The Senshi of Uranus blinked. "I do?"
"Yes, even you can have a good idea once in a while."
"Well, thanks... HEY!"
Setsuna just smiled while Michiru and Hotaru giggled.
"Oh great, just laugh it up."
"We will."
"But do you think that that would be a good idea?" asked Michiru as Haruka sulked.
"It could not hurt, and it'd give us a sense of how the general feeling of the population is."
"How does that do anything?" asked Hotaru.
"It's simple. No matter how nice the ruler is, unless the people at least respect him, he can never truly run his nation."
"Then we're going to go outside?"
"It seems that way. Let's just tell the maid before we go."
"Okay!"
"This is..," growled Haruka.
Michiru looked at her. "Yes?"
"Absurd! All these potential enemies, and not one of them available to fight!"
"Rather relaxing," observed Setsuna, "isn't it?"
"I'd just like to get the low down on this 'Ranma' character is all."
"Oh, are you talking about the Emperor?" asked a voice off to the side.
The Outers turned and saw a human looking couple standing nearby. He was barrel chested and rather tall, while she was shorter and slim.
Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Can we help you?"
"Well, we couldn't help but overhear you talking. Are you from outside the empire?" asked the woman.
"You might say that," answered Michiru.
"That's wonderful!"
"It is?"
"Oh yes! It has been a while since we have been able to have tourists on Mongo."
"Tourists?"
"We haven't really had many of them, you know. After all, they haven't exactly come... willingly at times."
"Why don't you just call them 'prisoners of war' and be done with it?" grumbled the man.
"Because I was attempting to be diplomatic. My husband is a captain in the military, so things tend to be a bit more cut and dried with him."
"But not for you?" asked Setsuna.
"Of course. I am an architect, and when one has to deal with a customer's demands for perfection in their home, it helps to be able to work with them."
"You seem to be good at it."
"Why thank you. But it does help if one remembers some of our past."
"Oh?"
The man grunted. "A while back we had an Emperor by the name of Ming. VERY nasty man, with a habit of pitting the various groups against each other."
"Ah... To keep them too busy fighting each other to become a threat to him."
"Exactly. And when someone decided to do something about him, that person didn't live for very much longer."
"So what happened to him?" asked Haruka.
"Deposed and supposedly by a group lead by some people from Earth."
"People from Earth?"
"Yes. Only they left after they did it, and things didn't stay regular for long."
The Senshi of Time nodded. "Once everything that had held them together had left, they fell to fighting amongst themselves."
"Exactly. Then it turned out that Ming hadn't died, and he came back to take things over again. Only to die a while back after choking on some food."
"Silly way to die," Haruka commented with a snort.
"That may be, but that left it clear for his son Wang to take over."
"Was he as bad?"
"Not at all. He prefered to do everything real peaceful like. Building and adding to the Empire by annexation through treaty."
"What happened to him?"
"Killed by some renegades. And replaced by that madman."
"What?"
"He was just plain viscious through and through."
"What my husband means," explained his wife, "is that the... replacement ruled with an iron fist. He like to be ruthless, and didn't care about what happened to those he ruled."
"He's not still around, is he?"
"Someone blew him up."
"Ah..."
"Aren't you going to get in trouble for talking like that about the former rulers?" inserted Michiru.
"Of course not. With the coming of this new Emperor, things haven't been better!"
"Eh?"
"He's freed political prisoners, visited with the people, and if what's been shown from the Arena of Death is true, he's a strong warrior as well."
"So... you like him."
"It is a bit early, but everything seems to be great. He has large public projects going, the farms are thriving, and he's managed to stay strong without being cruel."
"That's very... nice."
"For us it is. I mean, it has been a while since we have been able to walk freely without worrying about being overheard and reported for some imaginary crime."
"Wish we could say the same," groused Haruka, jerking her thumb behind her, "We have those guys trailing everywhere after us."
The couple looked beyond the foursome, and their eyes widened. "Forgive us, my Lady. We didn't realize your station."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Those are the Emperor's personal guards."
"So he was having us watched."
"Only for your protection. You must be someone of great importance to garner that sort of treatment."
"Uhh..."
"We're going to have dinner with the Emperor!" piped up Hotaru.
"What?! Many apologies, we did not mean any disrespect to such honored guests!"
"You don't have to do that..."
"But... we are only showing the repect that one of your station is due."
"Oh...kay..."
Setsuna hid a smile and decided to rescue the native couple. "We really must be going now. Important date and all."
"Of course..," the man said, and hustled his wife away.
"So everyone, I believe that we have a meal to attend."
The other three Outers nodded and headed back to the Palace, while:
(Posted Tue, 20 May 2003 04:24)
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