes to blitzball, and you're not a bad player either. However, I don't too much care to deal with your high and mighty attitude. Keep in mind you asked me to join the Aurochs. I find it funny that you neglected to ever mention the Gullwings have their own blitzball team. That tells me that you were worried I'd want to play with them if I knew."
Beclem didn't say anything in response. Tidus was exactly right. He didn't mention the Gullwings for that very reason. If Tidus would have joined the Gullwings, they would have instantly become the favorites to win the cup. They already had more strength than most teams, so putting a star offensive player on the roster would have been too much for almost anyone.
"Let's just win this cup," Tidus finally said. "I'll play my hardest for you guys, and I guarantee we'll take that cup back to Besaid!"
The rest of the team cheered in response. Beclem was a good coach, but Tidus was far better at motivating the team. He had a naturally high level of energy, and it fed into everyone around him.
"Welcome to today's main event!" the announcer called across the stadium through loud-speakers. "The Crystal Cup Blitzball Tournament will be underway in less than ten minutes, and I don't think anyone could wait any longer! Our first match of the day will be between the Ronso Fangs and the Gullwings, and everyone is excited to see the Gullwings back in action. We get to see our High Summoner Yuna play alongside her fellow sphere hunters as they try to make a run for the championship. Experts have predicted the Fangs to win this match, but since we haven't seen the Gullwings in action for so long, who knows what surprises they have in store for their opponents."
The Gullwings players walked down the tunnel that led to the giant blitzball sphere. Yuna's heart was pounding, but it was due to excitement more than nerves. She knew Tidus would be watching and she wanted to play well for him. She was pretty positive she would never reach his level, but it was a dream come true to share another interest and skill with her love.
"We're totally gonna win!" Rikku exclaimed as she practically hopped down the tunnel.
"Calm down," Paine said. "You don't need to be wasting energy before we even start playing."
Rikku didn't listen as she kept bouncing around. She only stopped when she noticed Wedge carrying a nervous look on his face.
"What's the matter Wedge?" she asked.
Wedge quickly looked at her. "Oh, I'm just a little nervous. Before I joined the Gullwings, I hadn't played blitzball in almost three years."
"You'll do fine," Shinra said. "I started you because you have great hands. It'll be hard to get a pass past you, and I can breath easier knowing you're defending my goal."
The team reached the end of the tunnel. The Ronso Fangs were already warming up in the water, so the Gullwings didn't waste anymore time and entered the sphere as well. There were five minutes left until the match would start. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all took the forward positions with Rikku at Middle. Buddy and Wedge took the defensive positions, with Shinra at Goalie.
"Stay calm and look for your holes," Tidus said quietly as he watched from the locker room.
Once the match started, the Fangs went full-force on the Gullwings. Their superior natural strength kept the Gullwings from doing much on the defensive side as the Fangs endured almost every hit. Shinra also had a hard time stopping the shots from the powerful offensive players. By the time halftime arrived, the Gullwings were losing three to one.
"They're strong," Rikku gasped through exhaustion.
"Stop trying to match their intensity," Paine said. "They're Ronso, and they're slower."
"We're YRP!" Yuna exclaimed. "Let's use our awesome teamwork and run circles around them!"
The second half shocked everyone in the stands. The Gullwings exploited the Fangs' lack of speed and simply out-swam them. Yuna scored three goals on her own, and Paine scored another one. The match ended with the Gullwings squeezing the win out with a score of five to four. The crowd responded with loud cheers for their High Summoner and her team, and the Ronso were gracious through their loss.
"She won!" Tidus exclaimed loudly.
"I don't see how that's a good thing," Beclem said. "If they keep playing like that, we won't even reach the championship."
"You've never had a girlfriend, have you?"
Tidus gave him a funny look. Beclem didn't say anything back, and turned his back to Tidus while looking at his clipboard. Tidus smiled and shook his head. Beclem always acted like he was reviewing something on that clipboard whenever he was shut up. It was his way of hiding his humiliation.
The tournament continued as the day moved forward. The Bevelle Devoters narrowly lost to the Guado Glories in the second match. In the third match, the Kilika Beasts pulled off a miracle by beating the Al Bhed Psyches with a score of one to nothing.
