Steiner went to retrieve the remaining Black Mages for the trek, as Vivi set about memorizing the spell. It was a simple one, very straightforward. Yet nonetheless it was difficult for him. His vision blurred, and his mind refused to focus. Quickly he bit back a moan as a shiver rippled from head to toe. Kuja sat in a plush chair, arms wrapped around himself as he shuddered periodically and seemed to be trying to keep warm.

Steiner returned at last... with only nine Black Mages.

"No. 3 and 28?" Vivi asked. No. 37 shook his head.

"They took a nap, and now we can't wake either of them up."

"So there's exactly ten of us left." Privately Vivi thought that most of them could barely keep their feet themselves.

"Here's the spell." Zidane passed it out, and the mages began memorizing it, scattering around to comfortable, quiet places to study.

"The unfortunate thing is," commented one who stayed at the table with Vivi, "since it's a joint spell, we can't see if we have it memorized properly until the initial casting." Vivi nodded in agreement, then paused to cough.

"I hope we can get the spell memorized soon," he commented once he could. "I'm beginning to feel like something's telling me to go to sleep."

"Me too," muttered No. 12. "One of us could drop at any time, and if that happens it's over."

"Don't think like that," said Freya. "All that's left is for you to memorize the spell, we get this Mist out, and it's done."

Yes, Vivi told himself. Almost done. After Soul's Mastery is cast, then I can rest.

They studied the spell for about two hours, just to be sure. Zentarou also studied the spell, just in case thought all agreed he didn't qualify, and he personally doubted he could cast the Gaia spell anyhow. The foreign words were difficult for his to pronounce, let alone memorize, despite his polyglot ability. This he chalked up to the magical nature of the words.

"If worst comes to worst," he said however, "I'll at least be able to coach someone along if they forget of have trouble, and I'll try to cast it if I can."

"We can see if you can cast our magic," Kuja said between shudders. "I'll scribe something simple, like Fire, and you try to cast it."

"Good thought." Zidane brought his brother a parchment and quill, and he wrote out the spell. As Zentarou took it, he dug out a fire jewel. "I'll even help myself out a bit," he said with a chuckle. He held the scroll and jewel in one hand, held out the other, and recited the spell.

Nothing.

"Guess that answers that," Beatrix commented with a violent shiver. Steiner put an arm around her, easing her into a chair, a worried look on his face. Vivi pushed away the paper.

"I've got it," he announced. No. 12 flipped his paper over, thought for a moment, then checked.

"I'm ready - cough, cough - " One by one, seven other voices answered, and their speakers joined their fellows. "Where's No. 16?" asked No. 42.

"I think he went over here," Zentarou said, moving among some bookshelves. He vanished from view, then they heard him groan, "Oh no..."

He emerged with No. 16 lying limp in his arms, unconscious.

All anyone could do was stare. No. 16 was deep in a coma, same as all the others who were ill. But this had deeper, darker implications.

"No..." Vivi finally said. "No... This can't be... we were so close..." He looked, eyes full of tears and distress, at his 'kin.' "There's only nine of us... it's not enough... 'There must be ten, or all will fall.'" No one wanted to say it, but all were thinking the same.

Without ten casters to control the Mist, every single one of the on Gaia was doomed.