Suggested changes: {before : after}

On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 23:46:55 -0500 Aaron Nowack <anowack@tulane.edu>
wrote:

Bowing once again, the two Generals hurried forward and turned to face
the assemblage.  Nyxan stood at Jadeite's right, while Ishamanar stood
to his left.  Jadeite then addressed his fallen foes.  "I am the King
of the Dark Kingdom.  By rising in battle against your rightful lord,
you have committed treason against the Dark Kingdom."  The traditional
wording added 'and against our Great Leader'... but that hardly applied
any more.  "The {proscribed : prescribed} punishment is the Eternal
Sleep," Jadeite concluded, then paused, savoring his enemies' dismay.
"But I will be merciful."

For some values of merciful.  Considering how he suffered Eternal Sleep
previously, he may proscribe it for the future.  He probably also does't
have the power to impose it anyway.

"I won't, {brother : Brother}."

Silence was his only answer.  After a moment, Hermes continued.
"Anyway, as I was saying, my story begins just after I took this
incarnation, almost eight thousand years after the fall of the Golden
{Millenium : Millennium}."

"Good," Mercury stated.  "Now, what was that about a Golden {Millenium
: Millennium}?"  Hermes sighed.  "I don't know too much about it.  I
only saw its end.  By the time I was created, it was little more than a
shadow of its former greatness, corrupted by the black magics of a dark
queen."  He paused.  "There was a war.  She lost when most of the
Senshi turned against her.  Serenity the Peacemaker rose to the throne,
and the Silver {Millenium : Millennium} was born.  That would be...
eighteen thousand years ago now."

"The rumors," Deinas began, then shook his head and turned to Janus.
"I know Phoebe.  We grew up in the same tribe."  He paused, shaking his
head a second time.  "I knew she was an orphan of the succession war
like me, but this...."  He trailed off, glancing down at the floor
below, where the Queen was conferring with her {advisors : advisers},
among them the present Senshi Mars.  After a few moments, it appeared a
decision had been reached, and Phoebe was brought forward to be tested.

"Phoebe," Ikawa muttered under his breath, drawing a question from his
companion.  As he explained away his slip, Ikawa found himself
surreptitiously giving Rei a long, calculating look.  It couldn't be...
could it?

It certainly should be ringing more alarm bells than it is.

Hermes paused for a moment.  "After that, there was a long, apparently
peaceful period.  And during that time, I was not present for most of
the truly important events."

Like what really happened under Juno's surface.

But yet, at a cough from Her Royal Majesty, Serenity, daughter of
Serenity, one hundred and eighth Queen of the Moon Kingdom, and
unchallenged sovereign of the Silver {Millenium : Millennium}, quiet
came with alarming suddenness.  "My subjects," she began.  "My friends
and allies.  We are gathered here on this joyous occasion to celebrate
the announcement that the royal houses of Luna and Terra shall be
joined in marriage."

"I know," the Queen interrupted.  "But I must ask you to set that
aside.  I know not what forces we must deal with now, but I do know
that I will need your help.  By asking this of you, I have broken a
treaty that has stood for the full length of the Silver {Millenium :
Millennium}.  I beg of you, let us forge a new agreement."

This seems remarkably stupid of her.  Even if she couldn't use them as
fully as someone who had sworn the new oath to her, she could still have
used them as much as she dared under the old terms.

Jadeite allowed silence to reign for a moment before speaking.
"Mordrangar said much the same thing.  He died for his poor {judgement
: judgment}."

"It was hardly a technicality.  We were always intended as a balancing
force.  To swear loyalty to the Queen would be to abandon our oaths.
But, no.  That is not what caused all this.  Though it certainly
helped."  Hermes turned away for a moment, and gathered his thoughts
before continuing.

Hermes paused.  "It was the largest cultist strike ever.  Almost three
hundred irregular soldiers, a handful of sorcerers, and two dozen youma
- almost four times more than had ever been used in a single strike
before.  The last report we got out of Juno before everything went to
hell was that strange energy surges had been detected deep below the
planet's surface, and that Gaia and Senshi Terra were investigating.
We never found out exactly what happened below."

They'd have been far less hostile to Iris if they knew.

Nephrite sighed in relief.  It was almost all over.  Metallia would
soon be free, free to lead them to victory over the foulness of this
Silver {Millenium : Millennium}, corrupt follower to and pale
imitation of the Golden Age.  Mankind would throw off the false
barriers of law and morality that constrained him, and return to his
purest form.

Worlds like the one that spread out tantalizingly below her and the
others who had gathered.  There was some sort of interference
preventing them from landing on or teleporting to the surface, and so
they watched helplessly, {dependant : dependent} on irregular and
fragmentary reports.  So far as could be determined, the Metallian
cultists had gained the upper hand in the fighting below.

She watched dispassionately as the others pleaded for an explanation.
She could not speak, she could only gather the energy to {fulfil :
fulfill} her purpose.  She knew that they would not strike first, so
she could wait, and prepare the strongest attack possible.

And so, Serenity's magic found that bit of power and strengthened it,
and for a moment, Saturn could act freely.  And that she did, whirling
around and pointing her blade to where she could sense the source of
the dark power, not yet fully formed.

"As I recall, it was Poseidon who first demanded that Iris be stripped
of her powers, and that the post of Senshi Saturn be forever
eliminated."  Hermes paused.  "Serenity disagreed, and a day later the
war started."

Fearfully unobservant of them to not realize she was posessed until
Serenity's attack hit her.  And also for not asking why she attacked
Juno.

"The Silver {Millenium : Millennium} is weak.  The planets are
devastated by war, and Queen Serenity can do nothing.  The rebels
advance day by day, and only by luck are they not now here as well as
on Mercury and Venus.  Luck, and the sacrifices made by many brave men
and women to overwhelm the landing zones.  And what did Luna do?  She
watched while Terrans died for her!"  Kunzite took a menacing step
forward.  "Only a strong leader can return mankind to his proper glory!
Only Metallia can save us!"

"Silence Wall!"  The deadly attack halted {more : mere} inches before
Saturn's face, and the Senshi nearly collapsed from the effort of
blocking it.  And ever so slowly, the Silence Wall was contracting.

A day later, the Silver {Millenium : Millennium} was no more.
Serenity's final magic had heralded the end, as the mana wells on all
nine planets died out.  Magic failed, and with it civilization fell.
The few survivors were hard pressed by constant assaults from the small
number of remaining youma.  Only on green Terra would a remnant of a
remnant survive to carry on the line of man.

--
Mac :})
Give a hobbit a fish and he eats fish for a day.
Give a hobbit a ring and he eats fish for an age.



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