Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Let's BLITZ!! ❯ One-Shot

[Okay. I'm sure there are plenty of FFX fictions already out there. Well, I haven't finished the game yet, so I don't know a thing, so there won't be THAT many spoilers. There will be SOME. Mainly Blitzball spoilers. ^_^ Yes, I don't know how many people actually LIKE Blitzball, but my brother and I LOVE it. Oh, yes. LOVE it. Between all of my friends who have the game only my brother and I are UNDEFEATED. Yes, I am dead serious. The only team that gives us a little of a problem are the Al Bhed Psyches. They're the only ones. No one else can score points on us. NO ONE. Can you possibly believe it?! Well, even if you don't, it's the truth. And every time I win another game, or my brother wins another game, or Tidus scores a 10-0 game and gets the top scorer in a League or Tournament… We sit and we wonder what everyone in the stands must be thinking. The Besaid Aurouchs haven't won a game in YEARS. And now… no one can match them. They can't be beat. My Aurouchs are GODS in the sphere and Tidus is the GOD that rules them all. Oh, yes. I do not joke. So I wanted to write a story. A story that shows what the people are thinking, what is going on in the minds of all these Luca Goers fans and the fans of all the other teams? What is going on in the minds of the goalies that must face Tidus' Sphere Shot, the Jecht Shot and the Jecht Shot 2? I don't know about all of you, but I think every time those goalies see blond boy heading their way, they shat. So I'm going to write the story, where everyone watching these Blitzball games marvel over the amazing feats of the Aurouchs and their new star player. Oh, yes. The Aurouchs were the only team with the longest losing streak…and now they are completely and totally undefeated. Eat Blitzball you stupid Luca Goers! ^_^ Okay…I'm just a little excited…Tee hee.]

LET'S BLITZ!

"Oh, damn. I can't believe I missed the first tournament and most of the first League," Sean said as he got off the ship. "Everyone's gonna kill me…" He shook his head with a smile. "Doesn't matter I guess. I know who's going to be in the lead. It's always the Goers. Let me go put my money on them first and then find the guys."

Sean headed straight for the betting area. He was surprised to see the hoards of people lined up. He overheard two women beside him.

"So, are you going to be brave? Who are you betting for?"

"Do you think a look stupid, Mori? I'm betting on the sure win. No one else. Everyone else is just to waste money."

"But Ena, you'll make more money if you bet on the Psyches and they win."

"Yeah, they're the only ones who stand a chance."

Mori nodded her head. "Yup. Those are the only games worth watching. The Psyches are the only ones who could win. They beat everyone else that the Aurouchs have already beaten."

"Hey, I don't know about you, but I watch the Aurouchs for the blond player!"

"That goes without saying!"

Sean blinked. Wait a minute… Had he just heard the Psyches were the only competition for…the Aurouchs? The Besaid Aurouchs? That team hadn't won a game in years! Sean shook his head. He must have heard wrong.

But when Sean looked up to the boards, his jaw dropped.

Kilika Beasts 10-1.

Ronso Fangs 8-1.

Guado Glories 7-1.

Luca Goers 5-1.

Al Bhed Psyches 3-1.

And then the sign that almost made him pass out on the street where he stood.

Besaid Aurouchs 1-1.

Sean knew he had to be dreaming. He pinched himself. "Ow." He looked around. He had to find the guys. Hari, Rikard, and Dom would be the only ones to tell for sure. Sean still thought he had hallucinated the whole thing.

Sean found them quickly. They were sitting on the steps that lead up to the stadium. Sean ran up to his friends. He was out of breath.

"Hari, Rik, Dom… I just got here," heave, heave, "And I went to the…betting…" Heave. "The…Aurouchs…can't be…"

Hari shook his head. "Nope, my friend. The boards aren't lying to ya."

Rikard nodded. "The Besaid Aurouchs have completely dominated Blitzball this year, Sean. No one's got a shot at anything. If you want to make some money, it's got to be on the games the Aurouchs don't play."

