The second chapter to "She is My Light." A tidbit about my story is, the title comes from the Greek mythology of Selene - her name meaning "light" with the Greek word 'selas.' Cool, ne? Also, I have to add the almighty disclaimer so no one yells at me.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sailormoon, in any way shape or form. If I did, I would not be writing this - it would be on TV! There...now that that's over with...

READ!

Chapter One
"First Glance/Training"

The kingdom was peaceful, on this particular day. Serenity, the young princess was playing in the gardens while she waited for her mother to stop conversing with the king of a foreign planet, named Nox—she believed. The princess had been lonely, and there had been no one to play with since the Senshi had been busy today; and Serenity had been especially bored today, as a young child would be.

It was then that she saw someone unfamiliar in the gardens, and ducked behind a bush as the young boy seemed taller than her and the fact that he seemed angry and annoyed. She let out a giggle, and he turned in the bushes to face her with a glare. He was in no mood for games, and the princess had revealed her presence—causing him to be fierce with anger, if she was the game playing type.

He pointed his wooden sword at the princess, slicing a white rose on the bush and it falling to pieces at the pavement. Serenity cringed and looked down, as she felt fear overtake her. "I…I am sorry! I didn't mean to laugh! Please…do not hurt me," she pleaded.

The boy looked her over, with a startled expression. This princess was different from the rest—she wasn't up for playing games, nor was she the type to be uncouth. He smiled at her and lowered his wooden sword, putting it in his sheath. "I won't hurt you," he said gently, as he stood there in front of you. "I'll protect you—how does that sound?"

Serenity looked at him and slowly nodded, her fear relinquishing as she moved out of the bushes and stood out in front of him. As he examined her, he was in awe by her beauty—she was a fair princess, alright, and she was only seven-and-a-half years old from research done of the Moon Kingdom. He, himself, was twelve, but sometimes he could act like less, to be honest.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Serenity, the princess. But just call me Serenity, okay?" She would bow slowly, and smile at him.

"I'm…Rudhira," he said with a smile, as she had showed him her smile—it would be an understatement that the smile had made his stomach sink; it had done so much more… Could it be infatuation? "Do you want to sit in the shade?" he asked her, his smile fading. If she agreed, he would pursue his emotions with her, for he had never felt anything like this in his life…and he wanted to feel more of it. Especially with her.

"Sure," she smiled at him. "Let's go." She took hold of his hand, pulling him down the gardens and onto the grassy area, near the cherry blossom tree. As she pulled him, he felt his insides tighten as her touch collided with his. He had never been in contact with a member of the opposite sex, so this was quite an experience for him. "I'm so glad I met you," she said, as she sat down, taking her with him. He sat beside her, holding her hand gently. "It's so boring in this kingdom without anyone to talk to."

"My father is talking to your mother, the Queen. We came a long ways just to make a peace treaty for the universe and for our planet," he said as he turned to face her. "It's annoying, and stupid. I hate going to planets with my father. There is nothing for me to do but wander around."

"My mother is probably laughing a lot when she talks to your father," Serenity said with a desperate sigh. "She wants me to know everything about the Silver Crystal, and being a queen, but I am not ready for that."

"I see," Rudhira said, as he looked at her. Man, she was beautiful. And her personality wasn't half bad, either. She seemed to have her own way of looking at things, and she didn't let anyone else tie her down to do what they wanted her to do. If he could choose a girl to settle down with, it would be someone like her. "Can I ask you a question, Serenity?"

Serenity looked at him and nodded. "Sure…"

"If I was to say to you that I'd protect you, would you want me to return here?"

Serenity looked down as her hand was still tight around his, his eyes focused on him. If she answered the way he had hoped… Well, who was he fooling? She was a princess, dignified. Her heart probably didn't feel the things he felt for her, even this early on. "I'd have to say that I'd be very happy. I want you to come back, and I want to know more about you, Rudhira…"

His heart almost leap at these words; her reply, astounding him beyond relief. She wanted to see him again! It meant something to him that she could not comprehend. His touch of her hand within his reach, he held it sweetly and looked at her, as she locked eyes with him. "You make me happy, Serenity," he said, leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek, as he missed her lips on purpose—he had a reason why he did, since if his father caught him kissing a girl, he would certainly punish him beyond words.

He had blushed as she neared his cheek and kissed him back. "You're awesome, Rudhira. I wish I knew you before…"

Awesome? Hell yeah, he was. For a twelve-year-old, he sure knew how to work his magic on women at this young age.

"Can I ask you a question, Serenity?" Rudhira said as he pulled away from her cheek, when he noticed her cheeks were bright pink, even more so than his were. She made him as red as a tomato, and he liked it. "Why are there no men on your planet?! Where are they?"

