4: Captive
Eve stared out the only window in her room. It was barred and also placed high up on the wall. Outside she could see the crescent moon, one which never left. Unlike her home, this world was trapped in eternal night. Because of that, it was impossible to tell how long she had been here...She just hoped it had not been too long...
Her thoughts wandered constantly to her friends. The people she had left behind. She could see the pain in their eyes just before she disappeared into the abyssal void in the sky. She had been too afraid to try and stop Aizen. She could have fought him, or at the very least escaped before he could do anything.
Alas, she had frozen up the moment that man laid eyes on her. The crushing, overwhelming power that emanated from him was terrifying. She had never felt something like it before...Aizen's power was beyond anything she could have possibly imagined.
She turned away from the window, alerted by the sound of footsteps. The door opened silently and a ghostly pale figure entered without the slightest noise. He stopped a few metres away from her and his body remained frozen. As he spoke, the only parts of him to move were his lips. Even his eyes remained trained on her.
"I have been ordered to take care of you while you are here." The man's voice was icy cold. It made Eve shiver. "Lord Aizen wishes to use you in his plans, but for now you must remain here. I shall be your guardian until the time is right."
"Who...Who are you?" Eve whimpered.
"Ulquiorra Schiffer."
"Ulquiorra..."
The creep remained frozen, as if it were impossible for him to move. He said nothing, merely stared at Eve with his merciless, emerald eyes. Green streaks were painted on his pallid cheeks, resembling tears. He was almost scarier than Aizen.
Eve cowered, moving into the corner of the room, but Ulquiorra stalked her, walking with his shoulders rigid and his hands in his pockets. "You need not fear me Eve. I am here to ensure you remain alive."
That did not help at all. Keeping her alive was one thing, but protecting her form harm was another altogether. Eve curled up in a ball and shuddered. "Please...Please leave me alone."
Ulquiorra's expression did not change. "No." He said coldly. "You humans are weak creatures. You let emotions cloud your judgement and your strength. That is why you are inferior. The hearts you speak of so highly. You say they keep you alive, but they also damn you to weakness."
Eve stared at the floor, unable to stand looking at this monster anymore. The vaguely human Ulquiorra drifted out silently but he stopped at the door. "I shall visit again later." With that he disappeared.
Over the next few days (Or at least what felt like days) Ulquiorra made his visits. He would check to make sure she was alright, give her a small meal and then disappear, always leaving with a haunting speech about human frailty, their flaws, their weaknesses, their impending doom...
Each time, Eve felt worse and worse, until each visit repulsed her to the point of being sick. When she was ill, Ulquiorra would have to take care of her, making things worse. Each time he asked her how she was feeling she would retch.
Eventually, Eve became paranoid of the time. She wanted to prepare herself for Ulquiorra's visits but without knowing when she was utterly helpless. She gave into her curiosity while Ulquiorra was dropping off her meal and asked him.
Ulquiorra stared at her with his dead gaze as usual. "It's been two months since you first came here."
"Two months?" Eve repeated.
Ulquiorra glared at her, though it was hard to tell whether he was angry or not since the expression was permanently affixed to him. He placed the small tray down and rose to leave. He paused in the doorway as he always did, but this time his parting words were far different.
"Lord Aizen has decided it is nearly time."
"Time for what?" Eve asked timidly.
"The end, of course. The end of humanity...And the end of Soul Society."
"But...Why would he kill so many innocent people? That is genocide." Eve recalled the word from one the many books she had read at home.
"Lord Aizen shall use the Hogyoku to create the Royal Key. With it he shall slay the King of Soul Society and rule for himself. If the weak must die to achieve that goal then so be it. Lord Aizen's wishes shall be granted even at the cost of all that you hold dear."
Eve whimpered. Ulquiorra observed her behaviours for a moment and then his eyes began to glow with a sickening light. "Speaking of which...Your friend, Sven Volfied is dead." He waited to watch the response from the poor young girl.
Eve seemed not to register it at first, almost as if she did not believe him. Ulquiorra felt it necessary to repeat himself but before he could the girl suddenly lurched forward and screamed. Her tortured sobs had no effect on the stone-faced ghoul that watched over her.
Ulquiorra was devoid of any soul. The sight of a fragile young child weeping for her lost friend meant nothing to him. His sole purpose was to fulfil his orders and nothing else. He would kill the girl without hesitation if he was ordered to do so. Such was the ruthlessness of the pale monster.
"Lord Aizen personally went to Karakura town to administer the execution. He fooled him into seeing you and then drove his sword right through his heart, thus breaking it physically as well as emotionally. To a human such a death is truly awful."
