ARSONPHOBIA

fear of fire

Summary: I am but a girl whose past is swallowed by the graceful fire, obscuring my parents gone mad, protecting me from madness likewise. And yet, even if I tried to shy away from the dancing flames, why do you keep on insisting that I play with fire?!

EDITED. RAWR.

1

Liquid emerald eyes widened at the sight of dancing flames swallowing her house, her home. Tongues of fire were everywhere, taunting her, teasing her… her.

"Mama? Papa?" she started out, her eyes petrified, fearing… everything. "Mama!"

She ran, and ran, maneuvering through the hallways that were slowly being eaten by the evil, evil flames. "PAPA!"

Big, fat tears escaped her eyes, and she tripped and tripped, her feet carrying her to bigger flames.

"MAMA! PAPA! Where are you? Save me! Tasukete!" she screamed, her hands blindly touching the walls of fire. "Mama…!"

Her dainty feet brought her to their grand staircase, and at the feet of the stairs, she saw her parents seated around a round oak table, their mouth hidden by their hands.

"Mama! Papa!"

She skipped over the stairs, adrenaline surging through her, urging her to run faster. "Papa! Tasukete!"

Her parents nonchalantly stared at her.

"Darling, I see you've found us." Her mother called out, smiling happily.

"Honey, aren't you supposed to be asleep? It's almost midnight." Her father said, calming her as if both were oblivious to the taunting fire that's slowly reaching their feet.

Sakura slowed down once she's almost by the bottom of the stairs, her eyes wide with disbelief, her legs were weak from the boost of adrenaline from a while ago.

"Darling, go back to your room." Her mother's eyes glowed with insanity. They were insane.

They cannot save her.

"Mama?" she whispered, her eyes hysterically shifting from her mother and father, to the flames that looked so beautiful at the moment, and lastly, to the heat that burned her delicate skin.

"Darling, you need to sleep." Her father murmured.

"Pa…pa?"

More tears. She's crying, sobbing… hiccupping. She thought they'll save their only princess.

"Kawai." She whispered to herself, watching with fear and anticipation as the ceiling gave up and crushed her parents with its deadly flames.

"Kowai."

She watched as her parents looked up at her, urging her to go back to her room… to sleep.

"Kowai."

Her eyes stayed glue at her parents, the flames swallowing them, eating them, tearing them apart… burning them.

"Kowai…"

2

"I couldn't believe it." I heard someone sob, her hiccups filling the empty air.

"There, there…" Someone said in a relaxing, deep voice, "At least their princess lived. You know how much they treasured their daughter, correct?"

"Oh, Fugaku, they were my closest friends!" the crying woman gasped, and I could feel a finger pointed at my form. "Look at her! She's so… vulnerable! Like a porcelain doll…"

Stifled hiccups…

"Fugaku, I want to protect her. I want to!" she sobbed. "Help me…"

"Aa. We will."

"Mother?"

"Ah… Sasuke-kun!"

I heard someone approach me, then, I felt a face near mine, calculating, intimidating.

"She's awake."

"Oh…"

I felt the air grow hot, hence, I am crowded.

I opened my eyes, blinking against the bright light.

"Where… am I?"

"You're in the hospital, my dear."

My eyes wandered at the pale faces of the people around me, all of them bearing black hair and eyes.

"Why am I here?" I struggled to sit up, and a boy my age helped me up.

"You had several burns, but it'll heal soon."

Burns? Fire?

"Kowai…" I murmured, my eyes widening.

"You're scared… of what?" The boy muttered behind me.

Of… death? Of… these burns?

Wakaranai.

"Where's mama?"

My eyes bored against those feminine black eyes, the eyes of whom my mother trusted fully well.

"Where's papa?"

"I-I…" she stuttered, her hands searching until she caught her husband's.

"Fugaku, we better inquire with her doctor." She murmured in fear. Fugaku nodded slowly, eyes refusing to meet mine.

And they left.

I stared at my arms. They were covered by thick, white bandages.

My eyes squinted, my tears gathering in my eyes.

"Kowai…" I whispered.

"Of what?" The boy repeated.

I stared at his eyes, his lonely orbs. My hands reached out, my fingers traced his perfect, perfect face, and I giggled.

"Kowai…" I repeated with a final nod. And as I stared at his face, I know he was confused.

"Nani ga?" I murmured.

Then darkness.

3

I woke up, startled by the loud noises coming from the outside. I stared at my arms, to see that it was covered by white, glittering silk sleeves, or, were they silver?

I am at the Uchiha manor. I know I am, seeing the familiar fans found in my sleeves.

Slowly, I approached the double doors, dainty feet noiseless against the cold, marble floors.

Tipping forward, I heard voices, and they were shivering… from the cold I suppose. I hugged myself, leaning more so my cheeks touched the cold wood.

Wood… It can easily be consumed by fire… Fire… Fire…

My mind swirled, my temple ached. Fire.

"Kowai…"

I clutched my head with a hand, the other holding the door knob tightly. The lights outside went off. But the pain didn't go away…

What am I scared of?

Was it… death? The burns? Being alone? Being vulnerable?