The sun was finally beginning to move down as the final match of the day approached. The Besaid Aurochs would be facing the current champs, the Luca Goers. The Goers were known for their stifling defense, and everyone knew they'd make it their mission to stuff Tidus. Beclem wanted Tidus to serve as a decoy while he and Vilucha would do most of the shooting, but Tidus refused. With his confidence and pride, Tidus made his teammates agree to keep him involved.
"Here we are folks," the announcer declared. "The final match of today's first round. This is the match everyone has been waiting for. A rematch of last year's championship in the first round! The difference, though, is the return of Sir Tidus for the Aurochs. Five years ago, he was almost solely responsible for the Aurochs' victory of the Goers in the championship match. I think everyone is just as excited as I am to see what amazing shots he has in store for us."
"You better know what you're doing," Beclem told Tidus as they reached the end of the tunnel to the sphere.
"Hey, calm down," Tidus said with a wave. "I'm not the best blitzball player in the world for nothing."
Beclem rolled his eyes as Tidus dove into the water. The rest of the team followed closely behind. The Goers were already in the water, and they all stared Tidus down as he warmed up. It was already evident that they'd be attacking him throughout the entire game.
"You think he'll play good?" Rikku asked Yuna as they sat in the locker room. "It has been a while."
"He'll score at least three points himself," Yuna responded.
"What makes you so sure?" Buddy asked.
Yuna smiled. "I just know."
Buddy and Rikku looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. They weren't sure if Yuna knew something they didn't, or if she was just using wishful thinking.
Vilucha readied herself in the center of the sphere, with the opposing player in front of her. The ball was positioned in front of them, and they waiting for it to launch up to start the match. Tidus watched from his left position with his fists clutched tightly. His heart was pounding with excitement as he came to realize he was finally playing blitzball again. This time, there would be no kidnappings, fiend attacks, or the thought of a world-saving pilgrimage in the back of his head. There was only blitzball.
The ball fired up suddenly, and Vilucha reacted quicker than her opponent. She grabbed the ball, then took a hit from the opposing middle player, then passed the ball back to Jassu. Jassu caught it and began to swim forward. He barely dodged the attack of a defender, then quickly passed to Tidus.
Tidus saw the ball moving his way, and adrenaline kicked in. He caught the ball and swam at an amazing speed toward the goal. Two Luca defenders frantically swam over to intercept, but Beclem knocked off-path. The other defender stopped in front of Tidus with a fierce look on his face. Tidus smirked, then threw the ball straight above his head. The defender swam upward to intercept, but didn't expect Tidus to swim up as well. Tidus rolled over until he was upside down, and threw his foot into the ball, launching it directly above the defender's head and toward the goal. The goalie watched the ball approach at an amazing speed, and panicked as the ball slammed by him and into the goal. He could feel the water displacement as the ball flew by him, and he had no hope of catching it in time.
"There's a goal by Tidus of the Aurochs!" the announcer shouted. "With amazing power, his signature sphere shot even scared the goalie!"
Beclem swam by Tidus and gave him a high-five and nod. Tidus winked with a smile, then swam to his starting position. Beclem simply shook his head with a smirk of his own. Tidus was certainly proving his claim of being the best.
The first half ended with the entire stadium erupting in cheers of excitement. Tidus had completely shocked and dominated the Luca Goers' defenders by scoring three goals, all of which were practically completely uncontested. On the defensive side, the Aurochs continued their pressure like always and only gave up one goal. The Goers were essentially looking like a team of rookies against the skills Tidus brought.
"Good job Tidus," Beclem said in the locker room. "I hate to admit it, but you were right. I've never seen someone play like you before."
"Good to see you were finally brought to the light," Tidus joked. He stood up and offered a high-five to Beclem, and after a slight hesitation, it was returned. "So team, we're up by two, but let's not go easy on them now! Beclem, let's get you more involved on offense. They're gonna double team me the whole second half, so if we have Vilucha make moves like she's gonna pass to me, then defer to you instead, they'll be caught with their pants down."
