Title: All For Love
Author: Tevrah
Email: kmw852@yahoo.com
Hey guys! Sorry it took so long for me to write this chapter, but we're in the middle of painting my room, my mom's back went out, and a bunch of other stuff happened! But I really am sorry, guys!!
Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day! Guess what?! I'm sick! UGH! There's a bug going around. My sister caught it, then my dad caught it, and now I'VE caught it! And it couldn't have come at a worse time! We're just about finished painting my room! Why me?!
Oh, and on the fifteenth was my mom and dad's anniversary and my dad's birthday! ^_~ Everything's just bundled up together, huh? Hehe!
Okay, because it took so long for me to write this chapter, I'm gonna put up the ending of the last chapter!
Ending of Chapter Nine:
Above the sleeping two, a shadow sat atop the black tree watching them. Its yellow eyes blinked in fascination. It had been a long time since anyone had come to the black tree. Slowly, the shadow slithered down the tree and looked more closely at the two. They looked so odd, sleeping like that. Hitomi shivered and the shadow looked at her. Its yellow eyes suddenly brightened and it let out an unearthly giggle.
The shadow formed two hands and placed them beside Hitomi and Van's heads. A yellow light surrounded the dark hands and then the shadow switched the hands. When the light died down, the shadow stepped back and watched the two once more. They didn't move.
"Dream…" the shadow whispered in their minds. "Dream of one another's darkest secrets and know your deepest fears…"
The shadow slithered farther away then disappeared. Its unearthly giggle echoed in Van and Hitomi's minds as they slept on.
Okay, so there it is and here's the new chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter Ten
Van stood in a barn. It was so dark that he could hardly see. What was going on? Where was he? A creaking sound suddenly caught his attention. One of the old barn doors opened just a little and a little girl slipped inside. Van watched as she ran to the back of the barn. Curious, he followed her.
What he saw made him feel sick.
A woman was stripped bare from the waist up and she was strung from a beam by her wrists. She was beaten black and blue and her body was covered with patches of dried blood.
Van watched as the little girl walked up to the woman with small, timid steps. "Mama?" the little girl said.
Oh, no, Van thought. That little girl had to witness her mother's condition. Anger filled his blood. He stepped in front of the little girl to stop her, but gasped in surprise when she only walked through him. He turned quickly and watched as the little girl touched the woman's leg.
"Mama?" the little girl said again.
"Hitomi?"
Van froze. Hitomi? That little girl was Hitomi? Oh, no, he thought. He was reliving a part of Hitomi's past. But why?
"Mama!" Hitomi said in whispered relief. "You're awake. I was scared. You wasn't moving."
"Are you okay, baby? They didn't hurt you, did they?"
Van heard urgency and fear in the woman's voice. He watched as little 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," her mother whispered in relief.
"But they ain't gonna hurt me," little Hitomi said. "They gonna take me with them. The man with the long gold hair said so."
Van had to lean closer to hear the rest of what she said.
"He said they was gonna burn you. They ain't really, are they mama?"
Van watched as the woman gave a bitter smile. Then he listened as he talked to her daughter once more.
"Hitomi," she 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."
"'Kay," Hitomi nodded.
"The second thing is to always be ready to run."
Time was running out. Van could feel it.
"When, mama?" Hitomi asked.
"You'll know when," 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 whispered.
"That's my girl. I love you, baby."
"I love you, too, mama."
"I know you do. Now remember what you promised."
"I will, mama."
"Now you better go, sweetheart," her mother said, "before someone finds y—"
The barn door was thrown open and Van watched as two men walked in. The light hit their faces and Van growled low in his throat. Allen.
"There you are, little one," Allen said, walking up to Hitomi.
Van watched in helplessness as Hitomi tried to shrink against her mother in fear. He clenched his fists in anger when Allen squatted down in front of Hitomi's little form and talked to her in a soothing tone. "Now don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
"Leave her alone!" Hitomi's mother cried out.
"Shut up, wench!" Allen's accomplice shouted, back-handing her. He cut the woman's ropes and let her fall to the floor.
Hitomi stayed where she was, but stared in wide-eyed fear as she watched the man drag her mother out of the barn. Van moved to stand beside Hitomi and stared at Allen with hatred when he got in Hitomi's vision and began talking to her.
"How old are you?" he asked.
Hitomi looked to the ground and answered, "Four and a half."
"You don't look like you are almost five years old," Allen said thoughtfully.
"Mama says I'm only short right now 'cause I'm gonna be taller later," Hitomi defended.
At that Van almost smiled. In truth, she was still kind of short. He watched as Allen smiled at Hitomi. "Do you like fires, Hitomi?" Allen asked.
