Marie had lots of new dreams again. The same one over and over again. Jean said it would go away. Marie would just run to Logan to tell him every detail. He'd just take her somewhere to try and forget 'em.

She figured in time it would fade like all the rest...Mystique's mind, that is. Another emotional head case crammed into her own. While trying to reorganize what was up there, the flood gates opened for all of them to come rushing out and scream at her.

She'd have headaches and tried to remember whose thoughts were whose and where they'd go. She had to find herself again and again, trying to remember her own life from all the rest. It was tiring and a scary experience. She'd be on an emotional rollercoaster worse then any case of PMS, as she overheard Scott say once.

Mystique's life was unique. To slowly change from being normal, to have your skin peel away and turn blue and then having the power to change into whatever you wanted was not easy. She was seen as a mutant -- she couldn't hide it. Rogue thought it was worse then her own mutation. School was no fun; she'd often get beat up at and all her friends left her. Parents freaked out even more and sent her to a medical facility to experiment for a cure, which there was none. Marie felt the needles and pokes from the doctors just as clear as Mystique did the first time. She ran...and found Magneto, someone who took her in and treated her normal.

Rogue understood why she turned to him and feared it. It is so easy to lure people to believe that mutants are treated as second-rate and that mutants need to turn the tables and take total control over humans to save their very existence. She even found herself thinking similar thoughts...whether they were really hers, she didn't know.

She felt the pain of shapeshifting from Mystique's first experiences. It got to be natural and hurt less each time she changed. The only example Rogue could think of was a new shoe. You first get blisters and your feet swell, and they hurt until you wear them in. Then they're stretched out and comfy, becoming your favorite pair. That is why it hurt Rogue so much. Her skin wasn't used to it; to change so much like that, it stressed her body out.

She cried for Mystique's life even though she'd aided Magneto in helping to try and kill her. Rogue never wished for hard lives on any mutant, friend or foe.

After the last encounter, Rogue was a mix of all emotions and memories as she fought and fought for control. She needed to find herself and not let them win. Jean helped her a great deal during the day. Sometimes hours and hours of sessions. Jean gave her total support and attention, so did Logan, Bobby, Katherine and the rest of her friends, helping her reorganize her mind. The more people shoved in her head, the harder it was. After a while she made great progress and was pretty much back to normal.

The dream that came to her tonight was no different then the rest, except it was less intense and she felt now, not in the dream, but just an observer of sorts. Realizing that what she saw and experienced was not her life but another's.

She was alone in this indescribable building with no one around but heard sounds of screams...she opened the door to find Mystique, her skin being sectioned off for tests. The doctors didn't bother with anesthetic. Rogue felt a quick, sharp sting as well, and clutched her own arm to find a chunk of skin missing and blood, but no real pain.

Finally claws pierced her body. She saw the points through her chest and yet felt nothing. Finally they retracted, dragging her backwards and falling into the tub of blue liquid. Instead of the panicked feeling for oxygen she just turned and eyed Logan lying there. She saw metal snapping into his bone and could feel her own body becoming rigid with each piece being attached. Finally she got climbed out of the tub, completely dry, and witnessed the men in Nazi uniforms having a party. A young kid came running in and passed her. No one else saw him. She followed and then he was taken away. It was Magneto being pulled back into an experimental room by soldiers who'd finally caught up to him. She was led by some force to another room and she sat in a chair and guilt swelled in her as a woman began yelled at her for being a lazy husband, an alcoholic, a drunkard, and she smacked him...her...she felt that but it didn't bother her. She was more saddened for the woman, red eyes, puffy and crying, looking into her own eyes.

Rogue got up and ran. She didn't know what was going on in this dream of hers. She ended up running into a wall and looked up at the sign. It was a house of mirrors. She entered and soon became lost in the maze. Instead of seeing herself in the reflections, they were a million different other people. Finally she stared right into one of the mirrors. Mystique stared back.

Rogue finally understood her. Mystique was always confused about herself who she was...was she anyone at all or everyone? Marie knew those feeling.

The only saving grace this time came from Aaron. A light flooded the mirror and above it was Aaron flying and stretching out his hand for her to take it. Her hands were uncovered, like his, but she knew it was okay. He wanted to take her out of this mess. This time she felt she had to touch him to break free. Her arm could barely reach as their fingertips touched. A light touch, she could feel it and he smiled. The room began to swirled around her, making her very dizzy and she'd awoke with a start.

The screaming back to reality stopped but shudders when waking up from the nightmares didn't. Logan always said she could come to him if needed, if the dreams bothered her. She gazed at her fingers, which had meet Aaron's hand. He had sort of pulled her to safety, waking her from the dream. She smiled. He was a wonderful friend. She felt him inside of her, not fighting her but helping her. Rogue held on to that thought, knowing Aaron was watching out for her during the nightmares. She no longer dreamed of guilt from the shack in the woods...that had long since passed. He was a friend, on the inside where no one else could truly go.

She laid her head back down on the pillow and slept on into the night in peace.