"Bet on the Aurouchs and you'll just get your money right back," Dom said with a shrug. He turned to Hari and Rikard. "Only the guy who bet on the Aurouchs in the first tournament got some money… Actually, I'll bet he got hoards of it."

Hari nodded. "Yeah, heard a guy yelling from where I was. Saying he was, `Bloody rich! Bloody rich! Damn Aurouchs made me bloody rich!'" Hari shook his head. "I put my money on the Goers. Lost plenty of cash."

Rikard leaned back against the steps. "I thought it was one time thing. I bet against the Aurouchs a few times `til I learned my lesson. With that new shooter, nobody's got a chance in hell or high water."

"Tell me about it," Dom said with a sigh.

Sean shook his head dejectedly and flopped down beside Dom. "I don't believe it…"

Dom put a hand on Sean's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Sean. You're not the only one. Neither does half the population of Luca."

It was then that the speakers came on with an echo and a screech.

Jimma smiled into the microphone. He knew no one could see him, but he had to have the smile in his voice. Even if it was a forced smile. He had put so much money on the Goers during that first match against the Aurouchs…and had lost every penny of it. His wife was going to kill him. "Well, Bobba, can you possibly believe it? This is history in the making, folks. History in the making."

Bobba looked at Jimma's forced smile and rolled his eyes. He knew Jimma had lost a lot of money, but shouldn't be so upset about it. He'd lost plenty of money too because of the Aurouchs. Bobba smiled. But those Aurouchs were doing a heck of a job. You just couldn't stay mad at them. "You said it, Jimma. The Besaid Aurouchs, Blitzball's only team on a massive losing streak have gone and made everyone in Luca do a double take. Wakka, the Aurouchs captain, retired after the first tournament and became full time as a guardian to Lady Yuna, Lord Braska's daughter. Despite their losing streak all these years, Wakka has plenty of fans. He'll be missed."

"But it seems like the other players are staying for the long run. Datto, Letty, Jassu, Botta and Keepa have gotten much better this year and it seems that the more they play, the better they get. Though they never really did very well."

"The Besaid Aurouchs were only being supported by a few diehard fans at the beginning of the Blitzball season this year, and now everyone is supporting them."

"They were the losers, Bobba. Plain and simple. They weren't even the underdogs. No one had a prayer for them. Not even their diehard fans. But then…" That stupid kid had made him lose a ton of gil.

"You got it, Jimma. Then they brought in a new player. A new shooter. Not much is known about him…actually, nothing at all is known about him. No one knows where Wakka picked him up, or if Wakka was just waiting for the kid to be the right age before bringing him in. Either way, the kid is still a well kept secret."

"Well kept secret is right! No one knows his name yet! But Bobba, we're gonna fix that right now. That's right, folks. We've sent in Leena, our spunky redheaded reporter to get the information you're all dying to know. Who is this new Blitzball player? Where has he been? Why did Wakka bring him in now? Is he or isn't he from Besaid? All these questions will be answered. Right, Leena?"

"That's right, Jimma! Leena here, folks." Spheres all around the stadium lit up and the lovely redhead was smiling through them. "I'm here at the Aurouchs' locker room, where the Besaid Aurouchs, the currently undefeated Blitzball team, are all resting for the next match. Let's see if the new player is in!" The camera sphere followed Leena into the locker room as she burst in, startling all the Aurouchs.

Leena looked around and then gave a light sigh. She turned back to the sphere. "Looks like the Aurouchs' star player isn't here, but the other Aurouchs are due for an interview." She turned and strode to Letty who was turning a bright shade of red.

"You're Letty, the Aurouchs' center, right? I'm Leena, a Blitzball reporter. Is it all right if I ask you all some questions about yourselves, your wins and the changes that have gone on with the Aurouchs? So much has happened since the beginning of the tournament and I'm sure everyone is dying to hear what the Aurouchs have to say!"

"Uh…sure." Letty mumbled. "What'cha wanna know?"

"First of all, you were all in a massive losing streak for the last ten years. How is it that you guys managed to pull off the miracle that you've done here? Your skills have gone from zero to a zillion! What have you guys done?!"

