~~~Hi again! Chapter 8! I'd like to thank the people who emailed
me about this fic, it's nice to know people like it! 
	Ok, well, here we go with Chapter 8...
	Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takuchi, and so do all the other characters. Naoko RULZ!!! And so does Sailor Pluto!!!

The Guardian of Time and Her Secrets
Chapter 8
by Fairysetsuna

	Michiru walked out of the palace at a quick pace. Outside at 
the front of the palace, Orion had just arrived.
	"Orion! There you are! Setsuna isn't here yet, just wait."
	Orion looked at Princess Neptune. Usually she was quiet and
calm, but her tone just then sounded different.
	"Is there something wrong with Setsuna?"
	"There could be...I don't know."
	They waited in silence for Princess Pluto to arrive.

	
	Setsuna ran on the path to the Neptunian palace. She ran as fast 
as she could. She needed to see Orion, she needed to be comforted 
in his warm embrace, she just NEEDED him now...
	Orion saw her approaching, and he hurried to her. She collapsed 
against him.
	"Setsuna! What is wrong?"
	She gulped back tears. "Orion...my wedding is in two weeks. In 
two weeks I marry Zodos...."
	Orion's face was blank for a second, then it was replaced by a 
look of determination. "No...I won't lose you."
	Setsuna broke away from him. "Orion...I love you so much. I don't 
want to spend the rest of my life with Zodos. Only you."
	Orion stroked her hair. "Setsuna..."
	The tears that she had kept back, now ran freely down her sad 
face. She sobbed. She had never cried this much...
	Nor had she ever loved someone this much.
	Orion tipped her chin up a little. "Setsuna, listen to me. You 
don't want to marry Zodos?"
	"No...not at all."
	"We...you and I could marry."
	Her face brightened. "We could?" Then realistic thoughts entered 
her head. Her smile faded. 
	"Orion...if we did marry, my father..." she looked down. "My 
father would kill you."
	"Setsuna, I am already part of the Underworld. Prince Orion, heir
to the Hadian throne, remember??"
	She gave him a half smile. "Orion..."
	They kissed once again, and Michiru smiled. But like Setsuna 
several minutes before, her smile went away, and in its place was a 
look of worry.
	*I hope you two know what you are doing*, Michiru sighed silently.


	Chronos looked through the orb on that was on top of the 
Time Staff. He saw the two young lovers talking, then kissing.
	Old Chronos was lord of time...so of course he knew everything 
that was going to happen in the future. He knew when he would die. 
And who would be his killer.
	He also knew the Princess of Pluto didn't love his son, Zodos, 
she loved Prince Orion, of the Underworld.
	Chronos' lips curved into a small smile. Things would fall into place...and then Fate would take its turn. If everything went as it 
was supposed to, the future would be good for Setsuna. 
	The tired old man lay down in his bed. He must not affect time, 
one rule that he had always abided by. He must let Fate and Destiny
do their jobs.
	He coughed. It would be easier to die now than to wait for his 
death, but he had to wait. Wait until fate said he could die.
	He lay his Time Staff down next to him and fell alseep.

	It was 2 hours later. Setsuna had spent her time with Orion at
Princess Neptune's palace, in the Fountain Garden. 
	They sat together on a bench, and had talked about their future together. If there was any future at all. 
	Finally Setsuna realized it was getting late, and she told Orion
she had to go home for dinner. "But I will be back in about two 
hours, my love."
	He nodded. "Wait."
	"Yes?"
	Orion had something in his hand. He opened his palm, and there
was a necklace.
	"Orion..." Setsuna smiled. It was a dark emerald gem, shaped into 
the symbol of Pluto lined with tiny sparkling diamonds.
	He put the necklace around her neck. "Setsuna...I love you."
	She wrapped her arms around Orion, and they kissed once more 
before she left.

	During dinner, her father looked distraught. He kept wringing his
hands and looking around anxiously.
	Finally, Setsuna asked him what was wrong.
	"Chronos is sick, Setsuna. He has been in bed since two days ago, 
and no one knows what is causing it."
	"Oh." Maybe Zodos was trying to kill his father again, her mind thought.
	She finished dinner in a hurry. She asked to be excused.
	"Setsuna, going back to Michiru's?"
	"Yes, father."
	He chuckled. "You two are becoming best friends, with you going 
there everyday."
	Setsuna hurried out of the palace and back to Neptune.
	But the minute she stepped out of the palace, she felt a strange
energy field around her. 
	"What the..." she looked around, to see if anyone was causing it. 
No one was in sight. She kept walking, until she just stopped.
	"Huh?! I...I can't move!" Setsuna panicked. What was going on?!
	She got surrounded by a huge bubble and was caught inside. She 
banged against the clear walls, but they were hard as stone. She 
watched as she floated away from her kingdom.
	Setsuna was frightened for the several minutes she was in the 
bubble, but then it landed inside the Palace of Time. She could see Chronos leaning against his Time Staff. The bubble faded away and 
she could move freely again. 
	"Lord Chronos?" she asked.
	He coughed. "Yes, Setsuna. I sent for you."
	"Why?"
	"Setsuna, I am the Lord of Time...I have been for a long, long 
time. And with my job, I can see what happens in the future."
	"Oh."
	"I know you don't love my son. I have known that you would fall 
in love with Prince Orion. And that you love him more than you 
could ever love Zodos."
	Setsuna hung her head. "I'm sorry, Lord Chronos..."
	"Don't be sorry, dear. It was fate. Fate and Destiny control 
what happens in life. Even I have to obey those two."
	He coughed again, a loud cough that shook his entire body. 
Setsuna rushed to help him.
	"Setsuna, I will be all right."
	"Chronos...do you know what will happen with Orion and me?"
	"Setsuna, the future will be good to you...and you will have 
to wait and see. If nothing disturbs Fate, then your future is 
looking bright."
	The princess of Pluto smiled. "Thank you, Lord Chronos..."
	"I just wanted to tell you this before I leave this world."
	"What?"
	"Setsuna, I will die soon. In several days, probably. I am too 
old...I just don't have the strength anymore."
	"Chronos..."
	"Setsuna, go to Orion now...he is waiting for you."
	She waved good bye as she walked out of the palace.
	But when she was outside, she felt the same weird energy she had 
felt when she was on Pluto.
	*Where the heck is this coming from?!* she wondered. Then 
something inside her told her to go back inside the palace.
	She turned back and ran. Something wasn't right, not right at 
all. The balance of evil and good energy had changed. There was 
more negative energy surrounding her.
	She stopped right in the doorway of the throne room, where she 
had just been with Chronos.
	Zodos was holding a sword above Chronos, who was lying on the 
floor. 
	Her mind told her body to run in, but she couldn't move. 
This seemed like it was in slow motion.
	Setsuna watched in silent horror as Zodos raised the long, thin, shining sword and plunged it staright down into Chronos' chest.
	Zodos pulled the sword out and turned around. He saw Setsuna 
standing in the doorway, and he grinned evily. 

TO BE CONTINUED