Fate of Two Worlds

Fifteen - Azazel's Nightmare Castle

After the drawbridge had locked Lightning and Natasha turned and looked into a large, open courtyard. Natasha's brand then glowed, indicating that Odin had returned to her. "This must be the castle John had told us about" Lightning implied before she started to walk into the courtyard. "Why is the castle dark on the inside but not the outside?" Natasha asked, following Lightning into the courtyard. "Don't know. But we should enter the castle." Lightning replied before stopping in front of a large iron gate. "We won't be until this gate's been raised" Natasha said as she looked at the gate. As Natasha looked around she saw a guard building close to the gate. "Maybe we can get in through there" Lightning said looking at a small hole in the wall. Natasha looked along the wall and found more holes along the wall.  "Wonder what will come out of that" Lightning said as she moved her eyes towards another hole that was near the gatehouse. "What do you mean by that?" Natasha asked, looking at Lightning. A piece of stone then fell out of one of the holes along the wall. "Natasha, turn that winch near the gate." Lightning shouted. Two explosions then sounded, following then the drawbridge came crashing down. A sudden white flash surprised Lightning, causing her to jump back slightly. She then peered into the darkness. Several soldiers then appeared from over the drawbridge. Natasha then ran to the winch and started to turn it. "Stop there!" a man shouted. Lightning then grabbed her gun-blade and immediately switched it to the weapon's blade mode. "I said stop!" the man repeated as he raised his gun towards Natasha. "Keep going" Lightning insisted to Natasha who continued to turn the winch. A large man then appeared. He was wearing a complete set of armour that covered his body, except for a small slit that was where his eyes were and several holes near his mouth and nose. "I am commander Isonhour, you two should leave this castle before it's too late" He said looking at Natasha. "What if we don't want to" Lightning quickly replied as she looked at all the soldiers that were surrounding her. Isonhour then raised his hand and all the soldiers raised their weapons. Lightning then smiled as she looked at Isonhour. "What are you smiling at?" Isonhour asked Lightning. Instead of replying Lightning switched the gun-blade to it's gun mode and aimed it at the soldiers. Lightning then looked at Natasha who then threw her gun-blade to her. As Lightning caught the gun-blade she switched to it's gun mode and then, clicking her fingers she jumped into the air and as she began to fall back down Lightning flipped herself so she could she the ground and then started to shoot at all the soldiers until she approached the ground. She then placed her gun-blade in it's case and she then  flipped over so that her feet made contact with the ground. As she landed on the ground Lightning looked at all the soldier's who, after a few seconds fell backwards and then did not move. "What I was smiling at is the fact that your soldiers never had a chance" Lightning said to Isonhour. "I know they didn't" Isonhour quickly replied. Natasha then ran up to Lightning, who looked behind her and saw that she had frozen the winch that held the gate in place. She then looked back at Isonhour. He then broke every section of his armor, revealing what he looked like. Lightning then handed Natasha her gun-blade and then she drew hers. "Who are you?" Lightning asked. "I'm like you. A L'Cie" he replied, looking at Lightning. "Natasha enter the castle and find Azazel" Lightning said to her. "What about you?" Natasha asked, looking at Lightning. "Natasha just go" Lightning shouted at her. Natasha then ran towards the large gatehouse and as she approached a large wooden door she opened them and entered the main castle. After the door closed Lightning looked back at Isonhour who had created a sword made out of ice. "Let's see who is better then" Lighting said taunting Isonhour.

Meanwhile Natasha was walking through the halls of the castle until she reached a large room that went up towards a oval chamber. "Welcome to my castle young one" A voice said in the room. "Where are you" Natasha asked. "Up here" the voice replied. Natasha looked up and saw a man standing on a balcony above her. He was covered by a long blue cloak that had a small emblem on it. "Are you Azazel" Natasha demanded as she looked down towards a stone door that had just opened. "I am not Azazel. He died many years ago." The man replied before he disappeared. Four men then appeared from the stone archway carrying weapons and chanting.

