Title: Dark Serenity – Betrayal of the Soul

Author: Sere G

Fandom: Sailor Moon:

Chapter: Eight – Can You Say 'Uh Oh'?

When Serena got home, Tina walking in behind her, Luna wasn't there. Wondering where the feline was, Serena remembered that there was supposed to be another Sailor Soldier meeting at the temple today. She scowled as she thought of this… she wasn't going to go to another meeting, nope! Not until they apologized!

Quickly, they found Serena's mother, Illene. She was in the kitchen, baking cookies.

"Hello, dear, how was school today?" She noticed Tina, halfway-hidden behind Serena. "And who's your new friend? I don't believe I've seen her before…"

Serena gave a nod, smiling. "You're right, Mom. She is a new friend." She stepped sideways so that Illene could see Tina better, and introduced them properly. "Mom, this is Tina Droi, the new student in my class. Tina, this is the best cook in the world, my mother, Mrs. Illene Tsukino!" She finished with a great flourish, and eyed the cookies her mother had just taken out, drooling slightly.

Tina bowed slightly in respect. "Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Tsukino. You certainly don't look old enough to be Serena's mother!"

Illene blushed brightly. "Please, call me Illene. It's nice to meet you, too, Tina."

"So, Mom…" Serena piped up, remembering what the aroma of cookies had caused her to forget. "I was wondering… can I please stay over at Tina's house this weekend? Please?" Her gaze was hopeful as she waited for her mother's answer.

Illene laughed. "So that's why you girls were complimenting me! Hmmm… I don't know…" She looked thoughtful as she considered it. "I guess you can… just as long as you get any homework you have done while you're there."

"YAY!" Both girls shouted in unison as they jumped for joy. Illene chuckled. "Before you go, though, won't you girls have some of my special peanut-butter cookies, Serena? They'll be stale by the time you get home…"

The drooling look came over Serena's face again and she nodded. "Like I'd let a batch of your cookies go untasted, Mom! I've gotta pack before I leave anyway."

So before they went upstairs, Illene gave each of the girls a cookie, and then, knowing her daughter's appetite, put some in a paper bag for Serena to take with her to Tina's.

When they got upstairs, Serena showed Tina her room. Tina gawked at it. "Oh, wow, your room is sooo cute, Serena! I just love this cute bunny comforter!" She gushed.

Serena grinned and scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. "Uhhh… thanks!"

Tina sat at the end of the bed and watched Serena as she pulled her duffel bag out from under the bed and began loading clothes into it for the weekend. Next she dashed to the bathroom adjoined to her room and changed out of her school uniform, afterwards grabbing her toothpaste, hairbrush, etc.

Lastly, she put her sack of cookies in on top of everything else, careful not to crush to crumbly delicacies, and zipped it shut.

"Wow, this is neat…" At the sound of Tina's murmur, Serena looked up from the now-ready duffel bag, curious. "What's neat?"

Tina stuck the magazine she'd been reading back in her bookbag. "According to this magazine article I just read, it says that it is a common belief that eyes are the windows to the soul. So, like, if you stare into someone's eyes, you should be able to see what kind of soul they have, what kind of person they are."

"Wow, really?" Serena grinned. "That IS cool!"

Tina nodded. "Wanna try it?" Serena didn't catch the glint that shown just then in Tina's eye.

"Okay, sure, that sounds fun!"

Both girls seated themselves across from each other on the bed.

"I'll go first," Tina said. "Okay?"

"Okay."

And so Tina stared hard into Serena's eyes, her brow furrowed in concentration. "I see… hmm… I see that you are a very sensitive person, one who depends much on the opinions of her loved ones… but one who is stronger than she seems. I see a good and loving person."

Finishing reading Serena's eyes, she grinned at the other girl. "Now you. See what you see in my eyes…"

For some reason, Serena found herself feeling sort of dazed… almost like she'd been daydreaming… but she forced herself to look into Tina's eyes.

"I see… um… I see…"

It was strange. Tina's eyes didn't really seem to show anything outward. The deep blue orbs were like the surface of the ocean, where a part can look shallow, but where you can take one step and be sucked under.

Serena cleared her throat, and tried to speak, but found that she couldn't. She tried to blink, but found that she couldn't do that, either…

She just kept staring into those beautiful eyes, trying to fathom what she could see, and then she felt she was falling into the ocean…

…but it was nice. It was like falling through water that was slightly warmed, but where you could still breathe. It just made her feel so… sleepy…

…she just let herself slip into the dark blue, and then into the darkness of unconsciousness…

…falling…