DISCLAIMER: I do not own Escaflowne in any form or fashion. If I did, tell me, do you really think I would be writing FANfiction? Didn't think so.
Title: All For Love
Author: Tevrah
Email: NightAngel852@hotmail.com
Summary: (A/U) A seer and a rebel, drawn together in a time of hatred. They started out as strangers, but grew to be so much more. Now they must decide if they are strong enough to sacrifice all for love…
A/N: Okay, I'm just trying this new fic out! I want to see if ya'll are gonna like it! I have this chapter and two more chapters written, and I also have the rest of the story mapped out in my head, so I'll write as fast as I can!
Everyone who reads my Esca fanfics knows that I love the couples of Van/Hitomi, Dryden/Millerna, etc. So I'm sticking with those!
Also, please don't hurt me for making Allen bad in this fic! I'm not an Allen hater; really I'm not! It's just that I've never wrote a fic with Allen as the main villain, so I'm trying it out!
Now, you guys enjoy! ^_^
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Prologue
Big green eyes peeked out from long honey-colored bangs covering a small face. The owner of the eyes and hair was a small girl who hid in the shadows cast by the setting sun of an open doorway that led to a small one-room cottage. A lone candle gave the room a gentle glow. Two men stood side by side, looming over the wooden table in the center of the room. One man had dark blue hair that was messy and reached his shoulders. He was dressed in a green and black uniform that had dirt all over it. The other man had long golden hair that reached his waist and was dressed in a blue and red outfit. He was clean, without a speck of dirt on him.
"We're finally doing it, Commander," the man with dark blue hair stated. "We're finally ridding Gaea of the filth that dare to call themselves citizens of this great world."
He spread his hand over the map that lay on the table before them. "We've managed to get to the dog-people, cat-people, fair folk, draconians, witches, and seers. We've destroyed most of each kind, and the ones that are left are fleeing in terror or we have taken as slaves."
The golden-haired man was silent for a long moment before speaking. "Indeed, we are cleansing Gaea of its stench, but our work isn't done."
"What do you mean, sir?" the blue-haired man asked.
"Our work will never be finished until Gaea is completely cleansed of the dirt that claims it. Every last monster must be obliterated, Gaddess, before the rightful heirs of Gaea, the humans, can finally find peace."
Gaddess nodded. "Absolutely, Sir Allen. And if you don't mind me saying, Sir, but you are the only leader who will produce peace for us."
Allen placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. "Thank you, Gaddess. You, my friend, are a true believer of our crusade."
"And I'm honored to be so," Gaddess said reverently. "What of the woman, Sir? What do we do with her?"
"In the first cleansing of Gaea," Allen said, "seers were burned at the stake. I believe it would be only fitting that she be shown the same courtesy, considering she is the last of her kind."
"Very well," Gaddess agreed. "The sun has set, so we can do it tonight. But what of the little girl, Sir? She is only a child, but since her mother is a seer, it is only logical that she will develop into her powers. Shall we burn her as well?"
"No," Allen said. "As you said, she is only a child, and she has not developed any powers. She may never develop powers considering she is only half seer, and we do not kill human children. We shall take her with us."
"What if she does develop powers?" Gaddess questioned. "What then?"
"Her powers may prove useful to us," Allen said. "And when her usefulness runs out, we will kill her. After all one as young as she can be trained. Yes, I believe she will be quite useful."
Gaddess nodded. "As you wish, Sir." He rolled up the map. "I shall have the men prepare a burning with your permission."
Allen nodded. "See to it."
Gaddess bowed and walked out the door past the little green-eyed girl that stood in the shadows. After he disappeared from sight, the little girl ran in the opposite direction. She ran around the cottage to the barn and slid open the door only enough for her small body to fit through. Then she went to the very back.
Tied up and hanging from a low beam with her feet only inches from the ground, was a woman. She had been beaten and her face was bloodied and bruised. Her clothing was torn and tattered to the point that she was naked from her chest to her stomach.
The little girl looked around to make certain all of the bad men were still outside around their fires, drinking and laughing. Then the little girl turned back to the woman and moved closer to her.
"Mama?" the little girl whispered. When the woman didn't answer, the little girl moved a little closer and touched the woman's leg. "Mama?"
The woman didn't move, but managed to croak out, "Hitomi?"
"Mama!" Hitomi said in a whisper. "You're awake. I was scared. You wasn't moving."
"Are you okay, baby?" the woman asked urgently. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"
Hitomi shook her head quickly. "No, mama. They just locked me in the cellar, but I crawled out. It was scary down there."
"As long as they didn't hurt you, baby," the woman whispered in relief.
"But they ain't gonna hurt me, mama," Hitomi said. "They gonna take me with them. The man with the long gold hair said so." Then she lowered her voice to an even smaller whisper. "He said they was gonna burn you. They ain't really, are they mama?"
The woman held back a laugh of bitterness. It figured he would think to kill her like that. "Hitomi," the woman whispered painfully, "I want you to listen very carefully, all right baby? I have three very important things to tell you."
"Okay, mama," Hitomi whispered.
"The first thing is to always follow your heart, no matter what," the woman said.
Hitomi nodded. "'Kay."
"The second thing is to always be ready to run," the woman whispered urgently. Time was running out.
"When, mama?" Hitomi asked.
"You'll know when, baby," her mother answered. "You'll know when. Now there's one more thing. This is very important: Never let them see you cry."