Beclem didn't argue with Tidus' plan. He had a thought that Luca would anticipate such a strategy, but didn't worry about it. If Luca did see it coming, then they could just as easily revert back to having Tidus dominate their defense on his own. Either way, the Aurochs had a massive advantage going into the second half.
"And here come the players for the second half," the announcer called. "The Goers will have to dig deep to find a way to stop the Aurochs and score some goals."
The second half began, and the Goers claimed the ball first. They were clearly making an attempt at playing with more intensity as they caught Jassu and Letty off-guard on the defensive side. Within thirty seconds, they scored a goal, putting them only one point behind the Aurochs. Beclem gave the defense an angry look before getting to his starting position.
Play started again, and Vilucha claimed the ball. She instantly passed the ball back to Letty, who wasn't expecting the pass. He fumbled the ball, but managed to grab it just before a Goer would have claimed it. After taking a hit from the same player, Letty threw the ball across the field to Jassu. Jassu gripped the ball tightly and swam around one Goer, then passed to Vilucha. A defender managed to smack the ball, causing it to fall of-course, and Tidus was forced to swim forward to reach it. Once he had it, three Goers all swam his way. He didn't have a chance to pass it back to anyone as he got surrounded.
"Looks like they finally have Tidus cornered!" the announcer called. "I'm not sure Tidus can get out of this one!"
Tidus let go of the ball, and punched it with his fist. The ball flew forward and smacked one of the defenders in the face, knocking them back. The ball rebounded back to Tidus, who proceeded to kick it toward a second defender's face, knocking him back as well. The ball then bounced upward, and Tidus followed it. He swam up and spun his body in rapid circles, then kicked his leg out, throwing his foot into the ball. The third defender tried to stop the ball, but didn't reach it in time. The ball flew far faster than anything anyone had seen before, and before the goalie could blink, the ball was in the goal.
"Whoa!" the announcer screamed. "Tidus pulls off a spectacular shot, one that he inherited from his father, Sir Jecht. By the way it looks, there is no possible way to defend a shot like that!"
With that shot, the Aurochs reclaimed the momentum, and the Goers were shut down completely for the rest of the half. The Aurochs switched to a gameplan centered around wasting clock time, and didn't score anymore goals. By the end of the match, the score was four to two in favor of the Aurochs, with Tidus scoring all four goals.
"What'd I tell you?" Yuna bragged to Buddy. "He's the best ever!"
"Oh you're just a lovesick puppy," Buddy joked. "You'd say anything in his favor."
Yuna smiled and nodded. "That's true, but there's nothing to say that's not in his favor."
Buddy shook his head with amusement. All of the members of the Gullwings could tell how much happier Yuna was since Tidus returned. She was always optimistic, and loved to share that optimism. She was even more successful when they went on missions. She claimed not to be doing anything differently from what she always did, but everyone suspected she had her own training on Besaid when she would be with Tidus.
Yuna jumped to her feet and quickly left the locker room. She moved around to the other end of the stadium where the Aurochs' locker was. The Aurochs hadn't returned to the locker room yet, so she leaned against the wall right outside the door. Only a few minutes later, the team came from around the corner, high-fiving each other and joking around. Tidus was glowing with happiness as his teammates continued to praise him, but he forgot everything when he noticed Yuna ahead of him.
"Hey you," Yuna said with a smile.
Tidus ran to her and picked her up while hugging her. Whenever they would spend much time apart, he always gave her the same type of hug, almost as if he hadn't seen her in months. Yuna didn't mind either because it always reminded her of how important she was to him.
"You know you're still wet," Yuna said after Tidus ended the hug. Her shirt was completely soaked because of it.
"Yeah, I forgot," Tidus responded with a smile. "Hey, come here."
Tidus repeated what he did the earlier in the day when he dragged Yuna to the pub. Yuna was less resistant the second time and eventually walked next to him. Tidus led her up to the northern part of Luca where it led to the Mi'ihen Highroad. Yuna noticed a chocobo standing next to a young woman who seemed to be waiting for someone.
"What are you doing?" Yuna asked through a chuckle.
Tidus didn't answer her as he walked toward the woman and the chocobo. "Thanks for this, Lina. Tell Rin I owe him big time."
