Chapter 10- Betrayal (( Tidus POV ))

"So, who's your friend?"

I stared into Yuna's bi-colored eyes suspiciously in regard to the strange in her company as I distanced myself from Baralai, unconcerned with him at the time. Yuna had surprised me with her sudden arrival. She had managed to arrive her far sooner than I had expected or hoped, for it was my wish to save her from watching me massacre these people, so her eyes would not bare witness to the blood and conflict which would come, but here she was, regardless.

"Tidus, what have you done?" She broke eye contact with me as she said that in her 'tormented' voice. I watched her bi-colored hues wander over the slain numbers before her, her expression horrified, terrified, appalled! For what reason? She should be pleased. The blood and death before her were all keys to opening the door to a new haven, a sanctuary for the two of us and anyone else I chose to welcome. Was she blind to this?

"Only what was necessary," I commented with a shrug, hoisting Caladbolg onto my left shoulder and taking a light, small step forward. "People die everyday, Yuna. These people would have died too. I just saved them from having to worry about when."

I drug my eyes away from her, allowing them to fall upon the silver-haired man at Yuna's side. Who was this guy? I had never seen him before, so certainly he couldn't have been a resident at Besaid. But more importantly, why was he with Yuna? And how did the two of them arrive with no apparent mode of transportation?

Then he stared back at me..

The atmosphere became disturbed, violent, as though it was crackling with invisible electricity, as our eyes locked. I felt anxiety, fear, unease, when I looked upon this man. His eyes, those silver piercing eyes, blazed with an unknown emotion. His face calm, though menacing. And his aura, it was that which concerned me the most, for it was just as appealingly-serene as his expression, but willing to lash out at whatever It chose. This man was not normal.

"So, you going to answer or what? Who is he?" I inquired, shaking off my emotions. There was no need to get unsettled. He probably wasn't a threat.

But the man answered for Yuna. "Iiden. My name is Iiden, Tidus."

I narrowed my eyes a bit as he responded. He knew my name? Had Yuna told him? "Well, Iiden, I presume you brought Yuna to me. I give you my thanks. Be gone now, unless you wish to join the others who have died by my blade."

"Why," Yuna began, and I drew my eyes back to her, "why have you done this? Tidus, all these people. Why!"

"To keep you safe," I answered with a laugh, "Things are getting violent. I couldn't guarantee your safety, so I made a deal with Oblivion. If he promised to keep you, and anyone else of my choosing, out of harm's way, I'd swear my allegiance to him. I'm doing this for your sake."

"That doesn't justify your actions!" She let her head fall as she said that, body trembling, hands curled. Why was she getting all worked up? My actions were completely justified! These people would die any way. "I c-can't let you do this. Just stop it, stop it and come with me! You can't change what you've done but repent by making the right choice and abandoning this path you walk!"

"What path is that, Yuna?" I asked vehemently, even with anger suppressed to my limits. "What path do you want me to walk? The path of right leads to an end by far more terrible than that of the path of Wrong. To ensure your survival I will go to any measures, even aligning myself with the one thing I've sworn to destroy! I've broken that vow now, for your sake. Don't you turn against me."

"Don't do this, Tidus. P-please, I beg you, don't."

"What's done is done, Yuna! I will not let Oblivion claim your life."

'Even if I have to claim the lives of a thousand others', I began in the sanctity of my mind, looking to Baralai who remained on the ground, blood gathering around him from the wound I had forged in his body. 'You will not be taken from me!'

I raised Caladbolg above my head, and prepared to deal the finishing strike. It was my decision who lived and who died from this point forth, and Baralai, who opposed me, would not be granted the sanctuary he had in no way deserved or earned. His fate was sealed, sealed like the rest of this doomed city's fleeing ant-like population.

"Goodbye, Baralai!"

And I brought it down…

"Fire!"

Gunshots boomed out into the air. And then came pain. I was struck: a result of my own carelessness for having forgotten the gunners in Baralai's company. I couldn't be certain where the bullet hit for my whole body was soon enveloped by a blinding hurt, something fierce, that made even me struggle to remain standing.

'Blast', I cursed in my mind while tightening my grip on Caladbolg, fighting to keep it above me as I took a small stumble forward. 'Damn those men.'

My vision blurred. Through the fog, as I looked down to observe my body, I could see vaguely the blood letting itself flow from my wounds, the holes made by the intruding spheres burning like fire. I had to react, less I provide them the time to again unleash another barrage of bullets. They had succeeded in injuring me, but they would not be blessed with having my head, no human would.

"Tidus!" Yuna's scream annoyed me, to some extent. She was always screaming my name at the slightest indication that what would be 'life-threatening' for a human, somehow was life threatening for me. Ignorance. Yes, a word fitting her perfectly. Or perhaps over-concerned. Regardless, either of the two were in a sense a disrespect towards me. For in numerous ways, they lined me side to side with 'normal.' Something I was not, and never was. "Are you okay!"

