The 8-note motif at the end of FFVIII that becomes a principal melody in IX?
 

I started to post this on the FF board on IGN, but then realized what the hell I was doing, and quickly cut-pasted over here.
RPGfan.com mentions that at the end of Final Fantasy VIII's "Ending Theme," there is a short section of 8 notes. In Final Fantasy IX, that phrase is a major theme. Source.

I'm approximately 3 hours into IX (just reached the Village of Dali) and I'm keeping my musical ears open for this, but no to avail so far. Anyone have any insight into where this melody is in IX (and in VIII's cue as well)?

Edit:
I guess I should have clarified I was referring to Final Fantasy in the thread title.

You can hear it during the play at the beggining and in the ending theme. In FFVIII it plays when Rinoa is pointing her finger at the stars.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/2w6a1n

Ah I seeeee. Cool. Thanks for that.

While we're on this subject, I've always thought that Eyes On Me was a straight ripoff off Relm's theme from FF6. (maybe ripoff isn't the right word, but it's definitely taken from it.
Here's a midi, listen to the part about 40 seconds in. (it's unmistakeable imo)

http://vgmusic.com/music/console/nin...snes/relm2.mid

Perhaps you should also post the segment from Eyes On Me that you claim is similar.

It's right at the start of the song, when she sings "Whenever sang my songs, on the stage on my own, whenever (etc.)", and then again at the start of the second verse.
That melody is all over the FF8 ost really, here's a good example of it from "Julia": (the first 17 seconds)

http://vgmusic.com/music/console/sony/ps1/ff8piano.mid

You can also heard the end of Tifa's Theme if you listen closely.

And just so it doesn't get repeated again, yes we know Aeris's Theme sounds like the beginning of Celes's Theme.

I noticed the similarity as well. All the way from 0:42 to the end of Relm's theme (before looping). From 0:56 to 1:00 in Relm's theme, folks should think of "Close enough for me" (to feel your heart beating fast...) from Eyes On Me and it'll hit them.

It sounds even more similar to Aria Di Mezzo Carattere, I think.

I meant to say that, I swear.

If I'm not mistaken, they were all composed by Nobou...wouldn't it only be natural for them to sound a bit alike?

Perhaps it was intentional.

Or just Nobuo's preferred style of melody

I believe it was intentional -- a reference about what to expect from the next game in the series, whose collosal score would have likely been well underway by the time Shiro Hamaguchi orchestrated the Ending Theme.