Letty smiled. "Well, we always play Blitzball to play. Just ta enjoy da game. But dis year, since Captain Wakka was retirin', we all decided we were gonna win for him. Or at least, we were gonna try."

Botta grinned and stood next to Letty. "We practiced like ya wouldna believe! We wanted Captain Wakka ta be proud. We wanted him to go out with a bang! Heh, were dose Luca Goers surprised!"

"Those must have been some practices! Some people would argue that the first match was just dumb luck, but you have yet to be beaten! Luck doesn't keep a team at undefeated! Only skill does that. How did you guys improve?"

Letty shook his head. "Like I told ya. We just practiced a whole lot. Nauting more. Dough…I hafta admit," Letty looked at the rest of the Aurouchs. "We did get inspired, ya?"

Botta, Jassu, Datto and Keepa nodded.

"Ya," Keepa said with a grin. "If Tidus hadna shown up when he did… We'd all still be losers."

"Tidus?" Leena asked. "Is that the name of your new shooter?"

Jassu grinned. "Ya. Tidus is da newbie. He's great, man! Never seen anyone play like Tidus. He's a monster in da sphere! He can take a tackle like it was nauting and wit dat shot of his! Whew wee! Blow ya right outta the water!"

"Where did you find this new shooter? This Tidus? Is he from Besaid? He wears a different uniform than all of you. Is he a player you leased?" Leena asked.

"Nah," Datto said with a grin. "He just washed up on Besaid one day. We were practicin' on da beach and da Blitzball go flyin'! End up a ways away. But den we see this guy pop out of da water. He looks like he been thru hell. We holler, he hollers back. Then he Sphere Shoots da ball at us and sends dat sucka flyin'! Flyin' farther dan we EVA saw a Blitzball fly. He swims ta da shore and Captain Wakka asks him ta show us dat Sphere Shot o' his again. Tidus looked mighty happy, and sure `nuf did it again. Dat ball went even farther dan before! And he wasn't even in da water!"

"A Sphere Shot on the ground?!" Leena's eyes were as wide as saucers. "That takes more skill than…than…"

"Anyting ya eva heard of," Letty said with a smile. "Ya, dat's what we thought."

Botta nodded. "Captain Wakka asks Tidus about what happened ta him, and we find out dat Tidus' place got attacked by Sin. Not good news, eh? He doesna remember where he's from, or his old team either. Captain Wakka said for him to come ta Luca wit us and maybe he find out where he's from." Botta shrugged. "And Captain Wakka asked him if he could play for the Aurouchs just for da first tournament. Captain Wakka really wanted ta win."

Datto shook his head. "Dere lots o' weird stuff `bout Tidus. But he inspired us. On da trip `ere, he did his Jecht Shot and shocked us ta our toes!"

Jassu narrowed his eyes at Datto. "Hey, man! How did ya know what dat shot's called? He said it didna have a name!"

Datto shrugged. "I heard Lady Yuna call it dat. T'ink she said his father used ta do it. But I didna hear much after dat!"

Leena nodded. "That's the shot that he bounces the ball off two of the opposing team's players and spins in the water before shooting, right?"

Datto nodded. "Ya! Should see dat shot done in da air! Whew wee! Take ya breath away!"

Leena's jaw dropped. "You guys saw him do it…in air…?"

"Ya!" Jassu said with a grin. "Was on da ship ta Luca dat he did it. Awesome, eh?"

Leena looked at them quizzically for a minute. "Datto, you said that there are lots of weird things about Tidus. What weird things?"

Datto shrugged. "Uh… His skill wit Blitzball is one o' dem. I neva seen anybody play like he plays. Neva!"

Letty crossed his arms and nodded. "And he got tainted wit Sin's Toxin, ya? His memory's muddled. He say da funniest t'ings sometimes. Oh, and now he work wit Captain Wakka too. As Lady Yuna's guardian."

Botta leaned back on a locker. "Ya, Tidus' a little funny, but he's inspired us ta play harda, play betta. He `spects us ta do good, ta play good, so he can score da points, so we gotta play hard. He makes us wanna win, makes us wanna play lots more."

