Sorcery, 1B (2) Choose two target creatures controlled by the same player. Remove one of those creatures from the game and put two +1/+1 counters on the other.1 "Mine."
Illus. Robert Bliss
You choose the two target creatures during announcement, and you choose which gets the counters and which is to get removed from the game during announcement as well. [D'Angelo 1999/06/20]
A creature will not be affected if it changes controllers before this spell resolves. This is because being controlled by the chosen player is a targeting restriction. [WotC Rules Team 1998/03/31]
If one of the targets is not valid on resolution, it still affects the other target normally. [Duelist Magazine #25, Page 30]