The Darkness Inside of Her
By: dragonfly-rising
Raye watched Serena from across the classroom. She had shared at least one class with the other girl for two years now and had always been grateful for the company. Except now it was a much different type of company than she had previously thought it would be. Serena did not quite give the impression that she was totally ignoring the teacher as he spoke of history but Raye knew the girl rarely paid attention to this class. As she looked at her friend Raye could not help but worry some over the distinct changes that she could see playing across Serena's face. She was certain that Serena thought none of them had noticed how different she was now, not that any of them had stepped forward to say much over the past three years. Yes Serena had become more serious about her studies and far too concentrated on her physical abilities but they couldn't find fault with any of that. They had been the ones who had pointed out her lack of attention in these areas so who were they to complain? Serena had acted as if nothing was strange with her new found interests but Raye of all of the Senshi knew better.
She had sensed the deep turmoil inside of the normally bouncy blonde and though she had continuously commented about Serena's old behavior she had found once it was not a constant in her life that she missed it. It wasn't as if Raye were alone in her observations, there were times that she and the others spoke about Serena without her being there. The general consensus was that they did not know what to say or do to stop what was occurring inside of their leader, nor could they even say what exactly it was that was wrong. Even Darien was at a loss for ideas and Raye knew it hurt the man deeply to admit that Serena no more confided in him then she did the Senshi.
It had been Lita, the least likely of them all to worry over such things, which had brought Serena's odd runs to Raye's attention.
~* Flashback*~
"You really should go and see it Raye. I can't really explain it to you. It's the way she runs, like she is doing her best to get away from something. Its just strange you know?" Lita said uncertainly.
They were at her family shrine. It was dark and Lita had come to her right after watching Serena at the school track. The Senshi of Jupiter was off that night, more bothered by her experience then she was willing to let on. Raye looked up at the night sky thinking.
"Should we be worried Lita?" She asked simply.
"You have to see her to understand Raye. It may be nothing at all. Maybe I'm seeing things in it that aren't there. All I can say is that it worries me and I don't know how to tell her. She's been acting different lately." Lita explained as if she needed an excuse to not go to Serena about it.
Raye nodded slowly completely understanding Lita's reluctance. It wasn't that Serena was less of a friend; it was that she seemed less approachable at times. There were things going on inside of her that troubled her so deeply that it communicated itself to the others as her wanting to be left entirely alone. None of them were willing to step over the invisible boundary that Serena had erected, feeling it was too much of an invasion of privacy. Raye herself would not approach Serena unless she absolutely had to due to this.
"I'll go the next time she does Lita, and we'll talk to Darien if I think the same way you do." Raye promised.
Lita nodded slowly but did not seem assured by this. Raye couldn't blame her.
~* End Flashback *~
Raye regarded her friend sadly. Yes she had gone and watched. Yes she had found the same sense of apprehension rising inside of her as Lita had. There had been no way to deny that what Serena was doing to herself was something to be concerned about. It wasn't that she ran, and it wasn't even that when normal people would have quit Serena went beyond. It was specifically that when Serena ran the powers that Raye associated with Serena changing to Sailor Moon would rise out of the determined blonde and envelope her, pushing her to a point that Raye knew was total exhaustion. It was also the look on Serena's face, the grim determination that frightened Raye. So she had gone to Darien as she had promised Lita, hoping he would be able to get somewhere with Serena. But that had not gone as well as she had hoped.
~* Flashback *~
"So?" She asked Darien as they sat in a booth at the arcade.
Darien's expression turned dark, "She says she is fine Raye."
For a moment Raye only stared at him in shock. The way he sounded was so defensive she couldn't react. His eyes cut down to the cup of coffee he had and Raye could not miss the slight trembling of his hands as they wrapped around the mug. Worried she looked at him closer. There were circles under his eyes that were a sure sign that he had not slept the previous night. She put a hand lightly on his arm and was surprised when he almost jumped out of his seat.
"Darien what is it?" She asked more forcefully.
"She lied to me and she did it on purpose. I don't know why she is doing what she is doing but she doesn't want any of us to be a part of it. She said she would be fine but I think when I was holding her..." He trailed off.
"Please Darien I'm concerned too, both me and Lita have seen her running. We need to know how to deal with this...this whatever it is." Raye encouraged, her heart beating slightly faster as fear gripped at her.
Slowly Darien raised his head and met her eyes. Raye flinched from the emotion that rolled off of the man.
"I think she was trying not to cry Raye and Serena doesn't do that." Darien stated with a funny crack to his voice.
~* End Flashback *~
~ No Serena doesn't do that ~ Raye thought to herself with a silent sigh.
Serena didn't exclude her friends or Darien from her life. Serena didn't spend most of the week at a deserted school track. Serena didn't fight her tears. Serena didn't do well in school. Serena didn't spend half of her time with that look of someone who desperately needs to find his or her way out. Serena didn't wait to ask for help if she knew she needed it.
~ Why won't you talk to me?! ~ Raye thought at her friend in hopeless frustration.