Keepa nodded. "Ya. I thought I wasna a good goalie, but Tidus give some good comments and I improve and I feel betta `bout it. Now, I feel like I play good, dat I'm a good goalie."

Letty smiled. "Same `ere. I thought I couldna pass a ball real good. But Tidus show me I pass da ball great and he depends on us. Dat's what makes us play hard and play long. We dinna wanna disappoint him. He's real good, and we all wanna be as good as him."

Jassu grinned. "Dinna know what team Tidus used ta play for. But he was born playin' Blitzball, I bet. And I bet he was star player in his other team too."

Leena shook her head. "So, this young man, Tidus, has been your inspiration to play better and harder and to win, yet none of you know very much about him. He washed up on Besaid, is infected with Sin's Toxin and is also one of Lady Yuna's guardians… Wait a minute!" Leena snapped her fingers. "What did you say the name of his best shot was?" she asked turning to Datto.

Datto blinked at her for a moment. "Uh… Jecht Shot…?"

Leena nodded and turned to the sphere. "Folks, clearly, it was this young player named Tidus that has inspired and supported the Besaid Aurouchs to their ultimate Blitzball level. But this young man still holds many secrets. His best shot, the shot that makes the crowd go wild every time, the Jecht Shot, is named after, if I'm not mistaken, after Sir Jecht, guardian to Lord Braska. And now he is guardian to Lady Yuna, Lord Braska's daughter. If the Jecht Shot was his father's personal shot, then not only is he the son of a superb guardian, but it also means that Sir Jecht must have been an awesome Blitzball player as well! True, this is all speculation on my part. Until the young Tidus comes in himself, these questions will not be cleared up. This is Leena, reporting from the Besaid Aurouchs' locker room." She grinned at the sphere. "Back to you, Jimma."

"Whoa! Now that was very informative, wasn't it, Bobba?"

"I'd definitely say so, Jimma. The possibility that this Tidus is the son of Sir Jecht almost makes my hairs stand on end. Little by little we're finding out more about this new star Blitzball player. He is the driving force behind the Aurouchs nonstop wins and he is top scorer for all the tournaments and the League as of yet! No one has been able to match his ability at scoring a goal!"

"But, Bobba. I'd like to know how the goalies of the other teams see him. We've seen a side from the undefeated Aurouchs point of view. But I wonder how the goalies of all the other teams feel about this power shooter. Leena?"

"I'm on it, Jimma!" Leena turned to the sphere with a toothy smile. "Hello, folks, I'm back. And right now I'm with the goalies of all the other teams. Nizarut from the Kilika Beasts, Zamzi Ronso from the Ronso Fangs, Noy Guado from the Guado Glories, Raudy from the Luca Goers and Nimrook from the Al Bhed Psyches." She turned to Nizarut who sat at the edge of the bench. She smiled at him.

"Mr. Nizarut! Can you tell us a little bit about your perception of the Aurouchs new shooter, Tidus? He has a lot of skill and as an audience I think we have yet to see you catch one of his shots!"

Nizarut looked at her from under hooded eyes. "Yeah. I haven't caught one of his balls yet. He and the Aurouchs helped us out a whole lot when Sin attacked Kilika. Can't hate him. He saved one of the girls from drowning, that kid did. But that doesn't come in when I play Blitzball, so don't think it's me being nice or anything. It's just… Well, I've never seen anyone play like that kid. He's a monster! It would almost make me think about quitting. Almost."

"I see. That scary, huh? But from what you've seen does he have a weakness, something that can stop him, or is he just too good for that?"

Nizarut narrowed his eyes. "Let's just say that techs are the only things that'll work on him a little, but even techs don't bother him much."

Leena nodded and turned to face Zamzi Ronso. "What about you, Mr. Zamzi? You've been up against Tidus for several games. What is your perception on that player?"

"He good. Skilled Blitzball player. His shots fast. When other shooter shoot, Zamzi can catch…sometimes. When boy shoots, Zamzi cannot catch. Only if he very far away."

"Only if he's far away, huh? Like midfield far or on his side of the sphere far?"

