Chapter 9

There was only an hour left to go until meteor hit. Everyone had been in the shelters for over twelve hours now.

Tidus was sitting a corner muttering quietly to himself. Aura sat next to him, holding his hand. She was making herself s small and unobtrusive as possible, though this was nothing new. Wakka was playing a game with Lenne and Vidina. Rikku sat by the Comm sphere, while Ifalna sat next to her gently rocking Llaman.

In the outer area of the shelter, Yuna was waiting with the other mages.

All of the shelters were built in the same way, with an inner and outer area. The inner area was completely protected, while the outer area had a door, which opened onto the world. The mages were to head back to the outer section if they survived. Twelve hours after meteor hit, the doors to the inner sanctum would unlock.

The door separating the inner sanctum was locked at present and would only open for someone whose name was on the mage list. Or, as Gippal had so accurately named it, the suicide list.

Rikku sat quietly, locked in her own shell of cowardice. She was ashamed that she had not argued more with Gippal, though she had to admit she was quite grateful to him and her father. However, she had not forgotten that it was she who had suggested it.

Each of them sat silently locked in their own thoughts, waiting for the end.

Suddenly a loud groaning noise began. It got louder and louder. Rikku heard the mages begin chanting, and she thought she could detect Yuna's voice, though of course that was impossible in all the confusion. Tidus switched the sphere screen so it showed the view from the Comm sphere placed on the outside of the shelter and they could suddenly see Yuna outside, chanting with the rest of them. Tidus's already drawn face grew paler as he watched. Nobody spoke.

Suddenly they saw a new figure on the sphere screen. Lenne. Rikku gasped and looked round. The door was open. One of the mages must not have closed it properly, and Lenne had slipped out…Wakka grabbed Tidus as he made to follow his daughter.

"Don't do something crazy," said Wakka.

"Let go of me, Wakka!" Yelled Tidus. "I gotta save Yuna and Lenne!"

Rikku turned to Ifalna. "Ifalna, can't you do something!"

"I – I…" Ifalna began. The she nodded, and closed her eyes, begin to mutter something. Rikku kept her eyes on the sphere screen. Yuna had noticed Lenne behind her. Nobody had shut the door to the shelter yet. The silence was broken now and everybody began screaming as the noise grew louder and louder. Rikku pulled Aura and Vidina to her and crouched down, protecting them with her own body. The only sound to be heard now was the groaning of the meteor. Her ears aching, Rikku saw Tidus break away from Wakka and run outside. On the sphere screen she saw Yuna notice Lenne and run towards her, telling her to go back. Though Rikku could not hear, she could read Yuna's lips. Before Yuna reached Lenne however, she disappeared in a flash of light and beside Rikku Ifalna fell to the ground, helping Rikku to protectAura and Vidina, still clutching Llaman close to her. On the sphere screen Rikku saw Tidus reach Yuna and pull her back towards the shelter. She felt blood trickle from her ears as she quickly reached up and hit the buttons that would switch the view to the calms lands shelter.

The sphere screen changed, and now she could see Brother and Calli huddled together protecting Muja. Her father was near them, his hands wrapped over his own ears. Gippal was shouting, trying to be heard, but he had no chance of standing up to the unbelievable volume of the meteor. She could read his lips however. She watched, then gasped silently as she realised what he was saying.

The meteor was going to hit the Calm Lands directly. Everything they were getting here was only the dregs of the disaster. Everyone in the Calms Lands was going to die.

Gippal was not saying those exact words, but she could read his meaning in his every gesture. Gippal gave up on speaking, and glanced over at the Comm sphere. As Tidus pushed Yuna into the shelter, Gippal looked straight into Rikku's eyes. Tidus's last act before meteor hit was to push the door closed to protect those inside. As Yuna realised this and turned to hammer on the door between her and her husband, Gippal made his move.

Gippal's last act was to smash the Comm sphere.