"It was our pleasure," the woman responded happily. "Anything for Sir Tidus and Lady Yuna!"
Tidus turned to Yuna and held his hand out for her to grab it. Yuna smiled as she took his hand and was helped onto the chocobo. Immediately after, Tidus climbed onto the chocobo as well.
"Where are we going?" Yuna asked as she wrapped her arms around Tidus.
"You'll see," Tidus answered.
Tidus ushered the chocobo forward, down the Mi'ihen Highroad. The chocobo was a little larger than the average chocobo, but it also seemed to be slightly faster than average too. Within ten minutes, they reached the center of the highroad, where the travel agency was. Rin was leaning against the outside of the building with a smile.
"Welcome Lady Yuna," Rin said with a bow. "It's been quite a while. It is a pleasure to see you are well."
"Thank you Rin," Yuna replied. "It's good to see you too. You want to tell me what's going on? Tidus is being a butthead."
Rin chuckled, then pointed to the hill that sat in front of the agency. Yuna turned her head and saw a table sitting at the top of the hill, a flower and candle in the center of it. Two chairs sat across from each other.
"I always wanted to come back here to see the sunset again," Tidus said. "This idea dawned on me while we were on our way to Luca for the tournament."
Tidus climbed down from the chocobo then helped Yuna down. Yuna didn't say anything, but the surprised look on her face said it all. She stayed quiet because she was at a loss for words. Instead, she embraced Tidus with a big hug. Tidus smiled largely, then turned his head toward Rin. They nodded their heads at each other, then Rin entered the travel agency.
"Come on," Tidus said as he ushered Yuna toward the table on the hill. He led her to the table, then pulled the chair out for her. Once she was seated, he took his own seat right before Rin and a woman arrived with two large plates that were covered.
"Fresh baked fish caught at Mi'ihen's fishing docks this morning," Rin said as they sat the plates down. "Courtesy of Rin and O'aka's Travel Agency. And to drink, we have a well-aged wine imported straight from Bevelle. Enjoy, you two."
"Thank you," Tidus replied. Rin bowed, then he and the woman left the two lovers alone.
Yuna was still speechless as she looked at the setup. The sun was beginning to set, sending orange, red, and pink colors across the sky. She knew that Tidus loved the sunset, but she had never mentioned how much she loved it herself.
"It's nice to finally have a normal life," Tidus said. "I've always wanted this for us. No distractions from vicious fiends or deadly gods."
Yuna giggled after Tidus' statement. "No, now we have to dodge hoards of fans and reporters, and I have to worry about politics on a near daily basis."
Tidus reached across the table and held Yuna's hand. "Trust me, I'd rather have this over what we had before. At least I don't need a sword to deal with fans. Or at least I hope I never have to!"
Yuna laughed, and Tidus quickly joined in. The sun was slowly leaving sight and the area was growing darker. After only a few more minutes, their only light was a few lamps that sat around the table and the candle in the center of the table.
Yuna slowly ate her food, but Tidus could tell she was distracted by something. She didn't appear to be worried, but Tidus knew her too well not to notice something was going on.
"What's on your mind?" Tidus asked.
At the same time Tidus spoke, Yuna said, "I need to tell you something."
They both chuckled, then Tidus ushered for Yuna to talk. She looked down at the table for a few seconds, then looked up to Tidus. Just as she opened her mouth, Tidus suddenly spoke.
"Actually, can I say something first?" Tidus asked. Yuna smiled and nodded. "Well, I've been thinking about this for a while now. Honestly, it's been on my mind since before the elections started. Yuna, I've been in love with you since we traveled together on the pilgrimage. I've always loved how kind and caring you are, your seemingly endless optimism, and how can adapt to any challenge. You're also the most beautiful girl I've ever known, and I'm not saying that just because you're the girl I'm with."
Yuna could feel her face warm up as she blushed. Tidus was still holding her hand across the table, and she caught herself squeezing his hand a little harder.
"One thing that I've come to know since I've come back is that I want to spend my life with you. I want you to be my wife."