"…"

Leena shook her head. She smiled. "How about you, Mr. Noy? What do you feel about the new Aurouchs' shooter?"

"He's a monster all right!"

Leena blinked and then smiled. "Well, that was very impassioned. What do you mean, `he's a monster'?"

"Even if I try to catch that ball when he kicks it… It's almost like trying to commit suicide. That ball is coming at me at speeds I didn't think a blitzball could move at! If I try to catch the ball, my hands just get burned! No thank you! That player is definitely a monster!"

"O…k. Thank you so much Mr. Noy for your input. Now to Raudy of the Luca Goers!"

Leena bounced to the other side of the room to Raudy. He had his arms crossed over his chest and he wasn't paying much attention. "Mr. Raudy? What do you think of the new Blitzball player, Tidus? He's made quite a difference in their performance this year. As a goalie who's been up against him several times, including in that first tournament where he scored 2-0 on you, before halftime [author: this is true folks. I actually scored 2-0 before halftime with Tidus. When Wakka came in, I just made sure the Goers didn't make any points ^_^ worked too. I won. Tee hee…], tell me, how do you feel about the way he plays? About his technique?"

"I say calling him a monster is too lenient."

"Excuse me?"

Raudy turned to her with narrowed eyes. "No one should be allowed to play the way he does. I'd call him a demon more than a monster. He's a fiend!" His eyes suddenly lit up and his hands clenched. "What kind of psychopath shoots a Sphere Shot at POINT BLANK?! [author: Yes, people I do this.] Any other player who uses Sphere Shot, uses it from a safe distance so that they won't have any of the opposing team's players trying to stop them in an encounter. No! He swims right up to the goal without a care! If one person is blocking him, it doesn't matter! He'll take the tackle in stride, even if it's a special tech tackle and then SPHERE SHOOTS FROM POINT BLANK! Who can catch that kind of ball?! The Sphere Shot is a technique used to improve your shot so it's got more power and can make a goal from a safer distance. NO! He uses it right in front of my face with that smug smile of his! Knowing, there's NO WAY IN HELL that I'll be able to catch that ball! Noy said his shots are on fire?! He's being nice! A full-fledged Sphere Shot at point blank will knock the goalie out if he's STUPID enough to get in the way!

"And let's not get into that Jecht Shot of his. Do you have any idea what it's like to be completely confident with FOUR of your teammates in front of you ready to block that psycho's shot, when he suddenly takes the tackles of two of them without a blink, and then pummels the other two players with the BLITZBALL?! And then spins like a madman and shoots that ball with enough speed and power to knock the goal down?! And let's not get into that OTHER shot of his! What the hell does that ball do anyway?! He beats up THREE of my teammates, spins, and when he kicks that ball do you know what happens?! THE BALL DISAPPEARS!! IT FREAKING DISAPPEARS! No catch is involved! I MISS. Do you hear me?! I MISS!!AND IT DOESN'T MATTER FROM WHERE!! He can shoot from clear across the SPHERE!! ACROSS THE SPHERE! [author: um…I do that too…gosh, I'm so evil…] He's in front of his goal, three of my teammates on his ass, he does that shot and I STILL MISS. I STILL MISS!!! Do you have any idea what goes through my mind when I see that blond demon swimming my way?! DO YOU?!"

"No," was Leena's small whisper.

"I'M FREAKING TERRIFIED!! THAT'S WHAT IT IS!!" And with that Raudy stormed out of the room.

Silence.

Leena blinked for a moment before turning back to the sphere. "Well… that was certainly um…surprising! Now let's see what Nimrook of the Al Bhed Psyches has to say about Tidus?" Leena turned to him with a smile. "What do you think of Tidus, Mr. Nimrook?"

Nimrook sat in silence for a moment, almost as if pondering what she said before answering. "Ra ec y kuut bmyoan. Cgemmat. Dymahdat. Tyhkanuic. Raudy ryc y cuiht naycuh du pa set. Pid Tidus ec knayd lusbadedeuh vun sa. U ahzuo bmyoehk Blitzball ykyehcd rus." Nimrook gave Leena a smile.

