A/N: You people didn't believe me when I said I wouldn't abandon a story, did you? Well, I don't. I will always come back and write more, even if it takes me a long time to do so. I'll do my best to keep this going on a semi-frequant update basis but I can't promise anything. ^.^ Enjoy!
FIRE
There were many things that Rahne doesn't like. She doesn't like getting caught in the rain. She doesn't like dealing with Scott. She's not a fan of Kitty's cooking, nor does she like early morning Danger Room sessions. Math is on that list too, just like a hundred other things. But there is only one thing that truely scares her.
Fire. Flames. Embers; whatever form it comes in. Even just the sight of it sends shivers up her spine and gets her heart racing. Feeling it is even worse. Knowing she's trapped in it, that it's all around her and she can't get out, stuckstuckstuck, it makes her loose her mind. She stops thinking and just moves. Runs and runs and does whatever she can to get away from it.
The other New Mutants, they understand that. They know what happened to her before she came to the Institute and they do their best to keep it away from her. Jaime won't even smoke when she's in the same room. But they don't baby her and they don't think less of her for it. After all, they have their issues too.
The original X-Men are a different matter though. When Rahne runs from the training room because a wall of fire burst from the floor in front of her, they get mad. Scott yells and Jean frowns and even Kitty has this look on her face like she knows that she could have done better.
But they don't know that everytime she sees those flames, she feels them again. Feels them licking at her feet, burning and blistering the skin. Feels the heat surrounding her completely, hears the villages laughing and shouting. Jeering and applauding. And they won't know because she doesn't want their pity. She wants their respect.