Yuna stared at Tidus in shock. She shared his feelings, and wanted to be with him forever. She hadn't expected a proposal, however. She stood up from her seat and walked around the table to Tidus. Without saying anything, she wrapped her hands around Tidus and began to hug him tightly.
"I love you," Yuna finally said softly. "I'd love nothing more than to be your wife, and you my husband."
They continued their embrace for what seemed like hours to them. Eventually, Tidus pulled away so he could look at Yuna's face. She had a tear of joy trickling down her cheek.
"I have something to tell you," Yuna eventually said. Tidus responded with a nod. "I found out right before we left Besaid, but I was going to wait until after the tournament to tell you. I'm pregnant Tidus."
Tidus' face froze in shock after hearing Yuna's words. He didn't show any emotions outside of his surprise. Yuna couldn't tell if he was happy or worried.
"Tidus?" Yuna said, concerned.
Tidus finally looked into Yuna's eyes. He no longer had the look of surprise, but it was replaced with a look of anger. Fright began to overtake Yuna as she began to worry about why Tidus was angry.
"Yuna," Tidus finally said with a more serious tone. "Why the hell are you playing blitzball! You should be way more careful!"
Relief fell over Yuna. Her pounding heart began to calm down as she realized that Tidus was only worried about her. She smiled and shook her head.
"I wanted to play blitzball with you," Yuna said. She sat down in Tidus' lap. "Besides, the doctor on Besaid said I'm early enough in the pregnancy for there to be no real risk. This will be my last tournament, then I'm ending my short career."
Tidus kissed Yuna on her cheek. "Well I'm here for you. I can't say I ever expected to be having a child this young, but knowing it's with you makes it perfect. There's no one I'd rather have a family with."
Yuna heard those words, and they were perfect in her ears. She leaned in and shared a long, passionate kiss with her love. Back in the travel agency, Rin watched them through the window with a large smile on his face.
"Good for them," Rin said. "More than anyone else in Spira, those two deserve to live a happy life."
"Good morning blitzball fans and welcome to day two of the Crystal Cup Tournament!" the announcer shouted into his mic. "Round two will begin in less than an hour, with the winners will be facing each other in the championship match this afternoon. In the first match, we have the Guado Glories facing off against the surprising Kilika Beasts. In match two, we get to watch High Summoner Yuna and the Gullwings play against the Besaid Aurochs and their offensive juggernaut, Sir Tidus! Without a doubt, today will be a day to remember!"
Tidus sat in the Aurochs locker room, listening to Beclem lay out the gameplan for their upcoming match against the Gullwings. His mind was still in the previous night. He had planned to propose to Yuna for a while, but the addition of her pregnancy just added to the wonderment of the night. It admittedly made him incredibly nervous, but those nerves couldn't overtake the reminder that it was with Yuna, the love of his life.
"You listening Tidus?" Beclem suddenly called across the locker room.
Tidus snapped out of his daydream and face Beclem. "Not really, but I'll be fine."
"It's not you I'm worried about. If you don't know the gameplan, then you could screw your teammates."
"Ok, so what's the plan? Pass the ball to me and I shoot? Sounds like yesterday's plan."
Beclem gritted his teeth in frustration. "You're playing Middle today, and Vilucha is playing Left."
Tidus' attention was more alert at that point. "Why the hell did you do that? I've always played left-field."
"Rikku is the Gullwings Middle. She is far faster than your average Middle, so we need someone who can keep up with her and can hopefully wear her down over time. You're still our number one for goals, but you'll have to depend on me and Vilucha to bring defenders our way to open holes for you."
Tidus didn't entirely like the idea, but it made sense. His short attention span eventually caused him to look up at the screen to watch the first match, which is beginning its second half. The Guado Glories were winning three to one, making the Beasts' first win look more like a fluke. The only thing Tidus saw from them that was remotely impressive was their hard-hitting defensive players. After a big hit, Tidus' eyes widened and he got to his feet.
"Listen team," Tidus began as he stepped in front of Beclem. "No one is to hit Yuna head-on, no exceptions. If you can't get her from another angle, then you don't go for her at all."
