Azrael

***

As Nat fell back, she fell through all the memories of years, the moments Nat wouldn't forget. The moments when she saw Nanala with her vibrant ginger hair and her pure soul to Poppy with her enormous eyes and bright smile Jasper with platinum blonde hair and those kind pink eyes; to the night she spends in Lucifer's warms arms straddling his lap and painting protective war paint on his face. Until Nat stopped at a memory she can't recall, she stood in the middle of a room as she watched a veiled figure of a woman in a Victorian nurse uniform enter the room with a strange weapon by her side and brought Nat's attention to the scene that was produced before her.

A woman with dark brown hair lay back in pain. She screamed and pulled at her clothes as midwives and nurses ran from room to room with hot water, towels, and medical equipment. Nat watched as they settled to stand near her, holding her hands in support. A familiar ticking sounded through the place, the veiled figure looked at her watch before stepping close to the woman's side, no one seemed to notice her until another scream ran out, it was not from the woman but from the baby the midwife held in her arms. 

Nat watched the figure touch the woman's tired, sweat-covered face, and the woman's spirit moved out of its body and stared at her in awe but as peaceful as that interaction was the room went crazy at the sight of the woman not breathing.

 "Just once" the woman pleaded with the figure who nodded and touched her shoulder and she was brought back to say "where is my baby?" the woman whispered before the child was brought to her, she looked down at the child when a single teardrop fell from her face and smiled as she turned to the veiled woman and whispered "thank you" before her hand fell against the bed.

The veiled figure grabbed her hand and lifted the soul from the now barren body. The brown-haired woman looked down at her baby and smiled. "Will he make it?" she asked with a sad tone in her voice.

"he will do great things, I promise," the veiled figure answered before leading the woman through a white light.

Next, Nat stood in a field of flowers that seemed on the edge of nothing at all, like a realm between realms. Nat followed the veiled woman who walked in a white lace Victorian dress with a corset bound to her waist and her weapon at her side but she stopped in the middle of poppy flowers and stared up to the sky only to face Lucifer in his true form, his inky black ringlets of hair fell to his waist, a red ribbon fell around his hips and curled around his neck with that his wings were spread wide and a crown of smoke hovered over his head.

"GIVE UP THY POWER, Azrael" his voice growled and moved throughout the empty field.

"Why would I give my power to the likes of you?" she spoke in authority.

"IF YOU WILL NOT GIVE IT, THEN I WILL TAKE IT!" he growled as he attacked the veiled woman.

She stepped back twirling her weapon in the air before slamming it down and lifting it into the air then swiping it against his chest causing a scar to form.

"the scar" Nat whispered, watching the veiled death angel fly backward and a growl from Lucifer. 

"Back off, Lucifer, you don't stand a chance" she swirled her weapon behind her.

"I WILL TAKE YOUR POWER IF IT'S THE LAST TIME I DO, I WILL RIPPED IT FROM COLD STONE CORPSE IF I HAVE TO!" he shouted before moving to attack once more with a sword he materialized from his air.

She turned around moving her weapon through the air before they collided, a weapon against the weapon, face to face when Lucifer grabbed her veil from her face, it fell into nothing, shocked by the notion she fell from the sky.

At this moment, everything went slow, the sky seemed to erupt as her body met the field of fresh soft flowers and there she lay surrounded by red poppies. Her eyes closed, Nat moved to her side only to see her face on hers and Nat stepped back in shock to see Lucifer step forward, kneeling at her side, he touched her face softly before reaching for her weapon but she grabbed his hand, sending a blast forward.

Her body flew into the air before slamming down into a nearby church, blowing the whole thing into a crater, the stone walls were burned with smoke stains but its structure stood, through it all, Nat watched herself lay unconscious, she walked toward her body, and kneeled, ready to touch her but she will pull into her body.

Memories began to flood back of heaven and hell, golden marble floors reflected on pure linen, the whimpering, and small barking of three-headed pups, the word 'Fluffy' followed by soft giggling, and the sound of ABBA's 'gimme gimme' floated through the air until it all disappeared.

A golden armor tightened around her waist, and a white fabric swished around her body, trimmed with golden lost language and her golden scythe at her side with a halo surrounding her head, her white wings covered in golden armor and she hovered in the sky, angels gathered around her with Michael on guard, he drew his sword above his head as the fallen angels flew towards them at full force; Lucifer caught her eye, a flicker of sadness and abandonment flash through his eyes.

He charged straight for Azrael, she swirled her weapon and placed it against his sword "please" tears fell from her eyes and a feeling of guilt and sorrow leaped into her chest "don't do this" she pleaded as he pushed her off his weapon.

"Darling, I already have" he slashed, causing Azrael to fall back into the present day.