"I don't know," she said with a sigh. "You're the only boy around here that I've seen, and my father died before I was born, so I figured that they all disappeared. I don't know. My mother says it's a lot better here without them. She says men are nothing but trouble… Do you know why she says that?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

He smirked a little. "My dad says women who think men are nothing but trouble are lesbians," he responded, as his blush grew redder. He didn't know quite what a "lesbian" was, but hey! She had kissed him back! And that meant everything to him.

"I wish you'd be able to stay," she said with a smile that was forlorn. "We need more people like you on my planet."

"H-hey! I'm coming back, okay? And I'll protect you! And I'll have shiny armor and a cape, and I'll promise to return, just for you, okay? So don't be sad, Serenity—I'll be here for you!" He said with a wink and a smile that seemed to overpower his red cheeks.

"Alright," she said with a smile. She tightened her grip on his hand and leaned forward to hug him.

And so, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Rudhira left for Nox the next day, to train. He told Serenity that he would train as hard as he could just to be strong enough for her—and so, she had agreed that she would wait for him.

As time passed, Serenity found herself waiting longer than she expected. And with time, she would see that this wait would be the change of her life—not only with the meeting of him, but the feelings she would soon discover that she felt for Rudhira…

- - -

He would feel the blade hit his, and he would take a step back, knowing that he was weak already. The battle had been hard for him, and he didn't know how much more he could take. Sweat ran down his cheek as he stumbled, his body giving out. They had been sparring for nearly two hours, and he felt like he was losing in everything. He was supposed to be winning against the trainer, and he was supposed to be toughening up for Serenity—but to avail, he was tired. They had been doing this for a month now, and Rudhira felt like he was losing his body's strength. Even though, from day to day, he had lasted longer. While he was tired, he tried to focus on Serenity and how she allowed him to believe in himself like no other and he immediately took down his opponent in one fell swing—amazing himself.

"Well done, Rudhira," his trainer, Ryo would say. "Now all you need to do is practice honing that skill and you'll be up in rank in no time." A pat was given on Rudhira's shoulder before Ryo left, leaving Rudhira in silence.

Rudhira looked down at his sword and smiled. If being stronger meant being one step closer to protecting Serenity then he didn't mind the pain and frustration that came with it. In fact, he wanted to feel that feeling more, because it made his heart race knowing that he could protect Serenity—keeping his promise with her. He left the room and went into the throne room, heading towards the stairs. As he headed upward, he thought of Serenity, that day that he had left her. Their meeting had been brief, since he had come back solely to tell her good-bye. Along with leaving her, she had given him a photograph of herself for him to look at, and a letter she had written. He had kept both on his bedside table, always, so that he could remember her for who she was: His princess.

The picture had shown her in her best light—a princess of noble stature, but a young girl full of heart and her smile as beautiful as the moon itself. He had held the picture many times in its frame against his heart, embracing it when he felt alone and scared for his future. She was always there now, and he appreciated Serenity's kind token of her kindness for him.

The letter was a deep and short note that she had written, acknowledging him in a way that seemed to be ethereal. She had written it in a hurry, he could tell, because the scribbles had shown that she had tried to rephrase several words before settling on the perfect one. He remembered the letter, from beginning to end, without having to read it at all. It was the best gift anyone had ever given him, and he always wanted it to stay that way, because Serenity was his heart.

Rudhira,

I wish you could stay. So many times I have hoped that you could be here with me, but your duty is to your training and I understand that. Please understand that I am simply a princess, misunderstanding a lot of things. My duty is to my people, as yours is as well—which is why I respect your reason for leaving. I wish you have a safe journey home, and to always remember that I will be waiting for you, no matter what. Our friendship will never die, and my happiness when I think of you will never fade.

Attached is a photo of me, to remember me, even when you are afraid. Believe in yourself, and no matter what—always believe in hope, even when hope seems lost. You can do it! I believe in you.

–Serenity

When he had first read her letter, he must have read it a thousand times. Each time he had tried to depict her expression while writing it, or the tone in her voice if she had spoken it, or the fact that each word had allowed him to feel deeper emotions for her than anyone could have made him feel. Sometimes, he felt a tear roll down his cheek, but he knew that his tears were not a sign of weakness—but a sign of devotion for her. He loved her, he knew this much for sure. He had discovered it as soon as he returned home, on his planet of Nox—his father had allowed him to go to his room after dinner, and it was then that he thought of Serenity, her smile radiating through his mind. His heart had raced, and he had imagined that day that they met; the unexpected look in his eye after she had kissed him. It had all been too real, too perfect… But yet, it had happened. It was then he realized his love for her, and how his heart had been full of feelings for her he had never felt for another. And he was glad for that, because he only wanted to feel it for her. Serenity was solely his heart, and nothing could change that.

He made a solemn vow to himself right then that he would never let anyone stand in the way of their love—and if they did, he would make it a personal goal to make them suffer. No one could ever understand, and no one ever would. But he knew that Serenity was his lifeline, and he didn't anything less from his princess….

- - -