Leena's jaw hung open as she looked at him with blank eyes. "Ha…?" She recovered then. "Ha! I'd forgotten. I don't speak Al Bhed…" She shrugged. "Oh, well! It looks like the new player Tidus has made admirers, friends and enemies. He's definitely a star Blitzball player in the making. Back to you, Bobba."

"You said it, Leena," Bobba said with a smile. "He is definitely a star Blitzball player in the making. His knew techniques and his unique style of playing have revolutionized Blitzball to an even fiercer game!"

"Seems like this Tidus guy has made more enemies than friends though."

"I wouldn't say that, Jimma. Seems to me though we couldn't understand Nimrook, he admires Tidus' abilities and so do some the other goalies. A good player will always have people jealous of him, but they will also have people who respect them. Tidus is well respected among the other teams."

"So respected that I've heard that most of the other teams have begun letting go of their original members and signing up new players. Seems to me that the tension has gotten awfully high, Bobba. Awfully high."

"You're probably right, Jimma. But it's the kind of tension that keeps us at the edge of our seat, dying to see what happens next! Speaking of which, isn't the break almost over? The League is about to start up again!"

"Jimma! Bobba! I've got some great news to report!"

Bobba nodded to Jimma. He then turned back to the microphone. "Looks like we've got another update from Leena! Let's see what's she's got for us! Leena!"

Jimma flipped on the cam sphere.

Leena was grinning on the spheres. "Thanks, Bobba. Hello again everyone! Looks like the star player of the League, the top scorer himself, just walked into the stadium. I'm headed to the Besaid Aurouchs' locker room to see if I can get a brief interview with Tidus before the League starts up again."

Leena opened the door to the locker room and the first to turn around was Tidus. The other Aurouchs quickly turned as well and gave her a wave. Leena waved back but quickly approached Tidus.

"Hello! I'm Leena, a reporter. If it's all right with you Mr. Tidus, I would like to have an interview. There are some questions I'd like to ask you and all your fans out there are dying to know more about you."

Tidus blinked in surprise. "You want to interview me?" Leena nodded. Tidus grinned. "Whoa. I haven't been interviewed in a while."

"You've been interviewed before then? Were you star-player of your old team as well?"

Tidus nodded. "Yeah, I was interviewed plenty of times back home. Before a game I'd have people all around the house wanting me to sign their blitzballs. You could definitely call me the star player of my old team. We all played hard and we always played to win."

"Were you the captain of your old team as well?" Leena asked.

"Yeah. Sure was!"

"Well, Mr. Tidus-"

"Hey! Just call me Tidus."

Leena blushed. "A-all right, Tidus. Where are you from? What was the name of your team? So many of your fans are dying to know."

Tidus went from excited to deflated. "Uh…well…I…I don't…remember, really… I got too close to Sin…and…uh…"

Leena nodded. "I understand. It's all right. Your fellow teammates told me about your run in with Sin and how you were infected and washed up on the shore of Besaid. But there is a strange rumor that I heard from the Goers. They said you claimed you were from Zanarkand. Is this true?"

Tidus turned his head away slightly. "Uh… Actually… When I first got to Besaid, I did say that to Wakka, but I had just barely managed to get away from being attacked by Sin. It attacked the ship I was on, just like it attacked my city. My memories are just muddled and stuff."

"Well, I do hope you get better! Another question I have is about your family. Is your father the legendary Sir Jecht, guardian of Lord Braska?"

Tidus blinked. "How…how did you know about that?"

Leena grinned. "It's ironic. Sir Jecht was a guardian for Lord Braska and now you're a guardian for Lady Yuna, Lord Braska's daughter. Is that famous shot of yours really your father's shot? Is it the Jecht Shot? And what about that other shot? The one that is similar to the Jecht Shot only makes the ball go invisible as well?"

Tidus gave Leena half a smile. "You've been busy… haven't you?"

Leena just grinned at him. Tidus shrugged. "Well, I guess there's no point denying it. Yeah, it's the Jecht Shot. My old man used to use it a lot to rile up the crowd." Tidus gave half a smile. "Guess I do it for the same reason too. And the other shot… well…" Tidus winked at her. "Let's just say that one is still a secret, k?"

