This should probably go without saying but credit is due where credit is earned. I do not own the vast majority of characters in, around, and within the universe that Takeuchi Naoko-san has created. I do however, lay claim to any characters that I introduce within the story (provided that I continue to write more than this chapter). This being said, I hope you enjoy the first (and hopefully not last) installment.
In The Distance
Footsteps echoed in the air as she navigated through the dense fog. Passing a border of white marble pillars, she knew she was fast approaching her destination. As if appearing from thin air, an ornate wooden gate slowly became visible through the mist. The silhouette of a person standing in front of the gate rapidly faded into visibility. A voice called out to her.
"It's been quite a while since you've visited me here, Small Lady." The guardian of the gate loosened her hold on her staff. She smiled.
The princess walked towards the voice, bringing the guardian into view. "I see you all the time when you aren't working. Puu, aren't you sick of me?"
Pluto shifted her position, allowing the staff to disappear into the ether. She leaned her shoulder against one of the marble pillars framing the time gate. "I can't imagine why I would tire of my dearest friend." She playful pouted and winked. "Time is quick to linger here. Company is always welcome when I am here at the gates."
"Sure Puu." Chibi-Usa rolled her eyes earning a smile from the guardian. "Well, anyway, I just wanted to see how you were doing. It looks like nothing's changed since my last visit."
"Nothing is always a good sign that things are normal."
"Isn't that boring though?"
"Normal doesn't necessarily mean boring. Sometimes a lot of work is involved in keeping things 'normal'."
The teenager raised an eyebrow. "So that means that you're normally busy?"
"I'm busy enough."
"With what?"
"One day you'll come to fully understand my duties here at the gates."
"Sure Puu." Chibi-Usa rolled her eyes again.
The guardian and the princess began laughing at their absurd conversation but silence quickly fell over the gates. The princess had noticed that her guardian had abruptly stopped laughing and was staring off in the distance.
"Nani yo?" Chibi-Usa questioned her friend.
Pluto stood up and took a few steps away from the gates. "Someone is watching."
"Huh? I didn't hear yo..."
"Diana! I need you to escort Chibi-Usa back to the palace!" The guardian's tone of urgency alerted the youth. There were very few times where Chibi-Usa saw her friend anxious while at the Gates. Something was very wrong.
Chibi-Usa franticly scanned the premises, searching for any sign of unrest. Unable find anything out of place, she glanced at the guardian. "Puu, is someone there?"
Pluto remained still, eyes locked on something beyond the mists surrounding the gates. Her time staff materialized in herright hand as she silently stepped in front of the princess. "I am not certain what it is. Please stay behind me, Small Lady."
"But." Chibi-Usa crossed her arms and pouted. "I'm sixteen, remember? I'm old enough to help you! Just let me henshin." Grasping the folds of her dress, she pulled out her henshin wand and raised it towards the sky. "Ooooh, do you think it could it be a youma?"
The guardian half turned to bring the princess into her peripheral vision. "Something's amiss. If it is a youma, it would have attacked by now." Using her free hand, Pluto grabbed hold the princess' outstretched arm, stalling the princess' attempt to transform. "Small Lady, hold on. It could just be waiting for us to make a move. You would be vulnerable to attack while transforming."
Gingerly retracting her arm, Chibi-Usa sheepishly grinned. "Gomen-nasai. I just wanted... to... help... Look!" She stepped to the side of Pluto and pointed to a glimmer of light in the distance. "It might be Diana."
Pluto cautiously turned towards the suspicious flickering in the distance. "I don't hear her collar's bell."
"But light travels faster than sound. It has to be Diana's..."
Pluto dashed in front of her princess, dropping her staff and pushing the princess to the ground.
"Puu! What was that for?" Chibi-Usa complained from her ungraceful position on the time portal's tiled floor. She sprung up behind her guardian, brushing herself off. "What did I do?" She crossed her arms demanding an answer.
"I am sorry Small Lady. It was what I thought." Pluto again half turned to bring the princess into her peripheral vision. She stretched out her right arm, presenting her hand. Clutched between her fingers was an ornate knife.