Hitomi shook her head.
"Why not?"
"You're gonna burn my mama," Hitomi whispered.
Allen smiled gently at her, and then stood, carrying Hitomi in his arms. "Come on," he said, walking out of the barn.
Van followed them out of the door and looked around. Dread settled deep in his stomach. They were going to burn Hitomi's mother. Van looked at Hitomi and his heart nearly broke at the confusion and sadness in her eyes. He suddenly felt very angry and tried to tear Hitomi out of Allen's arms, but only went through them. He tried to punch Allen instead, but got the same results.
He watched helplessly as Allen sat Hitomi on the ground, assigned a guard to watch her, then walked to where Hitomi's mother was tied. A big soldier made a crude joke and laughed, but Van only stared at the woman who was tied to the kindling. Allen asked her if she had any last words, but the woman remained silent.
Suddenly, she looked directly at Van. Van stumbled back as the woman stared at him. She could see him. "Protect my daughter," she said softly as a tear rolled down her cheek and disappeared into the fire.
Van found himself nodding to her. I will, he promised, I will.
"Not that it's any of your business," Allen said, "but I was planning to."
Van watched as he threw the torch on the straw at the base of the kindling.
"Burn in hell, seer."
Van watched, torn. He watched as the fire steadily grew until it nearly consumed the woman. He heard a small whimper and looked down. Little Hitomi was watching with fear in her eyes. Allen leaned down and whispered something in her ear, and Hitomi nodded, and then said something too low for Van to hear. An agonizing scream cut through the air and Van jerked back to the burning woman. A bright light exploded and Van covered his head with his arms. When he lowered his arms, the woman was gone. The fire was doused and the only evidence of her being there were her burned and tattered clothes.
"That, men, is why you burn a seer," Allen announced.
"I don't understand," a soldier said. "What just happened, sir?"
"The reason the first crusaders burned seers, was because it destroyed their souls."
"How was the soul destroyed, sir?" another soldier asked.
"The fire burned it painfully and slowly, making sure it never made it to the afterlife," Allen answered.
The men began talking amongst themselves. Van saw Hitomi separate herself from them and walk up to the fire as if she were being guided. She bent down and smoothed away the ash. A pink teardrop pendant glistened. Van's eyes widened in surprise when he recognized it as the necklace that Hitomi wore around her neck. She picked it up and stared at it. A white twinkle was inside it.
Allen called Hitomi and she quickly hid the pendant in her dress as she went over to him. Van watched from a distance as Hitomi and Allen rode away. Allen gave the order to burn everything and Van's attention turned to the fire when Hitomi rode out of sight. He could feel himself floating away. It was like falling into a deep sleep.
At first he saw only the fire, then it became a dim glow.
Then he saw nothing at all.
* * *
Where am I, Hitomi wondered. She was standing in a grassy meadow. The wind blew and the tall grasses slapped against her legs. The sun was shinning brightly and gave the meadow a glassy look. It was peaceful.
Laughter sounded behind her and she turned around. A small boy with raven black hair was running through the field. He looked to be about five years old, and the grasses went up to his neck as he raced through them. He ran past where she was standing and slipped. Hitomi tried to catch him as he fell, but he just went through her.
Hitomi gasped and took a step back. What was this? A vision? It wasn't like any vision she had been in before. The little boy got up and continued running like nothing had happened. He looked behind him, squealed, and then picked up his speed.
A man with spiked blue-green hair came jogging through the grass. When he saw the little boy, he smiled and picked up speed. He caught up with the little boy, bent down, and scooped him up into his arms. The little boy giggled as the man threw him into the air. The man settled the little boy on his shoulders.
"Come on, you little imp," the man said with a deep voice and a big smile. "Mother has lunch ready."
The little boy smiled and wrapped his arms around the man's forehead. "You know what, Folken?" he asked.
"No, what?"
"Papa says that one day I'm gonna be big and strong, just like you and him," the little boy said.
Folken bounced him on his shoulders. "I bet you'll be even bigger and stronger than both of us put together, Van," he answered.
Hitomi's eyes went wide. Van? She was seeing Van as he was as a child. What was going on? And just who was this Folken? She gathered that he was Van's older brother, but why was she seeing him? What was going to happen to him? As the two figures walked further away, Hitomi hurried to catch up with them. She followed them as they walked into a village bustling with people. She looked around in awe. There were so many people. The village was lined with huts and business stands. It was a medium-sized village, but it was earthy and inviting. Hitomi followed Van and Folken to a hut in the middle of the village and a woman stepped outside. She was gorgeous. She had long flowing black hair that went to her waist and had a bright and lively pair of eyes that glowed with happiness and joy.