"What?" Beclem snapped. "I don't care if she is your lady, in this game, she is your opponent. She has too much offensive ability for you to not allow our defense to play the hardest."
Tidus flashed a stern look at Beclem. Beclem was caught off-guard, having never seen that kind of look from Tidus.
"Listen, this isn't about me wanting to go easy on her because of who she is," Tidus replied. "Yuna's pregnant. The doctor says it's safe to play right now, but I don't want to take any chances and I couldn't convince her to sit out completely."
Beclem didn't say anything back. The rest of the team jumped to their feet to congratulate Tidus, all of them happy for him. Jassu and Letty also spoke out and said they would follow his wishes not to hit her head-on. Beclem still didn't like it, but there was really nothing he could do about it.
By the time the first match ended, the Aurochs were dressed and ready to play. The Kilika Beasts had pulled off a second miracle in a row by winning the match four to three, keeping the Glories from scoring a single goal in the second half. Beclem called it a blessing because the Beasts' luck would have to run out eventually. The Aurochs had to deal with the Gullwings first, however.
"I hope you realize that you're going to have to keep scoring," Beclem told Tidus as they walked through the tunnel to the sphere. "With weaker defensive coverage on Yuna, she's going to have a shooting spree."
"Fine, then I'll just score every time she does," Tidus responded. He was trying not to snap at Beclem, but it was proving difficult. It seemed that Beclem only cared about the game, and nothing else.
"Here we go; the match we've all been waiting for!" the announcer called out. "We see the explosive Besaid Aurochs face off against the speedy Gullwings. Everyone is saying that the winner of this match will be the automatic favorite to take the cup. With only five minutes until the start of the match, I'm on the edge of my seat!"
Tidus led his team into the sphere and took his place at the center. Shortly after, the Gullwings entered as well, but Tidus was shocked at their formation. Yuna suddenly swam out and took the center in front of Tidus, carrying a large smile on her face. Tidus gave her a confused look, but only got a wink from her in return. After that, Tidus sent his attention Beclem's way, who was equally confused. Rikku had taken the right field position where Yuna originally was, putting her against Beclem. The rest of their team held their normal positions.
Tidus' heart began to pound, seemingly out of his chest. He was already nervous about having to play against Yuna, but he hadn't planned on having to cover her himself. Being honest with himself, he wasn't sure he could even bring himself to hit her at all. He felt like his heart would break a little more each time.
Before Tidus knew what was going on, the ball suddenly shot up to start the match. Yuna wasn't as distracted and quickly claimed the ball for her team. Before Tidus knew what was going on, Yuna was swimming past him and quickly headed toward the goal. Jassu made a move to hit her from the side, but Yuna did a type of barrel roll in the water to dodge him. Once she got back to swimming, Letty caught her off-guard by brushing against her right side and stealing the ball. He quickly swam through the sphere until he reached the center. Beclem was wide open, so he passed it to the captain. Beclem reached out to grab it, but Rikku's immense speed allowed her to intercept and take off with the ball.
Tidus quickly followed Yuna around the sphere, but he noticed that they weren't making any serious efforts to get the ball to her. Instead, Rikku dodged an attack from Letty, then passed the ball to Paine, who shot the ball immediately after and scored their first goal. The entire Gullwings team was much faster than they had anticipated, and Tidus could tell it was effecting the team. Everyone except himself was already beginning to swim tired.
"There's the first goal for the Gullwings!" the announcer called. "It really seems like they have the advantage with their superior speed. And they haven't even been using Lady Yuna, the MVP of their first match."
The game resumed, and Tidus reacted much better the second time. He claimed the ball and began to swim closer to Vilucha to get the ball to her. Before he had a chance to pass, Yuna suddenly slammed into his side and knocked him away. Tidus tucked the ball and managed to keep possession, but could see Yuna coming in for another move. He sprung into action and right as Yuna reached him, he held his hand out and put it on her shoulder. With a tough shove, he pushed off from her shoulder and did a type of flipping maneuver over her head, then quickly began to swim toward the goal.
"What did he just do?" Yuna asked herself as she watched Tidus swim away from her at an incredible speed. She couldn't help but smile.
