Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow of the Lifestream: Shadow Blood ❯ Chapter 13: The Castle ( Chapter 13 )

The castle boomed, echoing out a thousand screams. The main hallway was, cold, decaying. Pictures lay to one side, leaning against the wall, portraying old lord. Denzel slowly walked up the narrow hallway, pushing through the door straight ahead, stepping out into a courtyard. Plants lay all around, dying. Most seemed to have lost the last of their life a few minutes ago. Looking up Denzel faced straight into a giant eye peering down on him. Where am I? He wondered. He held tight onto the hilt of his new sword, moving forward, silently, listening out for any sign of life. A rustle came from behind him, and quickly he spun slashing out the sword. Nothing. Again, he searched the courtyard, looking up at the castle. In the highest tower room a bridge seemed to lead somewhere. A figure stood down looking at him, walking away as Denzel set his gaze on it. Another rustle came from in front of him, Denzel slowly walked forward. As he reached the rustling bush, he let his hand go forward, sword raised in his other. Suddenly an owl screeched behind him, turning him to turn. The creature in the bushes jumped at Denzel, knocking him down, before escaping inside a hole in the castle wall.

`Damn,' Denzel said, picking up the sword and putting it away. Slowly he crossed the courtyard, turning for one last gaze. He had the feeling of being watched. He shrugged it off, opening the door and heading inside. A figure sat at one of the windows, smiling.

 

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`I can't believe you Cloud!' Tifa said, as they marched to Ancient City. Cloud's return to the group had been dismayed. Tifa hadn't taken the news that well, which he believed. But the slap he got, that knocked him out cold, wasn't deserved. With Rude, Rufus and Cid staying at the camp, Tifa and Cloud headed for Ancient City.

`I'm sorry,' Cloud said for the hundredth time, `but something's must be done alone!'

`Alone?' She turned, Cloud regretting what he said, `You don't know what is out there awaiting him. None of us do!' Cloud hung his head, remembering Zack.

`Let's go, we are almost…' He stopped, staring out to where Ancient City had laid. They were both mesmerized. A giant pool of dark liquid was emitting dark fog where the city had once lain. `Denzel? Denzel!!' Cloud ran off towards the city, Tifa hot on his heels.

 

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A glow was coming from beneath one of the rooms in a corridor that seemed to stretch on for miles, with pictures upon pictures of a black haired man, with a snivelling face starring in most of them. He pushed open the door, slowly, readying his sword. It creaked open. Inside a fire was crackling, and two figures lay, possibly asleep, on the two chairs. Creeping forward, he sneaked around the chairs and looked at the two people. They both had giant spears through their chest. They had been turned to stone where they sat. At a closer glance he realised who they were. He gasped, backing away and tripping. It was Reno and Yuffie, petrified. He started to shake at the power he with either against, or worse, in rank with. Footsteps echoed outside along the corridors. A snarl warned him he had better hide. He jumped behind a stone gargoyle, which he noticed seemed to be looking at him. He nudged it off, staring at the door, awaiting its opening. Eventually the shuffling stopped, and the door opened slowly. A green creature dragged it's knuckled into the room, sniffing around. Slowly it turned, and was about to walk out when the gargoyle moved and the stone smashed off. It turned, slashing at Denzel. The creature at the door turned and shrieked as it caught sight of Denzel. He swung his sword forward at the flying gargoyle, the weapon sinking in as the beast turned into a puff of dust, but he was to slow to block the incoming hit of the green creature. He was knocked down to the ground, his head throbbing. His sword clattered to the ground beside the fire. He felt himself be picked up, the creature sniffing him, pulling back in disgust. He threw him into the corridor and picked up a spear, similar to the ones in the chest of Reno and Yuffie. It pulled back, about to throw deep into his chest. Denzel closed his eyes, waiting for impact. It never came. All he heard was the door close, and the spear clatter to the ground. Denzel slowly opened his eyes; the creature lay on the ground dead, many slashes in his back. He grabbed his sword and ran for the door, bursting out the corridor was empty. He turned to go back into the room, but the door was gone.

 

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Cloud and Tifa reached the black pool. The fog streaming off made them dizzy. Cloud felt guilt deep in him, he had sent Denzel here alone, and he felt like he had failed to protect someone else. Tifa turned to him, and held him.

`Don't worry; I'm sure he is fine.' Cloud nodded, Tifa felt tears roll down her vest.