"And just where have you been, young man?" the woman asked as Folken placed Van in her arms.
Van wiggled around and his mother placed him on the ground. "I tried to fly, mama, but my wings wouldn't work."
His mother smiled kindly at him. "I told you, baby. You're wings will come out when they're ready to. Until then, don't worry. It'll happen when it happens."
"But what if it never happens?" Van asked. His small face was scrunched up in worry.
His mother leaned down and smoothed a gentle hand over his face. "Don't worry yourself so, my little one. I promise that it will happen. Now go and wash for lunch."
Van, smiling once again, did as his mother was told. Hitomi followed him into the hut and watched as he washed his hands in the water basin. He seemed peaceful and so innocent. He sat at the table and waited. His family didn't come in.
Suddenly, the door burst open and Folken came rushing in. He saw Van sitting at the table and hurriedly went to him.
"Brother?" Van said. "What took you so long? Where's mama and papa?"
Folken picked his brother up and wrapped a blanket around his small body. He didn't say a word as he ran back outside. Feeling an unknown fear, Hitomi followed him. Her eyes went wide at what she saw. The entire village was in chaos. Bodies littered the ground and the stench of fresh blood hung in the air. The village was being slaughtered.
Hitomi strained to find Folken and Van and when she did, she ran to catch up with them. She followed them to the edge of the village where Folken smoothed away some branches and pulled open a hidden cellar. She followed him down the steps and saw that they had walked into a food cellar.
Folken sat Van on his feet and kneeled in front of him. "I want you to stay here for a little while," Folken said with a trembling voice. "Just until mother, father, or I come and get you, okay?"
"What's wrong, brother?" Van asked in a scared voice. "Where's mama and papa? And why was everyone screaming?"
Folken closed his eyes and struggled for words. When none came, he said nothing. He quickly gave his brother a hug and a kiss, then turned and left. Hitomi heard as he hid the cellar from view with the branches once again.
"Brother!" Van screamed. He ran up to the door and hit it with his fists. "Don't leave me! Brother! Mama! Papa! Where are you? Come back!"
Hitomi ached to comfort the small, lost little boy with all of her heart. She now understood why Van didn't let anyone get close and why he had such a hard shell around himself. It was for protection from being left alone again.
It'll be all right, Hitomi thought to herself, I'll take care of you. I promise.
She lost track of time. She didn't know how long they sat in that cellar, but when they were finally found, she wished that they had stayed in there forever.
Van was curled in a corner sleeping and Hitomi was sitting beside him, watching him. The cellar door was suddenly torn open and Van jerked up in surprise. A shadow walked down the stairs.
"Papa?" Van called out. "Mama? Brother?"
The shadow didn't even pause. A figure stepped into the moonlight and Van cried out in fright. A soldier laughed at his fear. He picked Van up by the hair and threw him out of the cellar.
Hitomi tried to make him stop, but she only went through the man. She ran up the stairs to Van and found him lying on the ground. Four soldiers surrounded him, calling him vile names, hitting and kicking him, and laughing at him. Hitomi ran and covered her body with his, but it did no good.
When the soldiers were finished, Van was lying perfectly still. His eyes were closed and his breathing was labored. Hitomi was crying, but as her tears fell on Van's bloody face, they disappeared, leaving no trace on him.
Hitomi closed her eyes and when she opened them, she gasped. She was still looking at Van, but he was older, around thirteen. His back was bare, but the scars stood out. She looked around. They weren't by the cellar anymore.
They were in a slave camp.
She watched as a overseer walked by his bent over body and snarled at him. "Work faster, boy," the overseer commanded. When Van didn't make any move to acknowledge him, the overseer removed the whip at his side. He brought it against Van's back.
Van didn't even flinch as blood ran down his back. Slowly, he turned around and drew himself up to his full height. He stared at the overseer with only one emotion burning in his eyes. Hate.
The overseer backed away in fear, but he didn't get very far. Van reached out and grabbed him. He snatched the dagger out of the overseer's belt and plunged it deep into the man's chest. The overseer slumped forward and Van threw him to the ground. The other slaves were staring at him in fear.
Van didn't even spare them a glance. Clutching the bloody dagger in his hand, he took off running. He ran and ran and ran until he was halfway through the forest that bordered the slave camp.
Hitomi could hear the shouts of the overseers as they looked for him. He crawled into a small hole at the base of a tree and hid. Hitomi stood by the tree as the soldiers ran by. One soldier stopped and spotted the beginning of the small hole. Just as he was about to shout to the others, Hitomi stepped in front of the hole. The man jumped back in fright. He looked at her.