"A secret? You like keeping up a mystery about yourself, don't you?" Leena smiled. "Let's hope you're not as secretive about the other questions I got for you. You up for another one, Tidus?"

"Shoot," he said, crossing his arms over his chest, his blue eyes twinkling.

Leena couldn't stop the giddy feeling that suddenly rushed through her. "You know, because of all the competition you've given the other teams, they've been replacing the old standard players and hiring out better players. Your arrival has really rocked the Blitzball world. Has anyone tried approaching you to hire you away from the Aurouchs?"

Tidus nodded and half smirked. "Yeah, the Luca Goers approached me in the last tournament after we beat the pants off of them. The redheaded guy-"

"Bickson?"

"Yeah, him! He comes up to me and offers to hire me. Says, 'you have a lot of potential kid. Why don't you join a real team like us?' Potential? We torn them up nasty. 5-0. And he's still ranting on how the Goers are a 'real' team. I really hate guys like that." Tidus shook his head and uncrossed his arms. "They said they'd pay any price. So, I told them my price." He winked at Leena. "1000 gil a game. No less."

Leena's jaw dropped. "1000 gil a game? That's insane!"

Tidus nodded. "That's what they said. But I told them that was my price. It wasn't up for negotiation. Take it or leave it."

"I take it that they didn't accept it, huh?"

Tidus shook his head with a grin. "Nope. Wandered away grumbling."

Leena shook her head. "Is that what the Aurouchs pay you? I'm amazed that they can manage it. It must be costing them a fortune, considering you play every game!"

He blinked at her. "Oh, the Aurouchs don't pay me."

"What?"

Tidus smiled. "For anyone who wants to hire me, it's a 1000 gil. I'm free for the Aurouchs."

Leena blinked. "But... why?"

He turned to the grinning Aurouchs behind him. "Because they're my friends. I'd rather play with a team I care about for the pleasure of playing and winning, than with a team that bought me off. Besides, they all were real good to me when I washed up on Besaid. I don't know a lot of people that would have been that nice to guy who washed up on the shore like I did. I owe to them."

Leena couldn't help but smile. This guy was one in a million.

"Well, thanks for the interview, Leena. Made me feel a little like I was back at home. But the next game is starting now and we gotta go," Tidus said turning back to her.

She nodded. "Thanks so much for answering my questions, Tidus." He grinned at her, clenched his fist and brought down his arm in salute.

"No problem, Leena," he said and turned away to head out with the Aurouchs.

Leena suddenly remembered another question she had to ask him. "Hey, Tidus!"

He stopped and turned around with a questioning look. "Yeah?"

Leena grinned. "One more question from all your female fans!"

"Shoot!"

"Are you single?"

Tidus started. "Single? Uh...Well, I guess so." He grinned. "I don't got a girlfriend if that's what you mean. At least... not yet."

"You have someone in mind?" Leena said half-heartedly. Damn...

He shrugged. "I probably don't got a shot in hell, but there's a girl I've got an eye for. Doubt that it's gonna work out though."

Leena saw the wistful smile in his lips and sighed. Damn. Why do the great ones always gotta be taken?

"In other words, you got your eyes on one lady, but your hordes of female fans still got a shot too, right?" Leena asked.

Tidus winked, clenched his fist and brought down his arm. "I've always got time for my fans. Especially the ladies! Hey, Leena?"

She blinked. "Yeah?"

He grinned at her. "Every goal I make this game will be for my female fans!" Tidus waved at her and then ran after the Aurouchs who were telling him to hurry.

Leena watched him with a smile. For your female fans, huh? Probably for your girl too. Ah, shoot. It really is a damn shame. The best guys are never available. She turned and faced the camera with her usual bright smile.

"You heard it here, folks. This was the first exclusive interview with the Aurouchs new star player, Tidus! A legend in the making, folks. A legend in the making. And now, on to the game!"

A sphere cam was following Tidus and the Aurouchs just before they dived into the sphere. He turned to the group with a grin.

"LET'S BLITZ!!"