~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Controlling Destiny...Chapter 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba walked out of the movie theatre into the star-filled night. They had just seen the latest movie release, and now walked down the street, hand in hand.. "Wow, Mamo-chan, that was a wonderful movie," Usagi cooed as she cuddled close to him. "Glad you liked it, Usako," Mamoru said, placing an arm around her. "Where to now?? Would you like some dinner?" "Mmmm, yes! I am hungry ," Usagi replied. "Well there's a new resteraunt that just opened near Juuban park..." "Mamo-chan, there is one thing I never argue with, and that's food. Lead the way!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later, the couple sat on a bench in Jubaan Park, looking at the stars. Usagi sighed, and looked into Mamoru's eyes. "I had a wonderful time tonight, Mamo-chan. I just wish this night would last forever...." Mamoru looked into her crystal blue eyes, and smiled. "I wish we could, but we have to get going. It is already 11, and your parents will have a fit if we stay out longer..." He stood up, then extended a hand to her. "C'mon, let me walk you home." "Oh okay....," Usagi groaned as she asrose. Mamoru smiled once more, and kissed her softly on the cheek. As they were walking towards the park entrance , a blinding flash of light exploded in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. Usagi screamed and covered her eyes. "What the..?" exclaimed Mamoru, shielding his eyes. When the light subsided, Usagi looked around to find the light's source. "Mamo-chan....,"Usagi gasped, as she saw what it was, "look!". Mamoru uncovered his eyes and looked at the object before them. There, floating in front of them, was Sailor Pluto's Time Staff. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Usagi had never seen the weapon out of Sailor Pluto's possesion before. But yet, it floated in front of them, the garnet orb on top of the staff glowing brightly. She became concerned --What could have happened to Sailor Pluto?-- "She would never let this out of her sight," Mamoru said, concern in his voice. "Agreed," Usagi muttered, "it was sent here -- or it came here for a reason..." "'Came here?' Usako, you're not suggesting that it's alive?" Usagi took a tenative step towards it. "Setsuna once told me that it possesses a power all its own. It has even saved her life on more than one occasion...and now it's here before us. We've gotta find out why it's here. " Usagi reached her hand out to grab it. "Do you think it's wise to touch it??" Mamoru said nervously. "Only one way to find out," She replied with determination. Usagi clasped her hand around the cold metal shaft of the Time Staff. The garnet orb glowed even brighter when her hand made contact. Her brain reeled with numerous images that it was flashing in her mind... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sailor Pluto laid on the ground, bound near the time gate..... Strange aliens surrounded her.... ~~They look like snakes??!!~~ One of them spoke to Sailor Pluto: "We have what we need to travel through time. We will have Crystal Tokyo. We will control it's destiny.....and Neo-Queen Serenity will be powerless to stop it." Sailor Pluto's spoke up, her voice weak. "You will not win ... there are people who will stop you..." "I think not....for you see, we hold the upper hand.....we know the weakest point of humans is their minds. " The alien closed his eyes, and linked hands with a nearby alien. The alien spoke once more. "Anyone who gets in our way...will suffer our wrath." The two aliens then closed their eyes, and concentrated on the form of Sailor Pluto. Sailor Pluto screamed as the pain that brought her down before returned full force... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Nooooo!" Usagi screamed, as she felt the pain that Sailor Pluto had. She tried to release the staff, but it was as if she had glue on her hands. It would not budge. All of it was too much for her to endure. She screamed in pain and collapsed, releasing her hold on the Time Staff. It stopped glowing, and fell to the ground with a clatter. "USAKO!" ___________________________________________________________________________ Cliffhanger time!! ( Not intentional, mind you, I have a writer's block the size of the Empire State Building. -_-;;;;;;) Next time: Usagi knows the stakes, as she and Mamoru make a dangerous journey to the Gates of Time... Till next Time! Time Guardian tmegrdian@yahoo.com http://members.nbci.com/tmegrdian/index.html