Smoke blots out the sun, the dark swirls covering the land in an artificial night.

The amber scent would scrunch the nose of almost anyone, a spice meant to burn.

But what most don’t realize, is this was the result of Fire, attempting to love Life. The plants that grow from the soil, reaching towards the sunlight.

Fire wasn’t trying to hurt her, as she wrapped her delicate flames around the roots of life, holding her in a warm embrace. Fire licked at the soft green leaves, and danced with the branches.

Fire didn’t realize she was hurting her, until one day earth called out, “You’re burning me! You are simply too much.”

Fire drew back then, begging for just one more chance, convinced they could make something beautiful together.

But, Life shoved Fire away, shaking away the flames, “Ash is the only thing you bring, your brightness dulls mine. You must go.”

With a sigh, Fire recoiled, pulling her flames back to her core. But, Fire couldn’t live alone like others could, she needed something to fuel her flames, therefore she grew small, only embers in the dirt.

And she remained that way, until she was almost completely gone.

However, one day, Wind brushed against the ground, picking fire up in its strong arms, carrying her into the sky.

She flew with Wind, as he showed her things that were to astonishing to see from the ground.

Wind made her smile, laugh, and grow, her embers and ash flying high.

Fire had liked this life much more than the last, and she watched as she looped and swirled, sailing through the sky.

Only, it didn’t last.

The Wind carried her like he would never let go, but, soon wind dropped her, leaving her free falling.

She screamed as she tumbled, dropped from her hight so Wind could carry new things, better than fire.

Her embers were turning black, life flickering from her eyes.

She needed to survive.

Fire selfishly crawled to a pile of broken, dead things, once a part of Life, now dead.

Fire pounces on the dried leaves, devouring each one relishing in the way they made her grow once again.

Now, Fire, growing strong once more, pulled back, and ran. She ran away from the Earth, away from Wind, until she was met with a wall, not even she could cross.

A river carved through the rocks of the mountain, blocking her path.

She tried to cross, carefully dipping a foot into the cold water, but found that the seemingly simple thing, made her loose part of herself.

She pulls back, shaking, before Water answers.

“Please, come heat my body, that way I can grow, fly with the wind, and fall onto Life, that way I can be happy.”

Fire timidly reached out a hand, holding it over the surface of Water. Where the Water met the Fire, it starts to turn to steam, growing up, and away from Fire.

Fire grew to like Waters company, and it was sad to see her go.

The steam started to effect fire, putting her out once again. It dulled her Faster and faster, the longer she stayed with Water.

“Water, I am loosing myself, I am not sure how much longer I can help you turn to steam.”

Fire was giving the only thing she had, while getting nothing in turn.

“Fire, do you not love me?”

“I do! I do love you.”

“Then why won’t you do this simple thing for me. Don’t you want to see me happy?”

Fire blinks, and does not pull away like she yearns too. She continues to give what she can, watching herself whither away, while Water goes into the sky, getting swept up by wind, and made into clouds, before raining down to meet Life.

Fire has become nothing, nothing but a single flame, flickering, yet fighting.

She gave everything to water, yet water gave nothing to Fire, and let her burn out.

She let her hazy, heavy eyes shutter closed, taking one look at the happy combinations of elements around her. Pained by the fact that she belonged with none of them.

She took one final breath, before her light flickered out, and her ashes littered the ground.

While Fire felt her life was useless, full of hurt, rejection, and pain, something happened in her death.

Her ashes sank into the soil, and helped give birth to new flowers, stems peaking from the dirt, given strength by Fires sacrifice, while having no knowledge of it.

Fire couldn’t see it, but, even if the journey to become the ashes was painful, and ended in tragedy, she grew the future, she was part of every flower of the field

Fire isn’t just destruction, just pain, but life.

Light.

A burning desire to be loved, to have people care about her, the way she does about them.

But, we only see the distruction, not the light she provides.