Ye Olde Author's Note: I know, staring another story during Exams. Naughty little me, I should be studying. I couldn't help myself though when I saw the considerably high lack of new stories/updates for Rogue/Pyro fics. Review!

Penny For Your Thoughts?

Prologue

The sky was getting considerably darker in most places, a tell tale sign that night was setting in. Near the setting sun however the sky blended into colours of orange and reds, casting a rather unique glow across the sky before the each colours gradually darkened to the deep, tinted black blue the rest of the sky was, occasional bright spots glistening like jewels told on lookers were a star was watching. It was a beautiful sight, one that deserved to be put into the eternalness of a painting, just so the sight could be regarded by millions, spanning across all times. For surely this beautiful view of contrasting and fading colours would invite everyone to stare studiously at, examining each colour as it flowed across the sky, blending effortlessly with others, causing shades people probably hadn't even discovered yet, let alone named.

But Rogue, a young woman clad in a long sleeved tight black shirt and matching black skinny jeans, wasn't watching the sky. No, instead she was staring unseeingly at something much less beautiful. Her chocolate gaze had been fixed upon this object for quite sometime now, so much so that she couldn't tell you the time, only that is was light when she walked outside of Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, going out into the garden to clear her thoughts.

She had been walking aimlessly around the school, strolling through the thriving gardens, staring at flowers and plants inattentively, her mind somewhere else as she tried to decipher which thoughts and emotions were hers and which belonged to other people she had come into skin-to-skin contact with. Filling each and every thought, skill, emotion, everything that wasn't her own into a separate corner of her mind, ready to utilise when needed. And only when needed.

She found herself doing this a lot, she realised. Leaving behind the rowdiness of the school in favour of the quiet confines of her private room, or a peaceful walk through the gardens. She needed it though. The quietness. The amount of memories and thoughts in her head that weren't her own, would make anyone crave alone time. Although she could never truly be alone, it didn't matter how far she went, leaving behind her friends, her family. It didn't matter how long she stayed in her private room, or in the gardens, she could never truly be alone. Never left alone to her own thoughts.

The constant stream of other people's private thoughts, access to their skills and their abilities. The continuous buzz in her mind reminding her. She wasn't alone. She wasn't even fully human.

A freak.

And in most people's eyes in the beginning, a freak among freaks. Someone to avoid, be wary of… scared of even. Unaccepted and untouchable. Rogue. It's because of this, this forced solitary life that she enjoys being alone now. But she can't be, not fully anyway. It's a vicious circle.

She hadn't been paying attention to where her feet had taken her, too wrapped up in thoughts, both her own and not, to recognise the lush, trimmed green grass beneath her boots. She'd sat down, her legs drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped round them, both in an effort to escape the sudden cold that had followed the night, her eyes still cast downwards as she thought, filling away memories.

She had been staring at her exposed hands, nails donned with peeling black nail varnish - she had decided to embrace her gothic side due to the slightly more gothic hairstyle of dark mahogany curls with two platinum streaks at the front to make up her fringe, she now sported thanks to Magneto - and had found herself wishing she was wearing her gloves. Not because of her mutation, oh no, she'd long since been able to control that, switching it off and on when needed, and been able to focus on the objective she wanted the most - be it their powers because of mutation, or their thoughts. But she occasionally missed the comfort, familiarity, and warmth her gloves provided. And as the sky darkened more, the cold air wrapped around her hands, slightly numbing the tips of her fingers. She didn't like the cold - and it had nothing to do with a certain someone who could control ice - and so had decided to stop staring at her hands in favour of placing them under her knees to warm up. With the object of her intense gaze gone, she had lifted her head only to regret it as a sense of deep sadness and longing filled her, whilst she stared directing at the gravestone of Professor Charles Xavier - founder of the school that was situated somewhere behind her - and the two smaller ones that sat near him depicting the names Dr. Jean Grey and Scott Summers.

As much as she regretted her decision to look up, she couldn't direct her gaze elsewhere and so, found herself staring at the three graves stones she had somehow found herself seated directly across from, for quite sometime, unable to look away and then preceding to get lost in her thoughts and memories again.

She didn't know why, but somehow her gaze had settled upon the sky, surprising her as she finally realised how long she had been sitting outside. She wasn't worried though, her friends and teachers were all to busy to notice Rogue missing as a new student had been found. A letter in the office of the late Professor Xavier had told the team of a teenaged girl with remarkable powers, and where to find said girl. Though he had conveniently forgotten to mention what these powers were. So, some members of the remaining X-Men team had sped of, intent to locate one Peyton Richards, while others readied the school for the new term, and it's new arrival. The ones who would notice would assume she had retired to her room for some alone time.

Bobby was no doubt hanging out with Kitty, as due to Rogue trying to control her mutation she had spent hours either alone or with the Professors, and consequently Bobby and Kitty had formed a very close relationship.

Very close indeed, mussed Rogue. Rogue wasn't an idiot, her time spent on the streets and the memories in her head confirm that. She could tell her mutation had been a problem in hers and Bobby's relationship one too many times, and as such the two had drifted apart. She realised though that she wasn't as saddened by this fact as she probably should have been.

She was again too lost in memories that she didn't notice the figure sit beside her on the grass. It wasn't until the figure coughed expectedly did she turn her head to see another person seated beside her.

So much for enhanced senses.

"Hello," said the new arrival, a teenage girl with a heart shaped face, and mesmerising emerald green eyes. Wavy blonde hair held atop her head in a sophisticated bun, with a few tendrils framing the young girls tanned skin. Her clothes were hidden beneath a long black trench coat-like jacket.