Tidus could see Wedge moving in to stop him, so he decided to take the shot. He kicked the ball straight up, the followed it and began to spin his body for momentum. Quickly after, he kicked the ball with immense power, sending it toward a nervous Shinra in the goal. Wedge couldn't get a hand on it in time, but Buddy suddenly came out of nowhere and smacked the ball off-course. The ball slapped against the edge of the goal, then flew away from the goal completely. Wedge swam to intercept the ball, confident no one else would reach it first, but Tidus suddenly appeared from above him. Tidus cut Wedge off completely, but didn't grab the ball. He threw his foot against the ball with all his strength, and before Shinra could react, the ball was flying into the back of the goal right as the first half ended.
"A buzzer beating goal by Tidus to tie things up at the half!" the announcer shouted. "I don't think anyone was expecting that!"
Tidus began to swim toward the Aurochs' tunnel to join his team. Yuna swam by him and brushed her hand along his arm. Tidus smiled as he continued to swim for his tunnel. So far, he wasn't forced to do anything he didn't want to do.
"What kind of move was that?" Jassu asked Tidus in the locker room.
"It has an amazing name," Tidus said with enthusiasm. "I call it luck!"
The team laughed after they realized Tidus was joking. The only person who wasn't amused seemed to be Beclem, who was staring at his clipboard.
"I'm switching you back to Left," Beclem told Tidus.
"Like hell you are!" Tidus snapped. "Yuna's playing Middle, so I am too. I can keep her in check."
"You better. I'm sure they're making plans for her right now."
The second half began and continued to put pressure on Tidus. Just as Beclem predicted, the Gullwings made an effort to get Yuna much more involved. As Tidus covered her, he made attempts to steal the ball and slow her down, but was too nervous to ever deliver a hard hit. After Yuna score two straight goals on the Aurochs, things were beginning to look down.
Beclem rose his hands in frustration while facing Tidus. Tidus just flashed him a look before returning to his position. The only chance the his team had was for him to take control.
Yuna faced Tidus at the center of the sphere. She still carried the same large smile, but Tidus didn't share it. His eyes were locked on the ball, his face as serious as it could get. Yuna's smile weakened upon seeing that.
The ball shot up, and Tidus reacted almost instantly and claimed the ball. Yuna moved toward him, but Tidus performed a seemingly impossible spin move around her and quickly swam toward the goal. Only seconds later, he took a hit from Wedge, but kept the ball and shot it with a powerful kick. Shinra barely touched it with his fingertips as the ball hit the back of the goal. Everyone in the sphere looked at Tidus with a shocked and confused look. Whatever kind of move he used to get around Yuna, it had never been seen before.
Tidus returned to the center. There was a minute and a half left in the second half, so he needed at least one more goal to send the match to overtime. His eyes locked on the ball once again as he waited for the game to resume.
"So this is the blitzball Tidus," Yuna thought to herself. She knew it was still her Tidus, but he acted completely different in the sphere. "I'm not sure I like this."
The match began again, and Tidus once again reacted far quicker than Yuna. Yuna readied herself to stop Tidus from using the same move as before. Tidus recognized her adjustment so stopped and passed the ball to Vilucha. Vilucha caught it and saw Tidus take a roundabout route around Beclem, causing Yuna to lose him. He circled back around and caught a pass back from Vilucha. After dodging a hit from Buddy, he performed yet another sphere shot, and this one blazed into the back of the goal without any interference.
"And the game is all tied up with only thirty seconds to go in the game!" the announcer shouted. "Sir Tidus seems to have taken complete control of the match all on his own. His teammates are just sitting back and enjoying the show!"
The ball shot up, and for a third time, Tidus claimed it. Yuna's heart was pounding as Tidus swam closer to her, still carrying the serious look. Right as he reached her, he stopped, but didn't pass. Vilucha was being covered too well, as well as Beclem. There wasn't enough time to pass it to Jassu or Letty and get the ball back before time would run out.
"I could use the Jecht Shot to knock Yuna out of the way," Tidus thought to himself. "But I can't throw a ball into her face. I couldn't live with myself."
Tidus glance at the clock. Fifteen seconds remained in the half, and the score was tied. He considered letting the clock run out and take it to overtime, but he suddenly saw a hole.