I chose to ignore her and her panic for the time, and turned to confront the guards raising their weapons for another attempt. "I'll return to attend to your 'destruction'," I began, speaking to Baralai, "after I carry out the execution of these insignificant vermin."

And again, the all-too familiar bang on gunshots rose to greet me. This time, however, I was prepared.

With the wave of my hand, I released a significant portion of my seemingly limitless magical power, using my mind to connect the scattered energies that formed a small barrier which deflected the bullets without difficulty, small sparks all to indicate they had even made contact.

"So much a shame that the aim of you tomfools couldn't be more accurate," I commented with a smirk while ignoring the pain which spread through my body as I proceeded on to their location. "Unsurprising, I suppose, that mere men as yourselves would lack estimable acquisition. As penalization for your incompetence, I, myself, shall strike you down."

Mentally pulling a trigger in my mind, pushing the energies before me outwards, holding my mind focused still on maintaining the shields consistency. As anticipated, as the block of power smashed into the soldiers, they fell back and did not stir. Their life held, by the apparent beat of their hearts to my ears even at this distance. Temporarily rendered without consciousness. I'd finish them while they slumbered. A shame I'd go without the satisfaction of hearing their pitiful agonized screams.

Then once again my senses burned.

In the nick of time I turned about to face my assailant, an injured Baralai, while bringing my blade up to the met the final, falling end of his own. The end that glowed brightly, just as the other I had shattered. This time, however, more time was concentrated into building it's power. But how? He must have been channeling it while I was distracted. Adroit little fool.

"This attack has already failed once, Baralai, a tad gain in power won't aid or change that fac-," then I silenced myself as a loud crack filled my ears. Then I saw It. From either the intensity of this attack, or the one previous to it, Caladbolg had been worn and cracked. With Baralai still pushing, his magical energies failing not quite at the time, the chap only continued to expand. Further, and further, to the point of ruin. And ruin it was. My ego, my confidence, dare I say my heart, shattered into fragments as great as what I thought to be my most prized and powerful weapon as Caladbolg, when it snapped in two, the opposite end that fell breaking off into countless fragments that would always be a reminder of my own failure in memory. Caladbolg was destroyed.

I stumbled back in astonishment, Baralai's blade, as well, as destroyed as my own. The strain had been too much on both of our blades, but I suffered the greatest. The weapon that had assisted me in so many battles was gone, broken, by an inferior being? An inferior weapon? This was outrageous. How could I have been, how could Caladbolg have been, bested by this smart-ass of a Praetor! How!

"My weapon," I whispered in dismay, observing the only half remaining, 'would-be', ultimate weapon. "It's ruined. You…demolished it! Baralai, you're unintelligence makes it's debut on this minute. NO ONE humiliates me! NO HUMAN DISGRACES OR OPPOSES ME!"

"As difficult as you may find to accept this, Tidus," Baralai began with a heavy sigh, the pain, the exhaustion, so evident on his face. That I noticed even though my rage, "it seems this 'human' has done it. Accept it, you've been crushed at your own game. Victory isn't yours. Now you must subject to the punishment for your horrid transgression. I offer my assurance, it won't be lightly given to the likes of a monstrosity such as you."

I gathered it was meant to be a warning, a small taste of what was to await me IF I was to yield. But I would not. Shatter blade, or broken bones, victory would be mine. This inferior being would not claim it.

"Don't relax just yet. Caladbolg may have failed me, but my own strength is the one thing I have the confidence in to never disappoint!" In my rage, my fury, I launched myself forward at Baralai with my ruined weapon falling to the ground in the wake of my dash. I'd finish him with my OWN hands, no weapon was needed to do that! For I WAS a weapon, an indestructible one. I wouldn't shatter as easily as Caladbolg. "You die today, Praetor!"

Easily, my fingers curled about Baralai's fragile throat as I reached him, squeezing to the best of my ability. Obviously enough, by the way his face twisted in unvoiced agony. Not even a gurgle could slip past my hold. Immediately his hands rose to attempt to pry mine away. His fingernails dug into my skin, straining, trying to escape. It was futile. No matter his level of swordsmanship skill, I would always possess greater strength. Nothing could change that.

"Farwell, feeble creature."

And again, another gunshot. I was startled, and then angry, as I felt the bullet graze my right cheek, the warmth of my own blood soon to run down the side of my face. I didn't quite understand it at first, for I was certain those blasted guards were…for the time, unconscious. So who I had shot it? Then my eyes fell ahead, and the culprit was revealed.

Yuna regarded me with eyes I had never seen her give me before. Eyes that blazed with anger, yet sadness still, though obviously too consumed by rage to let much slip into sight. But the thing that really drew my attention: her gun was raised, and aimed…at me.