By: dragonfly-rising
Raye watched Serena from across the classroom. She had shared at least one class with the other girl for two years now and had always been grateful for the company. Except now it was a much different type of company than she had previously thought it would be. Serena did not quite give the impression that she was totally ignoring the teacher as he spoke of history but Raye knew the girl rarely paid attention to this class. As she looked at her friend Raye could not help but worry some over the distinct changes that she could see playing across Serena's face. She was certain that Serena thought none of them had noticed how different she was now, not that any of them had stepped forward to say much over the past three years. Yes Serena had become more serious about her studies and far too concentrated on her physical abilities but they couldn't find fault with any of that. They had been the ones who had pointed out her lack of attention in these areas so who were they to complain? Serena had acted as if nothing was strange with her new found interests but Raye of all of the Senshi knew better.
She had sensed the deep turmoil inside of the normally bouncy blonde and though she had continuously commented about Serena's old behavior she had found once it was not a constant in her life that she missed it. It wasn't as if Raye were alone in her observations, there were times that she and the others spoke about Serena without her being there. The general consensus was that they did not know what to say or do to stop what was occurring inside of their leader, nor could they even say what exactly it was that was wrong. Even Darien was at a loss for ideas and Raye knew it hurt the man deeply to admit that Serena no more confided in him then she did the Senshi.
It had been Lita, the least likely of them all to worry over such things, which had brought Serena's odd runs to Raye's attention.
~* Flashback*~
"You really should go and see it Raye. I can't really explain it to you. It's the way she runs, like she is doing her best to get away from something. Its just strange you know?" Lita said uncertainly.
They were at her family shrine. It was dark and Lita had come to her right after watching Serena at the school track. The Senshi of Jupiter was off that night, more bothered by her experience then she was willing to let on. Raye looked up at the night sky thinking.
"Should we be worried Lita?" She asked simply.
"You have to see her to understand Raye. It may be nothing at all. Maybe I'm seeing things in it that aren't there. All I can say is that it worries me and I don't know how to tell her. She's been acting different lately." Lita explained as if she needed an excuse to not go to Serena about it.
Raye nodded slowly completely understanding Lita's reluctance. It wasn't that Serena was less of a friend; it was that she seemed less approachable at times. There were things going on inside of her that troubled her so deeply that it communicated itself to the others as her wanting to be left entirely alone. None of them were willing to step over the invisible boundary that Serena had erected, feeling it was too much of an invasion of privacy. Raye herself would not approach Serena unless she absolutely had to due to this.
"I'll go the next time she does Lita, and we'll talk to Darien if I think the same way you do." Raye promised.
Lita nodded slowly but did not seem assured by this. Raye couldn't blame her.
~* End Flashback *~
Raye regarded her friend sadly. Yes she had gone and watched. Yes she had found the same sense of apprehension rising inside of her as Lita had. There had been no way to deny that what Serena was doing to herself was something to be concerned about. It wasn't that she ran, and it wasn't even that when normal people would have quit Serena went beyond. It was specifically that when Serena ran the powers that Raye associated with Serena changing to Sailor Moon would rise out of the determined blonde and envelope her, pushing her to a point that Raye knew was total exhaustion. It was also the look on Serena's face, the grim determination that frightened Raye. So she had gone to Darien as she had promised Lita, hoping he would be able to get somewhere with Serena. But that had not gone as well as she had hoped.
~* Flashback *~
"So?" She asked Darien as they sat in a booth at the arcade.
Darien's expression turned dark, "She says she is fine Raye."
For a moment Raye only stared at him in shock. The way he sounded was so defensive she couldn't react. His eyes cut down to the cup of coffee he had and Raye could not miss the slight trembling of his hands as they wrapped around the mug. Worried she looked at him closer. There were circles under his eyes that were a sure sign that he had not slept the previous night. She put a hand lightly on his arm and was surprised when he almost jumped out of his seat.
"Darien what is it?" She asked more forcefully.
"She lied to me and she did it on purpose. I don't know why she is doing what she is doing but she doesn't want any of us to be a part of it. She said she would be fine but I think when I was holding her..." He trailed off.
"Please Darien I'm concerned too, both me and Lita have seen her running. We need to know how to deal with this...this whatever it is." Raye encouraged, her heart beating slightly faster as fear gripped at her.
Slowly Darien raised his head and met her eyes. Raye flinched from the emotion that rolled off of the man.
"I think she was trying not to cry Raye and Serena doesn't do that." Darien stated with a funny crack to his voice.
~* End Flashback *~
~ No Serena doesn't do that ~ Raye thought to herself with a silent sigh.
Serena didn't exclude her friends or Darien from her life. Serena didn't spend most of the week at a deserted school track. Serena didn't fight her tears. Serena didn't do well in school. Serena didn't spend half of her time with that look of someone who desperately needs to find his or her way out. Serena didn't wait to ask for help if she knew she needed it.
~ Why won't you talk to me?! ~ Raye thought at her friend in hopeless frustration.