FicFan.org

"All these centuries you've had the powers of Sailor Pluto used by your people. I was wondering what you've done with them, what impact you've had on history."

"Impact on history? What impact?"

"Did you have anything to do with the Communists winning your civil war? Or making sure certain dynasties came to power, preventing evils from arising? Couldn't you have found a way to stop the Mongols? so many tragedies in this world, and your prophetesses must have seen them coming..."

"Oh, they saw. They saw and we did the only thing that mattered. We kept our people a going concern against all that would destroy us. That's as much history as we've affected."

"That's all? Surely it wouldn't have been difficult to send a few people out every so often to give advice, or reveal secrets, or..."

"Or what? What do you think we could have done with these powers?"

"They could change the world!"

Lotion scoffed at that. "Change the world? That's the problem with the world, especially these days, isn't it? IT'S ALWAYS CHANGING! So many idealistic young people like you trying to 'change the world'. And too damn many of you are succeeding! I'm happy to live out here, in a place where things haven't changed too visibly. In the cities, the more civilized parts of this country... well, you know what this century has been like for us."

"She's sounding like my grandmother," Minako muttered.

"I may know the bad times only from history class," Michiru said, "but things are getting better. We have peace and prosperity..."

"Aye, there's been that in the past too," Lotion said. "And there's all these new toys and gadgets. Telephones, airplanes, movies, all that rot. Hasn't changed human nature. I don't see anything coming that will. You want to talk about changing the world, well, the 'world' is PEOPLE, and they don't change. We've had a few decades of peace, but they'll find some reason to fight again."

"But that's just why we need Pluto's powers!" Minako now jumped into the fray with passion. "If we can head off the bad times..."

"Is that how you did it in your ancient magical kingdom? Seems it didn't work out so well. Where did this Dark Kingdom come from, anyway?"

That gave Minako some pause. "We don't know. There had been a thousand years of peace before then, and then suddenly, the Earthlings rose up. We were surprised, they had been coming along so well, and then suddenly Beryl was there, leading everyone against us..."

"Hmmmm. I do seem to recall Cologne mentioning a vision your Ranma had once. About how the Lady was killed. Betrayed by a lover, I think it was. Just goes to show, you can't be too careful. Can't fully trust anyone."

Ranma the Prophetess, Chapter 28