I guess this must be the new resident of Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, summarised Rogue.

"Hey, I'm Rogue," replied Rogue, offering her hand.

Grinning, the girl accepted the hand easily, without hesitation grasping Rogue's hand in her own, "Thyme."

The two girls continued to chat for a while before Thyme brought up Rogue's mutation powers, "So, what can you do?" she question, peering at Rogue inquisitively.

Rogue grimaced slightly, unwilling to share the information that always makes people take a few cautious steps back from her, just in case. She got along well with Thyme, in the minutes they had been talking conversation flowed easily, and she found herself unwilling to give that up.

Giving in, she sighed inaudibly before replying, "I can absorb a person's energy through physical contact."

Thyme, however, seemed unfazed as she gushed over how cool the mutation was, "How does it work?"

Slightly shocked at the girl's easy acceptance and the fact she hadn't put a bigger space between them, Rogue answered the question in a slight daze, mentally questioning Thyme's self preservation skills, "When I have skin-to-skin contact with someone I can use my mutation to take their memories, their thoughts, and copy their powers, either temporally or permanently depending how long I keep the contact. If I hold on too long, I can kill the person." she added, slightly annoyed that her mutation allowed her to kill so easily.

"That's so cool," smiled Thyme.

"Not really," muttered Rogue, under her breath. More loudly she asked, "What about you?"

Thyme's grin suddenly slipped from her face, a troubled look replacing it. "I can manipulate time," she explained softly, after a slight hesitation, worried about whether her new friend would believe her or not. Most people didn't.

Rogue eye's widened in shock before she could control it, but then shock soon gave way to concern as she recalled her friend's troubled look, "Why the face?" she questioned, "That's an amazing power."

Thyme smiled sadly, pleased that Rogue had believed her so easily yet still troubled by the responsibilities her gift came with, "It's just that, well, no one really believes me, and when they do, they always want something."

"I'm sorry," replied Rogue, fully aware how much of a burden your gifts could be, and feeling genuine sympathy for the young girl.

Thyme grinned more easily this time, her impossibly green eyes shining once more as she explained in more depth, "It never works though."

"Huh?" questioned Rogue, a look of confusion on her face.

"Going back in time for your own benefit," explained Thyme. "I can only put time back for someone when their intentions are pure of heart."

"How do you know their intentions are pure or not?" asked Rogue, rather curious about the mechanics of this strange but phenomenal power.

Thyme only grinned secretively. "That's for me to know, and for you to find out." she teased.

Rogue laughed at her silliness, yet couldn't help but think she had already given away what her powers are, which is surely more important than whether or not you could send a person back or not. Rogue was snapped out of her thoughts by Thyme's sudden statement.

"You're pure." she stated factually, as if her words were law, and even if Rogue wasn't 'pure' before she was now. It didn't mean Rogue was convinced though.

"I can't be," she immediately began protesting, "I done things. Terrible things." she added more softly, regret prominent in her tone.

"It doesn't matter what you've done," stressed Thyme, "It matters what you'll do." she raised her eyebrows for effect.

"But-" she began again, only to stop herself as she caught the sight of Scott Summers' gravestone. Peering intently at the gravestones, she questioned Thyme, "Wont that be annoying for you though? Having to live through so many years of your life again?"

If possible, and although Rogue couldn't see it, Thyme's smile widened. Her earlier beliefs that Rogue was pure were immediately confirmed to her - although they didn't have to be - when Rogue only question how this would inconvenience Thyme. "I can chose who goes back with their memories, including me." she stated simply.

"Wont you get in trouble for this?" inquired Rogue, her eyes now starring intently into the green pools of her friends.

Thyme laughed in response. "By who? Besides, who's going to remember?" she added, smirking.

Decision made, Rogue glanced at the three gravestones one more time before asking in a firm voice, "Can I go back in time please?"

Thyme's smiled gently at the politeness of her question, before her face became a mask of seriousness. "Are you sure? Some things, no matter how bad - or good - can't be avoided, Rogue."

Rogue wasn't positive, but she believed her friend's gaze quickly flickered to her platinum strips before looking at her face again. She faltered. Could she do this? Go back in time and possibly re-live events that still gave her nightmares today, in the hope that her fallen friends could be saved?

Yes.

Yes, she could, she realised. As even the possibility that they could be saved was enough for her. She could do this, she could face her fears knowing that her fallen friends may be able to help her through the aftermath.

"Yes." she stated in a voice that never wavered.

Pleased at the resolute tone in Rogue's voice, she squeezed her new friend's shoulder as she stood up, Rogue copying her movements, "Okay then."

"Any advice?" Rogue asked, disbelief in her abilities hitting her full force as she realised the consequences of what she was abut to do.

Thyme chuckled.

Then suddenly, Rogue was falling. Falling endlessly into a swirl of colours. Reds mixed with oranges and blues awaited her as she peered at what she was falling into. A spiral of seemingly alive colours, twisting, and flowing, each colour seeming to reach out to Rogue in an attempt to grab her and drag her under, but never quite succeeding as Rogue fell in place. The feeling of falling yet never seeming to be any closer to the colours below her continued for a few more seconds before Rogue felt her self plummeting downwards more forcefully, the vibrant colours winding around her body as she plunged into them. Thyme's parting words ran through her head before she was dragged under.

Don't be afraid of the flames.

Ye Old Author's Note: I know that particular power may seem a bit far-fetched, but oh well. This is fan fiction. And sorry if there's any mistakes - I don't have a Beta. Review please!