Chibi-Usa gasped at the realization that a weapon had been thrown at her. Was someone trying to assassinate her? She carefully grabbed hold of knife's handle, taking the weapon from Pluto. Noticing red stains on the blade, she looked towards her guardian. "Puu, you cut your hand."
Pluto continued to focus on the area that the weapon had been thrown. "Don't worry. The cut was not deep." Oblivious to her wound, she retrieved her staff from the ground. Again she scanned the mists for the intruder. "Your safety is of more importance at this moment."
"But..." A flash of blinding light silenced the youth. A bell from a collar echoed through the mists.
"Konnichi-wa, Pluto-sama. What is happening?"
"I do not know for certain. Please get the princess to safety. This intruder has already proven to be hostile."
Chibi-Usa looked on top of her guardian's shoulder surprised to see that the pink kitten had materialized there. "Diana!" she called out just as the kitten leapt to the floor.
The kitten padded towards Chibi-Usa and bowed. "My princess, we must leave."
"But, I can help."
Pluto once again half turned to bring the princess into her peripheral vision. "Please, Small Lady. I must take care of this. It is my duty."
Chibi-Usa sighed in resignation. "Okay, but be careful."
Pluto smiled at her friend's concern. "I'll see you after my shift. We'll go for some ice cream?"
The princess placed her free hand on her guardian's shoulder. "Fine then. No more green tea ice cream for you, though. Please be safe, Puu... Ja ne." The kitten and princess carefully walked away from the gates disappearing into the fog. The echo from a bell faded in the distance.
After passing one of the ornate marble pillars bordering the time portal, Chibi-Usa promptly hid herself from the view of the gates. She slyly peeked from pillar, observing her Puu.
The kitten was visibly disappointed with her princess. Quietly creeping towards the eaves dropper, she loudly whispered, "Princess! This is no time to be spying Pluto-sama. The intruder might find us!" Chibi-Usa picked up Diana from the floor, tightly cradling the kitten with one arm. "Please put me down so we can teleport out-mfffphhmm. MMMPPHMHH!" The princess grinned evilly as she adjusted her hand over the kitten's mouth.
"Shush Diana. We can't stay hidden if you keep on talking. I'm not going to leave Puu if I can help her out."
"Mmmmphhm. MMMHHHH!"
"So you're saying we should stay and keep an eye out for Puu? That's a great idea, Diana."
"Mooookaaay... Mooooo mmmiiiinnn!"
"Good kitty. I knew you'd agree with me. Now, shush. Let's watch." Chibi-Usa felt a sigh on her mouth-covering hand.
The two peered around the pillar and through the mists. The situation had not changed. The guardian was still searching the premises, poised for action.
Pluto squinted in an attempt to find any miniscule clue of the trespasser's whereabouts. It shouldn't take this long to get a bead on the intruder. 'It' was good at hiding. The guardian adjusted her grip on the moist surface of her staff. Only then did she notice the red stain of blood dripping down her staff.
"It is disappointing to see you. Blood should not have been shed with such a menial task."
Pluto pointed her staff towards the unknown voice. The Garnet Orb on top of her staff began to glow. "Dead Scr..."
"No need for that just yet. I have yet to talk to you face to face," the voice interrupted. The guardian halted her attack letting the purple glow of her staff fade. She suspiciously arched an eyebrow. The intruder wanted to talk?
"Show yourself then," the Guardian of the Gates of Time shouted authoritatively.
From the mists, the sound of footsteps approached the Gates. Pluto shifted her position, readying herself for a surprise attack. The blood dripping down her staff began trickling to the tiled floor.
A silhouette appeared in the distance. Pluto raised her staff towards the obscured figure. "Any unauthorized person will be eliminated."
Slowly, the form faded into a man. "Then so be it. But how good is a soldier who can't catch her own knife?"
Behind the pillar, Chibi-Usa placed Diana on the floor. Realizing that she had taken the knife with her, she retrieved it from the folds of her dress. The kitten hopped onto the princess' shoulder and the two examined the handle of the knife; Engraved in the center of its handle was the sigil of Pluto.
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