"Shut up!" Eve shrieked, grasping the sides of her head. She doubled over and sobbed. Ulquiorra frowned at her and approached slowly. Eve did not move, affixed to the same spot where she wept over the loss.
Ulquiorra stood over her and drove his boot hard into the back of her head. She yelped as he grabbed her by her long straight hair and threw her onto her back. He then stomped on her chest and drew his sword. The thin piece of sharpened steel hovered above her throat.
"Stop crying or you shall have no eyes to cry with." Ulquiorra hissed. His usual scowl remained but his eyes seemed to blaze with a powerful hatred. "You are controlled by your heart. You are of no use to Lord Aizen as a snivelling little dog."
Eve couldn't help it. She was so terrified that the tears kept coming. Ulquiorra stepped off of her and sheathed his sword. "I shall leave you for now, but be warned. If next time we meet, there are tears in your eyes..." He let Eve use her imagination and left. As soon as he was gone Eve curled up into a ball and drowned her eyes with gushing tears.
It seemed like forever without any visits from the cold-hearted monster. The milky skinned demon had not returned for several days, or so Eve assumed as she was dying of hunger. She could feel herself wasting away to nothing. Without food she was always tired. Her stomach was aching, begging to be filled.
She was about to go to sleep when the door to her cell opened. She was stunned to see Aizen enter her room, carrying a large tray. He smiled venomously at her and set the tray down.
"I hear Ulquiorra has been ignoring you lately. You must be famished. Here, eat this."
Eve didn't move, afraid to get any closer to the cruel warlord.
"Do not fear me. I don't mean you any harm. In fact today I'm letting you go."
Eve's eyes narrowed. "Really?"
"Yes. Your friend's funeral is today. You should attend."
Eve tried to resist, but the words just came out. "Thank you."
Aizen walked over and patted her head. "No need to thank me. Think of this...As your last goodbye." Aizen chuckled menacingly. "Pretty soon all of your friends will be dead and gone. Since you never got to say goodbye, I'm giving you the chance now. Isn't that generous?"
Eve couldn't speak, she was too disgusted. She merely glared at her captor until he left. Once he was out of sight she lunged at the meal and devoured it ravenously. It was the most enjoyment she had had in her sordid little cell. As good as it was to fill her empty stomach it was little comfort to the terrible fact that her best friend was no longer alive.
She had been trapped in a tiny room while he was fighting for his life. She hadn't been there to say goodbye or to thank him for everything he had done for her. She had missed his final moments...In the end she was useless.
That fact cut through her like a knife. It made her want to scream to the false heavens. It made her want to throw away her meaningless life and go down in a blaze of glory, only to reunite with Sven in another place beyond mortal existence.
Alas, it would be all for nothing. No matter what happened beyond death, those worlds beyond the imagination would soon crumble under Aizen's maniacal machinations. Sven's death would no doubt shatter the already fragile morale of the others. With their hopes gone there would be little chance of defeating the powerful villain.
Worse still, Aizen was not alone. He had several guards that served him in his mighty fortified palace, Las Noches. Even if her rescuers could make it into this desolate world their chances of surviving to see a peaceful world was scarce.
At the moment Aizen laid hands on that tiny orb...The war was already over...
The Hogyoku was the one thing that stopped Aizen from gaining supreme power. Now with it nestled gently within the palm of his hand he had everything he needed. With it he can now raise an army of invincible warriors, obedient servants who will slay anyone who stands in the way...Ulquiorra was one such servant. In his numerous visits he had explained much about the Hogyoku and the nefarious creations born from its unnatural power.
Eve felt little hope...But a chance of escape had appeared. If she were to attend Sven's funeral, among all of their friends then maybe...Just maybe, she could be rescued on her own home ground. It was a wild idea; surely Aizen wouldn't overlook such an obvious flaw. Still...
Eve stared at her reflection in a small mirror set into the wall of yet another chamber. She looked deathly pale and skinnier than she had remembered. Her captivity had taken a heavy toll on her. Her hair had been falling out, but she used her nanomachines to smooth it out and make it look presentable.
She wore a black leather dress which had white frilled edges. She had loose black sleeves that ran along her arms but left her hands and shoulders bare. She spun around and glanced at herself in the dusty reflection.
"Ready?" A cold blank whisper drifted from behind the door.
Eve bowed her head. "Yes." She replied timidly.
Ulquiorra entered and handed her a bracelet. "Put this on."
Eve did so hesitantly. "What is it?"