Hitomi nodded.
"Promise me, Hitomi," the woman demanded.
"I promise, mama," Hitomi said solemnly.
"That's my girl," her mother said. "I love you, baby."
"I love you too, mama," Hitomi replied.
"I know you do," the woman said. "Now you remember what you promised."
"I will, mama," Hitomi said.
"Now you better go, sweetheart," her mother said, "before someone finds y—"
The barn door was thrown open as two men walked in. Hitomi recognized one of the men as Allen.
"There you are, little one," he said, walking toward her. Hitomi tried to shrink against her mother. "Now don't be afraid," Allen soothed, squatting down in front of her. "I won't hurt you."
"Leave her alone!" Hitomi's mother cried.
"Shut up, wench!" the other man said, back-handing her. The man cut the woman's ropes and let her drop to the ground. Hitomi stayed where she was, but watched with wide-eyed fear as the man drug her mother out of the barn forcefully.
"How old are you?" Allen asked to distract her.
Hitomi looked to the ground. "Four and a half," she whispered.
"You don't look like you are almost five years old," Allen commented.
"Mama says that I'm only short right now 'cause I'm gonna be taller later," Hitomi defended.
Allen smiled. "Do you like fires, Hitomi?"
Hitomi shook her head.
"Why not?" he asked.
"You're gonna burn my mama," Hitomi whispered.
Allen smiled gently at her. He stood and picked Hitomi up. "Come on," he said and walked out of the barn.
Firelight hit Hitomi's eyes and she saw the men that Allen had brought with him tying her mother to a stake in the middle of the yard. They each held a burning torch. Allen put Hitomi on the ground.
"Gaddess," he called.
Gaddess appeared at his side. "Yes, commander?"
"Watch this little one," he ordered and smiled at Hitomi again. "I'm going to finish the burning."
"Yes, sir," Gaddess replied. He positioned himself beside Hitomi's small frame.
"Now, don't move," Allen said to Hitomi. "I'll be right back." He walked away to stand by the man who had drug Hitomi's mother out of the barn.
"We's gonna have us a bonfire tonight, commander," the big man laughed.
"Indeed we are, Kio," Allen said. He walked up to her. "Any last words?" he inquired.
Everyone became silent waiting for the beaten woman to answer.
She didn't say a word.
Allen turned away and reached for a torch.
"Protect my daughter," the woman said softly.
"Not that it's any of your business," Allen said, turning back around with a torch in hand, "but I was planning on it."
The woman stared at him for a long minute, and then looked away to Hitomi. Hitomi gave a small nod, reassuring her mother that she would keep her promise. The woman managed a small smile for her daughter as a tear rolled down her cheek and disappearing into the fire. Allen broke her line of vision by stepping in front of Hitomi. He leaned down and lit the straw around the woman's feet.
"Burn in hell, seer," he sneered.
The fire slowly grew until it completely surrounded the woman. Her legs felt the heat lick her skin. A scream started as a whisper, then turned into an agonized cry that echoed in everyone's ears. Hitomi watched in fear, frozen, as her mother was burned alive. A small whimper arose from her throat.
Allen looked down at her and squatted beside her. He leaned close and whispered in her ear. "This is what happens to the unwanted, Hitomi. She is not your mother. She is an abomination. Do you understand?"
Hitomi nodded in answer with her wide fearful eyes still trained on her mother.
"Say it, Hitomi," Allen ordered softly.
"An abomination," Hitomi whispered. "An abomination."
Allen kissed her forehead. "Good girl."
Hitomi continued staring at her mother. Suddenly, as her mother let out another bloodcurdling scream, a bright white light exploded and everyone looked away. When the light faded, everyone looked on in astonishment. The woman was gone. The fire was doused, and the woman had completely disappeared. The only evidence that the woman had been there at all was her tattered and burned clothing. All of the men began whispering and looking around in fear.
"That, men, is why you burn a seer," Allen said.
"I don't understand," Gaddess said. "What just happened, Sir?"
"The reason that the first Crusaders of the first cleansing of Gaea burned the seers was because it destroyed their souls," Allen explained.
"How was the soul destroyed, Sir?" a man questioned.
"The fire burned it slowly and painfully, making certain that the soul never made it to the afterlife," Allen answered.
The men began talking amongst themselves, and no one noticed Hitomi walk to stand in front of where her mother disappeared. She leaned down and smoothed the ash away. A pink teardrop stone stood out in the gray and black ground. Hitomi picked it up and looked into it. Inside she saw a white twinkle.
"Hitomi," Allen called. Hitomi quickly hid the stone in her dress and turned to face him. He reached down and picked her up. "Remember what we said, Hitomi. She is no longer your mother."
Hitomi nodded.
"Good," he said. He called for Gaddess.
"Yes, sir?" Gaddess replied.
"Burn everything," Allen ordered.
"Yes, sir!" Gaddess said. "Burn everything, men!"
Several shouts went up as the men grabbed torches and threw it in the barn and house. Allen walked with Hitomi to a horse and put her on it. "Let's go home," he said and mounted another horse. He grabbed Hitomi's horse's reins and began to lead them away.
Hitomi looked back and watched her home burn. She wanted to cry so badly, but kept her face blank. "I won't forget, mama," she whispered. "I promise."
She turned back to the front and didn't look back again.
Hey! What did ya think? Please let me know!!