Author's Note: I want to thank you, Nikki, for the reviews you have given. They alone were the main cause of inspiration to drive me to updating so shortly after my previous installment to Darkness Falls. Thus I dedicate this chapter in your name. Your story, The Shadow of Evil, was undeniably fascinating. So to all the readers out there, I highly recommend reading it. You will not be disappointed.

Chapter 18- Within the Heart

"So they succeeded in passing through my guardians."

A smirk displayed his amusement as Gallant stood still with his eyes focused ahead at the engravings upon the chamber wall, his arms folded behind his back, mind sensing the recent entry of the two, Yuna and Paine, within his great temple. He could notice the eyes of his prisoner, Tidus, who sat silent to the side with his back pressed against the marble wall, light faintly. How he had forgotten how easily human hopes were rekindled at the slightest of good news in their minds. In this case, the news was unfortunate in truth, for it only meant the deaths of Tidus's companions would be all the more painful.

"Discard any hopes of rescue that has entered your mind," Gallant spoke coldly while his face went blank, turning to confront his prisoner while approaching him slowly. "Your friends will not be able to save you, nor themselves. Within this temple, darkness is mine to control. It bends to my very will, and I'll demonstrate."

"Don't even think," Tidus paused, taking a deep inhale of breath as his body went suddenly cold and shivered. "of hurting them."

"Too late for that."

A thunderous crackle exploded throughout the room, Gallant's body glowing with a malevolent, lavender aura that pulsated with the rhythm of his heart. His pupils dilated, the terrible eyes nothing now than short of lifeless. Was it not for the cry, the ear-splitting screech so horrible Tidus could only recoil and attempt to block it by shielding his ears, he may have experienced a brief moment of calm. But in the dark beings presence, calm was a thing that did not exist.

On and on it went, the deafening screech continuing to grow louder with the passing moments that to Tidus seemed like hours. His hold body shook in pain, the feeling of blood soon oozing against his palm while he held his hands firm against his ears. It was unbearable. He had never experienced something, so indescribable, like this.

Finally It stopped. Without a sign even, it was gone as quickly as it had come. And when Tidus drew his arms down, glancing briefly at the small spots that confirmed his bleeding on his hands, all was silent. Gallant hovered above without a sound, his mouth still spread open in a scream yet releasing nothing, the ominous aura continue to envelope his being. Tidus set his arms down, relieved that the screeching had ended.

'What a freak,' The young man thought inwardly while drawing his eyes upward and regarded his foe with a frown. In no time during his life had he stumbled across someone so unbalanced. I n the time it takes to even begin to understand his power, he is left dumbfounded by another trait. In this case: lung power. Serious lung power at that.

A final pulsation and the aura stilled, Gallant's mouth closing finally while his head fell, chin pressing against his chest. His whole body hung limp in mid-air. But although his lips did not move, nor did the whole of his body, Gallant's sinister tone echoed through the silence.

Behold, boy. Experience the true power I possess! The strength Oblivion has given me!

The energy that circled Gallant's being exploded suddenly, smacking against Tidus body and pinning him against the wall. At first thought, the boy was certain this was where his story ended, flattened by the overwhelming power of a madman. And then the energy passed through, and allowed him to fall limp, suddenly exhausted, against the ground. He had no strength, not even enough to move his finger. Even his respiratory track failed, and his breathing stilled. Slowly, his mind went blank.

"Sleep now," Gallant's voice echoed again and again in his mind as Tidus slowly lowered his eyes, a wave of dizziness washing over him. "Find your place in the nothingness, and know Spira will soon join you in the abyss ."

Meanwhile…..

Yuna and Paine jumped at the sudden, booming crack that exploded throughout their surroundings. Every inch of marble, every tile that built this magnificent structure, shook with the power the sound produced. They struggled to hold their ground, balancing themselves by pressing against the vibrating walls.

"W-what's going on?" Yuna could hardly find herself stable enough to ask the question, her sentence interrupted by a series of stutters.

Paine was fairing no better. "I-I don't know. The whole t-temple is shaking it seems." The warrior went quiet immediately after, eyes narrowed as she seemed to focus on something ahead. "D-do you hear that?"

Yuna could feel the shaking ease, searching for the sound Paine had noticed above the rumbling. For many moments she listened, waiting for the rumbling to silence, and when it fell just enough, she could hear what her companion heard long before. A screech, loud and horrific, rushing towards them like an invisible wave of water. And when it hit, both of them collapsed to their knees.

"Ahhhh," Paine screamed out, unable to even hear her own words above the sound. Her eyes tensed, palms pressing against her ears as she struggled to block it out. It held no effect.

Yuna found herself in a position more pitiful than Paine's, curled up in her nose buried into her knees and forearms pressing against her head. It was maddening. This sound, this horrible sound! She could not bear it.

As Tidus had endured, the screeching continued on for what seemed like hours. Then, just as they neared unconsciousness, it gave way into silence. Again another pause.

Slowly Yuna let her arms fall, glancing worriedly to Paine and inspecting her condition quickly. "It stopped," she whispered while focusing ahead, disturbed by the sound of rushing wind.

Paine responded breathlessly. "And I doubt it's finished."

From nowhere then, an invisible force collided against them, sending the two companions hurtling backwards and smacking against the ground with a thud. While Yuna's eyes blurred, she could feel her body go numb and the breath sucked from her lungs. As she succumbed to weakness, a final thought crossed her mind.

Tidus…

Wordlessly, they both fell into darkness.

Yuna……

Yuna! …..