"It disguises your presence from shinigami and humans. You will be non-existent to them as long as you wear this. Only we can trace you." Ulquiorra blinked and kept his eyes closed. "Do not test Lord Aizen's patience. We will destroy you if you so much as think of betrayal."
"I understand..." Eve whispered. She was led out into a long hallway which wound up in a huge chamber where a portal was formed. It would take her to the funeral. Eve stared into the black hole with awe. She was afraid to step in but she was gently coaxed in by Aizen himself.
She took a deep breath and then stepped inside.
Eve found herself standing on the roof of a tall building. She went over to the railing and cast her gaze down on the town below. A large gathering of people were amassing at the gates of a cemetery across the road.
Eve leapt over the edge and used her wings to fly down. She hoped the spectacle would make them notice her but nobody even turned their heads to look at her. It as true, she was non-existent to them.
Eve swooped down next to Rinslett Walker who was being comforted by Ichigo's father. Rinslett was barely able to stand, her erratic sobbing making her lose control of herself. Isshin seemed less affected, though he had only known Sven for a short time.
"Rinslett..." Eve whispered, but she didn't even hear her. Eve sighed and headed off through the crowd to find Ichigo. He was leaning against the fence, his gaze lowered, and his eyes bloodshot. He looked as if he hadn't had any sleep in the past week.
"Ichigo." A familiar voice called softly from the crowd. People stepped aside as the bubbly brunette, Orihime approached him. She had lost her usual energy, but then again, it seemed everyone had. It only further proved the doubts of defeating Aizen.
"Hey Orihime." Ichigo muttered, not even looking up at her. Inoue leaned next to him and placed a hand on his chest. She whispered soothing words to him and he thanked her before moving off into the crowd which was surging through the gates which had now opened.
As soon as she passed the gates Eve felt a chill run down her spine. She was paralysed with fear and stopped right in the path of the oncoming mourners. She expected to be shoved aside, but someone walked right through her as she was a ghost. Her eyes narrowed and she decided to test it out by walking through others.
I am...Nothing...
Eve took a seat near the front but Ichigo was going to sit on her so she had to move. She found another seat near the back and was left alone. She looked up the front where a white coffin was placed above a deep grave. Sven's hat rested on the lid along with a photograph of him in a bar full of sweepers. He was raising his glass with one hand and had the other draped around someone. At first Eve didn't know who it was, but then it dawned on her...It was her.
Tears streamed down her cheeks and she leaned forward, cradling her head in her hands. She was sobbing loudly, but it fell on deaf ears.
A priest began the ceremony with a few words. Eve didn't listen, absorbed in her grief. She let her tears fall to the ground. She stared at her hands and sniffed. "Sven...I wanted to be strong like you...I wanted to be able to protect people...I wanted to be useful...In the end I was worthless. I couldn't save myself and instead led you to your death...It's my fault!"
"Sven was a true gentleman." The priest went on. "He was a beloved friend to many and we will never forget his courage, his spirit and his determination. He will be dearly missed, but he will live on in our hearts."
Eve glared down at the bracelet. She wanted to destroy it, but she would be hunted down if she did. However, she was already marked for death...Nothing would change...
Eve concentrated and a lock of hair slowly changed shape, becoming a sharpened blade. The blade hovered over the bracelet, slowly lowering itself over the tiny charm. Eve made sure the blade was aimed correctly and then she laid the edge on the ornament and began slowly sawing through it.
Sven...I will avenge you! I swear I will kill Aizen for what he did...I will be useful!
Eve was about to cut through the bracelet when a shadow enveloped her. She glanced over her shoulder and her jaw dropped.
"T-Train?"
Train took Eve's seat, forcing her to stand up. She wanted to speak with him but she knew she couldn't. But even if she could, his expression was a sign not to disturb him. He looked different for some reason, as if he was a different person...
Someone stood behind him but none of the mourners even paid him a single glance. Eve recognised the pale man instantly. It was a foe she had never anticipated to run into ever again...It was Creed! He still had his twisted smile, even at a funeral. Such a revolting creature...Eve had forgotten that monster resided in the World of the Living as well...
Eve turned away and decided to focus on destroying the bracelet. She positioned the blade over the cracked object and prepared to finish the job when a milky white hand gripped her wrist. She knew at once who it was and she screamed as loud as she could.
Unfortunately, her cries for help would not reach her friends who were right beside her.
Two monsters gather at Sven's funeral but which one is the real threat? Eve has been caught trying to escape. Can she escape Ulquiorra's clutches before it is too late? The answers lie ahead. Keep reading!
Now review. Your kind words drive me to write.