"What does the world know of pain? What does the world know of anything bad until after it happens? So is the world- cold and a trickster."
Chapter 5: A Turning Point in a Whole Life, Lives…
"Neliel? Neliel," Elaine sobbed heavily. Her hands shuck with the chains hanging in her wrist.
"E?" a shaky voice replied. "I'm right here, Elaine. Where are you?" Her voice was hoarse, almost lost. Had she been shouting too?
"Right here, Nel." She made to reach out for her but grasped nothing but air. Chains rattle some more. Elaine crawled the farthest away from the wall, knowing only how far until the chains pulled her back in restraint. In this damp vault it was pitch black. The future uncertain as the limbo they hanged in.
"Over here, E." Elaine tried to make her friend out, but no luck. She instead closed her eyes and followed her ears. She slid over to her right, but she soon found out she couldn't go very far.
"Nel?"
"E!" Nel reached and grabbed a small hand. Both girls broke into sobs. "It's so good of you to be here."
"I'm scared, Neliel," Elaine confessed.
"I am too." Neliel shifted uncomfortably. She was thankful that her friend couldn't see her, "I'm so sorry Elaine. I shouldn't have dragged you here."
"Your fault? No, Nell! I'm glad we're together, at least."
Nnoitora's hefty laughter broke into the silence of the night. "Aizen thinks he's so smart! Ha! We showed him didn't we, Grimmjow!?"
"Shut it," Grimmjow growled. "Careful!" He snapped to a smaller man attending his shoulder. They had escaped with minor casualties and minor wounds, but the plan hadn't quite gone to plan. Nnoitora had changed it last minute and Grimmjow's mood was sour.
"I'm sorry, sir." The younger man with blonde hair and a humble drawn gaze resumed his work in bandaging Grimmjow's shoulder which had been injured.
"Stop your worrying! Tesla will fix you up in no time!" Nnoitora chugged down his cup of rum. He wiped off his mouth with the back of his hand as he watched his friend wince again in pain.
"If it weren't for you, I'd be fine!" Grimmjow yelled. His temper rivaled Nnoitora's and he wasn't one to accept his losses.
"Quit your whinin'!" Nnoitora smirked. "You were told what could happen and were you smarter you would've left room for improvisation!"
"Bullshit!" Grimmjow slammed his hand down on the wooden table before them. "You had planned that from the start! You just couldn't stand that Ulquiorra and had to go rushing off against him! You were supposed to hold down the entrance!"
"So you could kill the King? Because of that old grudge of yours?" Grimmjow scowled provoking great laugher with Nnoitora. "Oh you have much to learn, my friend."
"I'm not your friend." Grimmjow said firmly.
"Whatever." Nnoitora looked at Tesla and then back at Grimmjow. "I'm not on friendly terms with you either, Grimmjow. Let's just finish our work here and get with our own lives. Now be a good kitty and quit your hissin' and go check on the girls," he smiled largely.
Grimmjow's fury rose, but he knew better. He'd finish the job, do what had been agreed upon and then he'd get his timely reward.
"Oh!" Nnoitora tipped his chair back, "Change of plans, sir." He leered, "You're taking one of the girls tomorrow night."
Grimmjow was set to go up the stairs again when Nnoitora commented one last time. "Choose your favorite one, my treat." Grimmjow went up the staircase without a reply.
"Nel?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you asleep?" Elaine asked. They had given up trying to get closer to each other and comforted themselves with the sound of each other's voices.
"Not really."
"Remember that story I told you long ago?"
"The one about the girl that changed her name when her mother died?"
"Yes.."
"What of it?"
"Remember I told you how she had told me that she did it to commemorate those moments, those moments that life gives you and you know your life will never be the same?"
"Yeah."
"It was strange, huh? To think that, I mean." Silence ensued. Nel almost thought Elaine had fallen back asleep when the sound of a shuffle and her voice broke the long pause again. "But I suppose I was young and I thought those moments were rare." Elaine let out a dry chuckle, "Had she known better she wouldn't have done that!" She smiled though she knew no one would see it. She smiled though tears trickled down her face. "She'd be changing her name throughout her life so much!"
"I guess your right," Neliel let a soft laugh escape her.
"But you know," Elaine's deep voice caught Nel's attention from drifting. "That story was a true story."
"I know."
"And now as we stand in this precipice I wonder, will I have to change my name again?" Elaine's tears fell heavier than before, but her voice didn't break. "I don't think I'll escape from here."
Nell wanted to contradict that, but she wasn't all too sure. She didn't want to offer any more false hope. It would be evil of her to do so. Instead she'd hear her confessions and wish that the darkness would lift soon. Soon to contradict her own fears.
"At least I don't think I ever will. Nell," she paused for a second, "You know that story was real."
" I've always known, E. I've always known."
Author's note: This story wasn't meant to be as gloomy as it turned out to be. ^^; haha But when it was published in 2009 I had a completely different idea in mind. It's been literally years and while I did no updating here I've worked on it all those years. And what I had in mind back then and to what its become is completely different. They are almost like two stories, but I've finally managed to fit both ideas into one.
And while I know I need to do a lot of tweaking and rewriting to get the chapters how I want them to be I want to thank xLilim who's Masquerade inspired me to write an amazing story with my favorite Bleach characters. Up to now I've only wanted to create a story as magnificent as Masquerade. I have a long road ahead of me, but I'm confident I'll get there one day.