I almost met the floor with a loud thud when the doors I'm leaning on opened. An arm supported me, darkness consumed me, but there was a faint light and I stared up to see the face of the lonely boy, and in his hand, a candle lighted with fire.

I screamed.

4

"Shh… Shhh…." Mikoto murmured, hugging me, soothing me… comforting me. "We'll protect you, my dear. We're here. We'll save you."

"Honey, go back to your room." Her mother's eyes glowed with insanity. They were insane.

They cannot save her.

They simply cannot. They were insane… They were mad. Or was she?

"You can't!" I finally screamed, ripping myself away from her hug. "You can't save me! No one can!"

"I can." I heard someone whisper in my ears. And I can say, from his voice that he can. I'll trust. This once.

His arms held my shoulders, and through half-lidded eyes, I managed to croak out, "Ko…wai."

"Of what?" He murmured.

"Of what?" I repeated, as I felt him nuzzle my pink locks. "Of… fire."

I got dizzy, just muttering the word. And before I succumbed to darkness once more, I managed to ask him.

"Anta... dare?"

"Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."

"Sankyuu, Sasuke…kun"

5

"Waah… So cold." I mumbled, dancing in circles when I felt two arms envelope me. We were strolling in the town square, just near the frozen pond where I could hear people's squeals of delight as they skated through it.

"Cold?" he murmured. I shook my head.

"Not anymore, Sasuke-kun!"

"Good."

"Anou ne—" My eyes widened in fear when I saw a huge fireplace just near us. I whimpered and hid my face against Sasuke's chest.

I hummed contentedly once Sasuke carried me in his arms.

"Don't be scared." He whispered in my ears. My eyes widened as the heat around us intensified, the coldness of the snow out of my grasp.

"Gomen." he said.

I slowly turned, the anticipated glow of the fire illuminating my face. I screamed, and then, I started pounding on his chest.

"Let go! Let go! Daikirai! Daikirai! Daiki…rai!" I whimpered, tears spilling from my eyes. I then clamped my mouth shut.

Kirai janai.

My vision blurred… blurred by my fear.

I could touch the fire if I want, but I can't. I CAN'T! I DON'T WANT TO!

I pounded on his chest, harder this time, but he caught it and turned me so that I'm facing the fire.

I cried; my tears never ending. It spilled from my eyes to my cheeks, then chin.

"Kowai."

Her eyes stayed glue at her parents, the flames swallowing them, eating them, tearing them apart… burning them.

"KOWAI!" I hollered, fighting Sasuke's hand as he struggled to keep my face directed on the fire. My eyes widened. "KOWAI!"

"SAKURA!!"

I whimpered, hearing his deep voice yelling my name. "Doushite…? Sasuke-kun…"

"Trust me."

"I can." I heard someone whisper in my ears. And I can say, from his voice that he can. I'll trust. This once.

Just this once.

My tears were continuous yet my eyes continued to watch, to wait as his hand that once held my hands reached out for the fire.

"Kirei desu ne?" He whispered in my ears.

I stared at his eyes, as my own widened. I searched for deceit but there was only pure fascination.

I looked at my arms, my burnt yet healing arms, then at my hands, those twitching, enthralled hands. I lifted it, staring as he smiled at me, and then raised it towards the fire, sighing as his held mine.

And then, I looked at him, and saw his proud, proud smile, then… I smiled…

"Yapari kirei, ne?" Sasuke said, letting me stand on my own.

"Nani?" I asked, clutching his arm.

"Hi." He replied, enveloping me in his arms, kissing my forehead at the same time. I hummed in agreement.

"Omaesan nimo." He murmured.

I smiled at his compliment, feeling dizzy, and my head swirling with the same pain as being afraid.

But I trust him.

And his smiles.

And his words.

And his beliefs.

What I do not trust is my incapability to consume my own fear, and let it dwell in the darkness forever, for my fear is like what I am afraid of.

It is large, as the one that ate my parents, as graceful as the dancing candle flame and as beautiful as the one in front of me.

'Yapari kowai.'

And as I felt his lips on my nose, loving and caring, I sensed myself murmur an almost inaudible, "Arigato, Sasuke-kun."

And the same darkness consumed me, like how fire consumed my parents, those parents who couldn't save me.

"Honey, aren't you supposed to be asleep? It's almost midnight."

"Darling, go back to your room."

"We'll protect you, my dear. We're here. We'll save you."

"Trust me."

OWARI.

VOCABULARY

Tasukete- help

kowai- I'm scared/ scared

Aa-Yeah

Wakaranai- I don't know

Nani ga- Of what

Dare- Who are you/ who

Sankyuu-Thank you

Anou ne- sort of 'umm'

Gomen- sorry

Hanashte- let go

daikirai- i hate you

Kirai janai- i don't hate you

Doushite- why

Kirei desu ne-it's beautiful

Yapari Kirei- it's beautiful after all

Nani- what

Hi-fire

Omaesan nimo- you too

Yapari kowai- I'm scared after all

Arigato- Thank you

End notes:

Hope you liked it.

aND yUp... i eDIteD IT beCAUSe OF you. :D. i tHOuGHt i WAS jUST gOIng TO lIve IT uP bUT it kEPT oN cOMiNG... :D tHx aNYWAys...