Lightning and Isonhour's swords clashed creating a sound that hurt Lighting's ear's and forced her to kick Isonhour to get rid of the sound. "You are not as easy to kill as other L'Cie" Isonhour said. "What are you after then?" Lightning asked him. "The Fal'Cie Barthandela. If I kill her then my Focus will be complete" He said laughing. "So what has that got to do with me and Natasha? Lightning asked him. "I am still trying to find out. Now lets make this more interesting." He said before his arm started to glow. A small orange crystal then appeared in his hand. "An Eidolon. This will be interesting" Lightning said to herself before she moved her left hand to her bosom. A pink glow then flashed and a pink crystal rose appeared in her hand. She then threw the crystal into the air and jumped after it. Lightning then slashed it and a large circle appeared as she went further into the air. Odin then appeared and as Lightning began to fall back to the ground he grabbed her and threw her back into the air . She then landed on the ground and then looked at Isonhour. He then created a small piece of ice and then he threw his crystal into the air. He then threw the piece of ice and as the ice hit the crystal storm clouds appeared over the castle's courtyard. A large purple cross then appeared in the clouds. After a few seconds a large creature appeared from the clouds and headed for Isonhour. It was a large dragon like creature known as Bahamut.

Natasha walked through several long corridors until she reached one that had a platform that went over lava. As she nervously walked on to the platform it moved until it reached the other side. Natasha then quickly got off the platform and walked to a metal door. She then opened it and walked through it. On the other side was a large cave full of lava. At the far side was a platform that had a red lever. "I wonder what that is for?" Natasha asked herself as she walked over to a set of marble stairs. As she walked down the stair case more men carrying weapons appeared and ran towards Natasha. She then removed her gun-blade from it's case and switched it to it's blade mode. Natasha then swung at one of the men's heads and cleanly took it off. The body then fell to the floor and melted into the ground. She then did the same to the others until none were left. Natasha then looked at the lever and noticed the wall next to it had been damaged. "How do I get up there?" She asked as she looked at a large object coming out of the cave's ceiling. As she looked at it Natasha saw a fireball form in the things mouth and then it was shot at her. She dodged the ball and then, after switching the gun-blade to it's gun form, shot the man who was controlling the object. It then fell into the lava and a set of marble stairs started to raise until they were at the highest point they could go. Natasha started to walk up them and as she reached the lever, she pulled it. 

As he stared at her Lightning looked back at his cold, bloody face. His Eidolon, Bahamut had disappeared and left Isonhour to fight Lightning and Odin. "Where is Azazel" Lightning demanded. "He is in the castle. A tower that you can see from any point of this place." Isonhour replied as he took his last breath. He was then covered by a bright light that, when it disappeared revealed him to be a crystal. She then placed her gun-blade back into it's case and then recalled Odin. After Lightning ran through the gateway that Natasha has stopped from closing and ran into the depth's of the castle.

As she reached a large oval chamber Lightning looked at the wall. The wall then began to change colour and reveal a door. Lightning opened the door and peered through it. On the other side was a small room that had another red lever in. Lightning then pulled the lever and returned to the chamber that she was in before. Another section of the wall changed into a door and as she was about to open it Natasha walked through it. "Where have you been?" Lightning asked her. "Around this castle" She replied. A large stone staircase then began to raise from the floor and go up to the top of the castle. Natasha then began to climb the stairs and Lightning followed closely. "Do you know where Azazel is?" Natasha asked Lightning. "Yeah at the top of a tower" She replied. Natasha then saw another red lever. "I wonder those are for" Natasha asked herself. Lightning then pulled it and they heard a noise from the top of the staircase. Several men then started to come towards them and fire arrows towards Lightning. "Archers. Mum get to the top" Natasha shouted to Lightning. "What about you"

"I'll hold them off get to the top"

"Ok, just be careful" Lightning said before running up the stairs. Natasha then froze the staircase and the men that were firing at her began to slid down towards the bottom of the stairs. She then ran up the stairs until she reached Lightning and a iron gate. Next to the gate was a forth red lever. Natasha then pulled the lever and the gate opened. They then cafefully walked up the stair, as it lead them up to the towers main chamber. Lightning then saw the edge of a grand wooden door. "This is it" Lightning and Natasha said in unison.