***

She woke up on her knees with her hands wet from the tears that crawled down her face, and her mind was still rambling on what transpired, she had loved him twice and both times he had betrayed her, he played with her, he used her, he…

"It can't be true" Nat covered her eyes, trying to forget the scenes that still played at the back of her mind.

"I only show the truth, the past" a snake-like slur came from behind me.

Nat looked up only to see the (now) demon of the past, Praeteritum, his body what once was two legs was a snake tail, and his beautiful angelic face was deformed into a snake, it look like it was wet to touch while his stringy hair fell from his bare head. She moved back in horror when Nat bumped into a gloating queen of hell, she smiles as Nat backed away from her only to be chained up again, horrendous orcs binding her arms outstretched to a post again; her head bowed down in defeat, at the shame of a sin she didn't commit. 

"hang her on the post" she ordered walking to the throne "let hell see what happens to fallen angels" she out an evil laugh "let my son see his sins"

They pulled at her limbs before hanging her on the post for all to see as multitudes of demons, shapeshifters, orcs, and the fresh souls of the damned, Nat bowed her head not wanting to see their stares, not wanting to live another day in this state. 

When the Praeteritum came to rear his ugly head, he used his snake tail to climb onto the post where she hung and settled behind her to whisper into Nat's ear:

 "It's funny…" he giggled "its funny how a great angel as you beat down to nothing but dust" he giggled once more, slandering his words "how someone who was meant to save the good and condemns the bad is hanging before those you put there" with every word he said her body began to shake "now you can't even save the pure soul" he laughed louder as the crowd did too.

Suddenly this powerful feeling busted through Nat's chest like lava from a volcano. Her vision turned white as she went through every memory she had lost, remembering the people she saved, remembering the elders with wisdom beyond their existence, remembering the little child she would play with and comfort as she walked them to the other side, remembering the teens she talks out of jumping and the ones whose fate was taken from their families, remembering the miscarriages and stillborn the ones she cradled in her arms as she pushed their souls into the light. 

Then Nat remembered the bad, the murders, the rapist, the demons, and then stand-Byers, remembering the thrill of sinking her scythe into their heavily breathing body as they felt all the grievances they put on others, all the pain and fear they buried into their souls which made her smile at the thought that she could take their souls in the worst ways.

Then 

…Nanala…

Nat saw her face, the pureness inside her soul, and her body began to come to life.

Azrael's arms suddenly began moving against rusted chains and she held onto the chains, breaking free. With one arm free she grabbed the neck of Praeteritum and pulled his face close to hers while the other arm broke through the chains which made her wings break free and spread wide like they haven't in years. She hovered over the post, still holding this creature in her hand, his eyes looked ready to pop, and his skin was getting wetter and wetter as she squeezed his neck as gasped for air.

"Praeteritum" Azrael sneered delightfully with a smuggish smile "what happened to you? You lost your light, my love" He shivers in her hand trying to speak "shh shh" the angel began to grin "I will take care of that" she threw his body into the air while summoning a sword from the brimstone around her before she grabbed his falling body by his head and slide it clean off. 

She watched as the body fell into the pit below which she realized what was happening, demons, creatures, and shapeshifters scattered like ants but she waved it off looking at the head that she held in her hand and summoned a chain to wrap it around her back holding the head in place. Azrael looked to the ground looking for the Queen and once she found her on the throne, screaming at her guards to protect her but they ran away. 

The angel landed before the stairs leading up to the throne, she took her time letting her feet crash into the obsidian step before reaching her target with a devilish smile that fed off the goddess fear and poured down her body in shivers.

Azrael jumped onto the throne, her legs on each side of the armrest as the goddess tried to move her back into the throne, to let it swallow her up. She trembled before the angel as her eyes darted around the room, trying to find any help; Azrael leaned forward grabbing the goddess neck's and Lilith began gasping before meaningless begging fell from her lips.

"Please…please" she strutted in the grip of Death's hand "I beg of you… don't kill me" she whimpered at the mercy of the angel, who giggled softly.

"Kill… you?" She laughed out of humor, letting her grip loosen around the goddess's neck to let out a sigh of relief before she tightened it once more. "You are not mine to kill… now I have a question for you"

"anything" she pleaded her hands together, "anything at all" while the angel leaned into her space

"Where is the scythe?" Azrael grasped out at the top of her ear.

"He has her," she gladly said, proud to be released.

When Azrael heard a loud rumbling coming from behind me, she let the weak queen go as she scurried away like a frightened dog. Azrael slowly turned to be faced with a demonic monster, Balrog, flames fell from its head, eyes, and mouth, its wings far behind it as it stood on hoofs, but as massive as a building; Azrael stepped back at the massive creature. Knowing that her body was not ready for a fight, she pushed her wings out before shooting into the sky and teleporting out of the place.