He looked at her.
Hitomi's eyes glowed dangerously. "Leave."
Trembling, the man turned and did as he was ordered. Hitomi stepped back as Van crawled out of the hole and looked around. For some reason, he still couldn't see her. He took off running again and Hitomi followed him to a small cave where he hid once more. He was trembling, but from cold or fear, Hitomi wasn't sure.
Once again, time seemed to be lost to Hitomi as she watched over Van. A small scuffling sound caught their attention and Van clutched the dagger in his hand a little tighter than before.
"I think I found something," a man's voice boomed.
Van leaped toward the voice with the dagger aimed for the man's throat. The man easily caught Van and disarmed him. He drug the struggling runaway into the sunlight. When Hitomi saw who was dragging Van, she became weak with relief.
"Calm down," Dryden ordered. He had Van clutched in a backwards bear hug. "My name is Dryden. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. I want to help you."
"Dryden?" a woman's voice called out.
"Here," Dryden replied.
Millerna walked into view with relief in her eyes. "Don't run off like that again," she ordered.
Dryden spared her a quick grin that didn't last long because Van was trying to kick and punch him.
"Is he the runaway those soldiers were after?" Millerna asked. "He's just a boy. Stop being so rough with him, Dryden."
"Rough—" Dryden rolled his eyes and let go of Van. Van fell to the ground and reached for the dagger. He brought it up, but stopped when Millerna crouched down in front of him.
"It's all right," she said in a soothing voice. "We aren't going to hurt you. No one will ever hurt you again. I promise." She took off her cloak and wrapped it around Van's shoulders. Since he wasn't fighting her, she helped him stand and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. She led him away and Dryden, smiling, followed.
Hitomi watched them go as she felt herself slowly floating away. The images around her became blurry until she saw nothing at all.
* * *
Van awoke to darkness. He felt around blindly, but came in contact with nothing. No substance of any kind. Nothing. Now what was going on? He had dragon blood. He could see in the dark. An eerie giggle floated around him. He stiffened and got into a fighting stance.
"Who's there?" he demanded. "Show yourself."
As though just waiting for the command, a light came on. Now he found himself standing in a completely white room. He heard a sigh and turned around. Hitomi was lying on the ground. He rushed to her and lightly shook her. Her eyes fluttered open and then closed again. He shook her again. "Hitomi," he said softly. "Wake up."
He smoothed some of her short hair away from her cheek and she turned toward his touch. Her eyes opened once more and her green irises locked onto his brown ones. She brought her hand up and gently touched her cheek. Such an innocent and loving action reminded Van of the little girl he had seen.
"Van?" she whispered. "Is it really you?"
"Of course it's really me," Van answered, confused.
Hitomi smiled at him. "I just wasn't sure if I was in another vision or if you were real."
He helped her to her feet. "Vision?" he asked warily. "What was it about?" Hitomi stared at him, then turned her face away. He tightened his grip on her arms. "What was it about, Hitomi?"
Hitomi sighed and looked at him again. As she opened her mouth to answer, she was cut off.
"That is not the proper way to talk to a lady," a woman's amused voice said.
Van whipped around and stood protectively in front of Hitomi.
"That's better," the woman said again with a laugh.
"Who's there?" Van demanded. "Show yourself."
"If you insist that we do," another woman's voice said, "then we must."
Two women appeared out of nowhere and stood before Van and Hitomi. One woman had long black hair that flowed past her waist while the other woman had dark blonde hair that stopped just above her waist.
Van glared at them. "Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you want from us?"
The women smiled at him. "We merely wish to help you," the woman with the dark blonde hair stated. Then her eyes shifted to Hitomi. Van blocked her from sight by moving in front of her completely. That only made the women smile more brightly.
Hitomi peeked over his shoulder and stared at the women. Then she gasped. She knew those faces. "I know you," she whispered to them.
The women continued smiling at her.
"Who are these women, Hitomi?" Van asked.
Hitomi stepped to his side slowly. She looked back and forth between the two women, and then settled her gaze on the woman with dark blonde hair.
"Hitomi?" Van asked with concern. "Who is she?"
"My mother."
That's all for this chapter! I hope you guys liked it! And I know that I said major fluff in this chapter or the next, well, it looks like it'll be the next one or the one after that! But not to worry! I'll have MAJOR fluff in an upcoming chapter, I promise!!
Now I know that a lot of you figured out about the women being their mothers! But tell me what you think of it anyway! Thanks! Till next time! ^_^
Bye for now!