Yuna saw Tidus look into her eyes, and he nodded to her. Suddenly he was throwing the ball directly toward her. She reacted and caught the ball, confused to now end. Before she knew what was happening, Tidus swam toward her and ducked underneath her. He grabbed her feet and yanked on them, causing Yuna to lose her composure and she let the ball slip out of her hands. Tidus snatched the ball, turned around, then kicked the ball with all the strength he had. Shinra waved his hands toward the ball to stop it, but it flowed right past him and into the goal just before time ran out.
"And the Aurochs have done it!" the announcer screamed. "With three goals in less than two minutes, Sir Tidus has saved the Aurochs and brought them into the championship match!"
The Aurochs all crowded Tidus with happiness. He was smiling and excited as well as he accepted the hugs and high-fives. Yuna watched from a distance, worried about how serious Tidus suddenly got during the match. She eventually turned and left the sphere.
"I hate your attitude, but damn," Beclem told Tidus in the locker room. "I've never seem someone blitz like you do. Kilika doesn't stand a chance this afternoon."
"I'm not the best for nothing," Tidus bragged happily. "Thanks, but I'm gonna head out. I'll be back for the championship."
Before Beclem could say another word, Tidus was running out of the locker room. It was clear that there was no controlling the man, so it was easier to just let him do his thing.
Tidus ran around the stadium until he reached the Gullwings locker room. He could hear Rikku's loud voice yelling at someone, and then Brother's voice came in. Brother was blaming the loss on her for not scoring any goals of her own. Paine followed up by threatening to cut Brother's lips off if he didn't shut up. A few minutes later, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all exited the locker room at the same time.
"Hey girls," Tidus said.
Yuna smiled, but didn't say anything. Tidus could tell something was bothering her, and so could Rikku and Paine. Paine grabbed Rikku's arm and pulled her along down the hall until they were out of sight.
Tidus grabbed Yuna's hand. "What's wrong?"
"I don't like playing blitzball against you," Yuna answered shyly.
"You didn't like it!" Tidus exclaimed through a chuckle. "I was miserable the whole time! I was afraid of you getting hurt the whole time."
"You didn't seem worried." Yuna put her head on Tidus' shoulder.
Tidus smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. At that moment, he realized just how intense he had gotten in that match. He gave Yuna a kiss on the forehead.
"I'm not trying to brag, but I could have done much worse," Tidus said, and noticed Yuna let out a very small snort. "Oh you don't believe me!"
Yuna took her head of Tidus' shoulder and looked at him. "I think you were just scared I was more than you expected."
"Ha! You can believe that," Tidus laughed. They were finally walking through the stadium to get something to eat. "That last shot could have been much easier. Instead of that little trick I pulled on you, I could have just as easily used my Jecht Shot to knock you out of defense and get an open shot. And you know I can hit a lot harder than that."
Yuna started to think about it on a deeper level. In the first round, Tidus had hit one of the opposing players so hard they fell out of the sphere completely. He also used the Jecht Shot once, knocking two defenders away completely.
"You know, you really are the best," Yuna said.
"Years of training hard," Tidus responded. "Blitzball was my life until I came to Spira."
"I'm not just talking about blitzball." Yuna put her hand on her stomach. "You're the best at everything. You're Sir Tidus, the famous guardian who helped influence the change this world has gone through. You know, I don't think we would have defeated Sin and Yu Yevon without you."
"How so?"
"Before you came, no one questioned the teachings of Yevon. We all accepted it, fearing we would face Yevon's wrath if we didn't. I think I would have performed the final summoning if you weren't with me. You showed us that we don't have to live in fear of Sin returning every time we killed it."
Tidus had never though much about the pilgrimage. While there were some good memories, like meeting and falling in love with Yuna, it was also a dark time. He was far more interested in the future, with marrying Yuna and having their child.
"So where do we go from here?" Tidus asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Well, to start, you need to win the Crystal Cup this afternoon," Yuna said jokingly. "Then we can return to Besaid, make plans for our wedding, and finally have a life together."
"Sounds like the perfect plan."