"Huh?" Yuna lifted her eyes slowly to the person calling out to her, vision blurred but clearing slowly. Around her existed nothing, no ground held her below, nothing decorated the landscape because in fact there was no land. Only darkness, a big empty nothing. And the golden figure that hovered above her.

"W-who are you?" She questioned slowly, lifting her head and moving to a sitting position.

'I'm glad your alright.' The being's voice responded her softly, a whisper that echoed about in the abyss they both resided within. The voice was familiar, so very familiar.

"Is it you?" Again she asked in a hope filled voice, wishing, wanting it with every piece of her heart to be his voice. To be Tidus's.

'It is me Yuna, I've been waiting for you to find me.'

"I'm so glad," She whispered with eyes blurred by tears, moving forward and extending her hand. "Tidus."

Slowly, the radiant entity moved his hand forward to grasp her own, drawing nearer and nearer whilst Yuna basked in his warming glow. Just a little farther, inches apart from being able to touch one another…from being together again.

Suddenly, the figure's form twisted. Yuna fell back in surprise, covering her ears as once again that terrible shriek flooded throughout the vicinity. She whimpered pathetically, shivering, waiting for it to stop while the being's golden aura darkened into a shimmering gray, body none, decorated only by the two horrific red eyes that swallowed her whole.

'Pitiful the hearts of humans,' it whispered in a distorted voice, overlapped by numerous sinister chuckles. 'Deceived effortlessly and broken beyond repair. Your world clings in the balance, your choices two of which determine your fate and the fate of others. One choice chosen, and a destiny determined. The trade is fair, but the loss remains great.'

"I..d-don't understand," Yuna responded, forcing herself to stand. With difficulty, she forced herself to peer exactly into the beings eyes, and found herself frightened no more. Eased, calm.

'Forget the man you love. Leave him to his end and watch Spira crumble. Or push forward, and face the fears that have plagued you since this all began. Two paths that lead to an end, but both that lead to a sacrifice.'

"I won't leave Tidus behind!" Yuna narrowed her eyes, angered simply because the being would ever consider that a possibility in her mind.

'Then you'll chose to destroy him? To continue on with the path you walk, when it ends, either Spira will fall or it will be saved. In the outcome of either, your lover is lost.'

"Lost?"

'To protect Spira, you cannot rescue him. To end the nightmare, you must destroy the cause.'

She blinked, understanding with great difficulty what he meant. "What is the cause? This temple? The fiend outside?"

'Him. He is the cause. He is the end.'

"Tidus," she whispered while clinching her fists tightly, casting a glare of rage upward to the ghostly being. "No! Shut up! I won't let you tell me this, I refuse to believe it!"

'Then what do you chose? Spira or his fall? Can you, this world's savior, fail to be it's salvation again due to selfish wants and desires?'

"I won't kill him."

'Then this world dies, and everything else along with it.'

Yuna went silent, her heart torn between to do what was right for Spira and what was right for her. How could she possibly ever kill the love of her life? Yet how could she kill Spira, too? "Who are you, and why does it concern you?"

'I am the Collector. The gatherer of souls left unfulfilled, empty, and torn by emotion. For every soul I find, it becomes a part of me, joined in with an eternal nothing. A product of Oblivion's defeat, and a product of Sin's. But more importantly, a product of humanities.'

"So, I'm dead?"

'Incorrect. Left in a state of living and dead. Your decision to remain and discover the bliss of nothingness, or return to world of living and suffer in despair.'

"Spira and Tidus need me, I will not die yet," she shouted, shaking her head in refusal. She could not die, not at the moment, not now, not until everything was settled. "I deny your offer to stay here."

'Then return. And remember, chose Spira or love, you or others,' the being spoke while once again Yuna collapsed in exhaustion, his voice growing farther and farther away. 'Your decisions will path the way to destruction or salvation. I will watch, I will wait. For I am patience, I am all, and I am nothing.'

Meanwhile…

Wake up! You must wake now!

Please, time is too short! Awaken now!

"Ugh, my head," Tidus groaned while he finally obeyed the voice that seemed to pound against his brain. His elbows pressed again the ground that was not there, his eyes adjusting to the dark in which he was surrounded, frightened slightly. "W-where am I now!"

You're here. I have summoned you. Slowly, the figure of a boy, the Fayth, came into view. His body hovered high above where Tidus seemed to float, looking down upon him with an expression more concerned then Tidus had ever seen.

"Why?" Tidus asked, forcing himself to stand. "What do you want?"

'Gallant is just minutes away from awakening Oblivion who rests deep within this temple," the Fayth began with a tone devoid of emotion. "And we cannot stay tied to this world when Oblivions power is released. We will cease to be. Yet you will remain, tied to Gallant's soul. And that is when, the moment his guard drops, you shall strike."

"How could I possibly defeat him?"

'You must. Gallant and you both share a piece of his soul, which is all that keeps your body unaffected by our weakening strength. He gave you this purposely, though disregarded the consequences. He believed that when using your body as a catalyst for Oblivion's power, he could assume control over you. But there was something he chose to ignore. He split his power apart when he separated his soul. You both share an equal amount of strength! Awaken it from within you and use it to end this.'

"How?"

'Believe it is yours to control, and it shall be. You can win. Your friends are behind you!'

With a smirk, Tidus shook his head and laugh beneath his breath. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's give that bastard hell!"

Author's note: The climax is coming! Any chapter now. Keep your eye on the story, never know when I'll give another update. So I hope you enjoyed this new installment. Ciao.