`It's my fault, you are right.' He said, pulling away. `I should go down there.' He made for the waters edge, the fumes washing over him, sinking into him, clouding his vision, his mind being swamped by visions of darkness. He wavered, collapsing backwards onto the bank, black tears rolling from his eyes. Tifa ran for him, dragging him away.

`You silly man,' she beat his chest, `you silly brave man.' She lay on his chest. Cloud spluttered issuing out a small river of blackness. Shocked, Tifa fell back.

`What is that stuff?' Cloud stood up, shaking and rubbing his head. From deep inside the water, and evil cackled.

 

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Denzel made it to an old ladder leading down into, what appeared to be, a sewer for the castle. He threw his leg over, bobbing down till he was knee deep in green, muddy water. He could feel creatures swimming beneath him, brushing by his leg; slowly he started to panic as he headed into deeper water. The water started to rise on his body, and before long it was up to his neck. Gasping, he sucked a huge amount of air into his chest, and dived. He started to swim blindly, and hit the wall a continuous amount of times, before deciding the best course of action would be to open his eyes. The water under here was clean, pure, it felt like air. Creatures under here were small ell-like fish, causing no harm but swam by him. The end was near; a ladder implanted into the ground a few strokes away. As he made forward, something slowly swam up behind him, its jaws snapping. Denzel stopped in mid-swim, frozen. He turned, facing a large, slithering water snake. It screamed at him, causing him to be rushed backwards into the ladder. His whole vision was tripled, and as he turned he kept grabbing for the ladder, missing and hitting the slimy wall, his hands sliding off. The snake slithered forward, pushing its way. Denzel shook his head, trying to focus. He grabbed the ladder, and pulled himself up. One step, the creature got closer. Two step, the creature open its giant jaw. Three steps, its long tongue licked off Denzel's leg. Four steps, it started to coil its long tongue around his ankle. Five steps, Denzel was out the water, the creature brought its jaw forward, ready to snap. Denzel pulled out his sword, slashing down and chopped off the creature's long, pink tongue. It shrieked and fell into the water below. The green surface slowly turned pink, before clearing off all slime. The water lay as clear as a spring. The evil had been defeated. As he reached the top of the ladder, a man looked down. His glasses shining in the light.

 

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Cloud and Tifa had walked round the entire lake, but there was no way to get in. They sat beside the lake, both upset. Cloud started to remember the good times he had had with Denzel. Playing soccer; racing with Chocobo; going on long walks. A muffled scream came from behind them. They both looked around like a snap. Barret stood on a cliff holding Marlene, his hand clamped over his mouth. An evil grin lay on pale face.

`Barret, give us Marlene!' Tifa called forward. `Please, she loves you. She has never done you any harm.' Barret laughed. His voice boomed across the lake. Many creatures appeared in the mist, screaming in agony. Cloud could see the agonised creatures.

`The Cetra!' Tifa looked at him, surprised. `The mist is the souls of the Cetra, this liquid is hurting it.' They turned back to Barret. `Who are you?' Barret's grin vanished.

`I am Ashfo,' he said, with great serious and pride, `Leader of the 10th Guild in the Shadow Arms.'

`What?' Tifa stood their, stunned. `You're…not Barret?'

`I am using his body, till it is no later required. The Leader will be back soon, his greatest soldier will bring us back!' Cloud stepped forward.

`Who's his greatest soldier?' To this, Ashfo laughed.

`I should say his greatest soldiers. The siblings of darkness. Denzel and Jenova.' Cloud and Tifa stood, staring at Barret. `You are all descendants of the Cetra. You shall all die!' He aimed his gun for them, firing across the sandy ground at them. Marlene wriggled, swinging her arms back. `Don't worry girl, this body won't let me hurt you…yet!'

 

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Denzel pulled himself up through the hole. He man was gone, but the opened door showed him escaping across the bridge. Denzel made after him, sprinting. The man ran stopped and turned outside a giant tower, holding out his hand, causing Denzel to be thrown back.

`No further!' The man laughed, `Feel the wrath of my science, for I am the greatest scientist ever to live. I will beat you this time Hojo, for I am Gast!' The man shook with a violent rage. A blinding light surrounded him, vanishing he stood a red beast, one giant claw hand to his right, his other a smaller claw, gripping onto a blade. Denzel pulled out his blade. Gast jumped down at him, Denzel rolled out the way of the striking fist, which smashed away the passage back across the bridge. `NO ESCAPE!'