"So, you'll just ignore me, huh?" She questioned while letting her eyes fall to the ground. Ignore her? "Even though I'm here, telling you to stop, you'll still kill? I know what you've done, Tidus. I know you've made a deal with Oblivion, but it's alright. You don't have to do that. I'll be safe, fine, so long you stay by my side. But if you continue down this path that I can't follow, then you are truly lost to the darkness. And…the next time I fire, I won't miss…"

It struck me as though she had shot directly into my chest. She was serious. She truly meant to kill me if I continued? I only wanted to protect her, couldn't she see? Alone I wouldn't be able to guarantee safety, but with Oblivion's word, I can. It WAS something I HAD to do.

"Don't be so cloddish," I began while letting Baralai fall to the ground, my fingers uncurling. Although I couldn't see him, I could hear the gasps of pain as he attempted to replenish his air supply. "you of all should be well capable of understanding what I'm trying to do. You won't be fine by my side, at most that's where you're put at greater risk. I'm the enemy of SHADOW, but that's a problem solved If I align myself with them."

"What's happened to you?" I blinked as she responded. Happened? "Not long ago, you were confident of your own strength, independent, accepting help from no one. Now, in less than a week, that all has changed. Are you truly that doubtful of your abilities now, just by seeing what SHADOW has to put against you? What Collust has?"

This was not an insecurity of my own strength. I still held firm to the confidence I possessed in regard to my power, but It was because I was doubtful of HER own strength that lead me to this. She couldn't compare to the immensity of power that was SHADOW. Thus, how could she defend herself? The only solution: to prevent her from having to defend herself ever again.

I frowned heavily, my eyes falling to Baralai who lay motionless on the ground, eyes closed. I couldn't tell whether or not he was just waiting to exploit an opening, or if in fact he was unconscious, but that was irrelevant. If he rose, I'd just strike him down again.

"You're truly serious, Yuna?" I asked while tilting my head up to the sky above, my heart beginning to waver under the emotions forcing such pressure upon it. "You will shoot me down, the love of your life, to protect the insignificant lives of those who are fated to die anyway?"

You shouldn't have expected her to understand…

'I thought she was intelligent enough to side with me. I thought she loved me enough to side with me. But it seems I was foolish in believing that. I should have known this is how it would end.'

You aren't psychic, Tidus. Do not fear, however. She is not something you need. Understand, that I, Oblivion, faced down the greatest Warrior in Zanarkand's golden age, a man who at one point was weak, weak enough to be squashed by the lowest of fiends. But do you know what made him stronger?

I responded, stretching my thoughts across to answer Oblivion's own. 'I have a feeling your going to tell me…'

At first there was silence, and then the response came. Suffering. In the midst of the conflict, for fear of her safety, HE was forced to let his love go, sending her away to the farthest of lands, away from me. But I stopped her. In an attack my Wraith's claimed her life, and thus HE wallowed in despair, until finally, with her to no longer hindrance him, all his senses, all his attention, focused on defeating me. And he succeeded because he had no emotion to weaken his blows, and no pain to slow them. You can be like that man, Tidus, you just have to learn that Love is just another form of impotency. It's better off forgotten.

'I can't forget Yuna…'

Then not only will she strike you down, but she will die not long after. Unless you want to be the one to destroy her.

This only served to infuriate me. Destroy her? How preposterous! How idiotic! Kill the love my life! 'Watch your tongue! Your over-stepping the boundaries, Oblivion.'

I only want what's best for you. If you do not wish her to die, and if you do not wish to, then leave her behind. You have killed enough innocents to prove your loyalty in my eyes, and separating yourself from her will seal it. Seal the deal huh? Heh, at last… As far as her safety goes, it will still remain. In return for your sworn allegiance, none who are close to you will ever suffer again.

It was tempting. So, I had to kill no more to prove my seriousness in this matter? And all the benefits would still be received without the defects. Excellent. All I had to do now…was leave her behind: the only defect. And the worst one.

"Then so be it," I spoke, loud enough to barely be heard, as I slowly took steps back, "no others will die today, Yuna. The deal has been made. You may have managed to keep the lives of these fools continuing, but we say farewell from this point forward. Rest assured, you will be safe…Oblivion assures me of it. So as much as it pains me, hurts me, to bid this farewell, I know it is for the best. I love you, Yuna, and always will. Until we meet again…Yuna…"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a blinding flash of light exploded before my eyes, blinding my sight, causing me to flinch. Then there came a roar, and my body flooded with energy, spreading through me in an instant. It felt good, great! But then it was gone as quick as it had come. Darkness soon replaced it, with Yuna's scream, the scream of my name, nothing more than an echo fading into the endless abyss around me….

And I stretched out the last words I could manage before that darkness overtook me whole.

' I love you, Yuna, and always will. Not until the end of this, no, not until the end….Always.'