I've been working real hard, since I'm starting school soon and might not have any time at all left for writing, so here's the third chapter!! Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

From Rags to Riches, From War to Peace: Chapter 3

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself home, I was surprised since the last thing I remembered was being in a carriage. I turned to my left side and found Neliel lying on her bed, still in the sapphire gown. "Neliel!" I whispered to her hoping that she would wake up and explain why we were here.

"Huh?" she asked sleepily and sat up in bed still half-asleep. She finally started to fully awake and stared at me waiting for me to explain why I had woken her up.

"What happened??" I asked her curiosity in my voice. I had no idea what had happened, and I definitely don't remember walking home. Then a sly smile spread across her face before speaking.

"You mean before you flirted with Sir Schiffer or after?" she asked in a sarcastic tone. My cheeks immediately blushed and I could feel the heat rising. Why did Neliel always have to infer things like that.

"No! Its not like that!!" I responded trying to un-convince her. She definitely made sure I felt embarrassed and now I knew this was going to be the subject of ridicule for the rest of my miserable life.

"Sure…" she said mockingly and then folded her legs, making herself more comfortable, making herself more comfortable to make fun of me, just great!

"Anyway, what happened" I asked trying to change the subject at the same time trying to get the information to the question I first asked. She still had a stupid grin on her face, couldn't she be a bit mature at times?

"Well, Yammy brought us back home, if that's what you mean" I looked at her in surprise, if he brought us home that mean he knows we really aren't royalty or of noble birth.

Neliel predicting my response continued to explain, "I told him we should come here, since it was safer, and that we knew someone here that would allow us to stay in his house."

"Oh" I simply responded, that was a good idea, I guess. If Yammy was some stupid guy that would believe such an obvious lie!

"He seemed to be in a rush to get back, you know how warriors are" she responded and held her finger in her chin as if to remember anything else that she might have missed. Well, I guess all we had to hope is that he was too distracted to really notice.

Before any of us could exchange another word we heard distant shouting. Both of us looked at each other and then we ran outside. Our neighbors were outside looking at the intruders who held bright torches. They seemed to look like people from another country for they all wore uniforms. "Could they be the same people that barged into Las Noches?" Neliel asked afraid of the answer.

Just as I was about to answer the intruders came running and started to burn down houses. "We have to get out of here" I answered instead. I turned towards Neliel and she shook her head in disapproval some tears coming out of her eyes.

"No, I have to go check if my aunt is alright" she responded and started running towards her aunts house. Her aunt was really old now and both of us looked after her, she was Neliel's only kin left.

I chased after her as best as I could since I was still wearing the fancy dress. I was bout to catch up to her when one of the intruders rode past me and stood in front of Neliel. His horse was dark black and seemed as fierce as the owner. "Where do you think you're running to, girl?" he asked in a harsh voice.

Neliel just stood there, scared to death. I started running towards her once again but I was stopped by a mob of the intruders. They were all old men and some seemed drunk. "Where are you going, eh, girl?" one of them asked in a rough voice. Some just laughed as I struggled to get past them. Soon they had me surrounded and I had no where to escape.

"Elaine!" I heard Neliel shout from far and then I managed to see her run towards me. The man in the horse managed to throw her far and her face began bleeding.

"Neliel!! Let me go!" I shouted anxious to help her, she had always been there for me, it was my turn to help her. The men started pushing me around and then I noticed that my gown had torn to pieces, losing all its beauty.

"Let's go, we got what we came for" the horseman commanded in a deep tone, the men that had me surrounded immediately got on their horses and left behind the horsemen. As I stood up from the ground I managed to see that the horsemen that had stopped Neliel had taken her away unconscious.

I desperately started running towards them, but in seconds they were out of sight. All the was left was our village burning to ashes. There was no one left, all houses began crumbling with the fire. And I just fell to my knees. My eyes burned with the smoke and the pain that I had let them take my only friend and family. I felt like letting the flames consume me, I had nothing left to live for, what was the point to go on. I stayed there until the flames slowly began to fade and smoke filled the air.

The village I had lived my entire life now laid in ashes, my village, torn to pieces before my very eyes, and what did I do? I just stood there and watched. Even now, I sit here on the dirt doing nothing. What was I supposed to do now? There was nothing left, I didn't even have tears left, just a terrible pain in my chest that didn't cease.

I slowly stood up, finally acknowledging what I had to do, what was left to do, what I had failed to do the night before. This time I wasn't going to let my foolish feelings get in the way, no I had to do it for my people. For the people that had died and the ones that survived but where left homeless. He was the enemy and someone had to put a stop to all of this.

I started walking towards the northern area, to Las Noches. I knew there was going to be a lot more fighting going on there, but I had to do something, I had to stop crying and do something about it, and I had to be brave.

~*~*~

The path to Las Noches was a painful one and I walked through each village with a heavy heart. There was fighting everywhere and people were outside trying to get whatever they could salvage. But I had walked quite far without noticing and I finally had arrived my destination.

The main entrance had been badly damaged and there were people trying to fix it. Without awaiting the guards permission to pass I rushed inside. It was somewhat familiar now, there was some people well dressed walking around talking with one another and some knights exchanged words. Everybody seemed occupied or too worried, I almost thought they wouldn't notice me, but my garments were torn to shred and I was full of soothe, of course they noticed me.

"Hey! You! Stop!" Some guards behind shouted and rushed towards me, but I continued walking faster, hoping they wouldn't catch me, but to no avail. Soon they had their arms around me and were pulling me out.

"No! Stop! Let me go! I have to speak to Lord Aizen!" I shouted in defiance as I struggled from their grip. All the people in the palace now stared at me, but I didn't care what they thought, I had to do something.

"Please, stop! Let me go!! I have to speak to Aizen!" I continued to yell my voice growing hoarse. Then I noticed two mean standing far from where I stood, but I recognized them, it was Aizen's advisors.

"You have to put a stop to these endless fights!" I shouted as the guards began to drag me forcefully back outside. Before I knew it they slammed a door and I was locked outside. I began to pound my fists hard on the wall's hard stone in hopes of getting in again. Tears flowed down my face just as blood began flowing down from my fists. I was determined to get in, nothing was stopping me.

"Please, let me in…you have to stop these wars" I cried in a hoarse voice, hardly audible. The people working on the entrance just stared at me, I knew that deep in their hearts they felt the same way, they were one of us, but they had no choice but to work for Aizen.

Then as I cried in front of the door I felt some cold hands stop my hands from banging the door once more. "Please, stop you're hurting yourself" a familiar and soothing voice said. I had only heard him utter a few words, yet I recognized the sound.

And once more I gave in to my feelings and I turned towards him and sobbed against his chest as he held me softly. I wasn't ashamed anymore, I didn't care if my clothes were torn to pieces, I couldn't hide who I was any longer. And as he held me my pain seemed to lessen, my heart didn't feel as heavy, I felt him take a load of my shoulders, I felt so secure in his arms, and once again I wished for him never to let go.

Well, that's the third chapter… Um, hope you guys liked it and if you can please leave reviews!! :) I remembered a line from Romeo and Juliet and I kind of paraphrased it, but its there in the last paragraphs… :) well, next chapter should be up soon! Stay tuned!