Burning (FFXIII, Serah, PG)

[wallwalker]

Title: Burning
Fandom: FFXIII
Characters: Serah
Rating: T
Notes: Ficlet.

The thing was burning under the armband.

Serah tried not to let anyone see how uncomfortable it was, but she wasn't having an easy time. She tried to smile like nothing had happened when she saw her friends again. She's fine, she told herself. She just got lost. She just has to keep the brand hidden, and no one will ever know what's happened to her. Smile, nod and don't let anyone see.

It wasn't that easy. She should've known it wouldn't be - she should've known that it would hurt the way that it did. It felt like her flesh had been frozen around the brand, or burnt - she couldn't even tell. It wasn't hot or cold, or anything else she'd ever felt. It was strange and terrible and it defied all description, and it was spreading. Whatever it was, it was filling up her entire body, and she wanted to use it.

Use it to do what, though? All she saw were a few disconnected images, horrible things. She could barely even remember them anymore. All she knows - all she cares about - was what she saw when the nightmare images were over. Her mind conjuring images of the two most important people in the world to her, of Lightning and Snow, and the feeling that she needed to go to them, make sure that they were going to be all right.

How could she, though, when she had this thing on her arm, filling her with magic that she was sure everyone else could see? She couldn't just keep hiding it, could she? Eventually it would spread and spread, and then everyone would know what she was. And that was if she didn't become a Cie'th first...

She didn't know what else to do. She would just have to keep hiding it, and maybe hide herself, too. She couldn't risk Snow finding out, or Lightning. She didn't know what either of them would do, and to see them rejecting her... no. She couldn't. She wouldn't.