Bob Wrote:(I also have yet to figure out why Serenity was cloistered in her palace when she was as powerful a sorceress as she was. What was she doing that was more important than personally blowing away battalions of youma?)The Doylist perspective is that Serenity is a princess archetype, the symbol of the purity of the empire, and should not be seen doing anything to dirty her hands. Possibly that was the Watsonian perspective as well, that anything like combat was beneath the Queen's dignity. There's a historical double standard where kings are expected to lead armies, but female monarchs are supposed to let other people fight for them.
It was certainly the case with Victoria, and probably the case with Zenobia of Palmyra. While not a monarch, Joan of Arc definitely meets this trope. And then check out the Wikipedia entry on Tomyris, who led armies and did some questionable stuff with the "quenching" by modern standards -- but look at how the art protrays her as reserved and feminine! (The entry on Boudica had this, which is probably more relevant to a different step of the Walk: "There is a belief that she was buried between platforms 9 and 10 in King's Cross station in London, England.")
It's possible that by the time the battle came to the Moon, the war was already lost. Possibly as a result of the above attitude, if it existed. I mean seriously, it was all a bit like Berlin in April 1945. It's possible that Serenity was casting the spells to send her descendants into the next age, or to create the spell that sealed Metaria. She was cloistered so that she could do the work to send a light into the future. After all, if you use the Ginzuishou without a plan first, who knows what sort of problems you could cause?
Is there any fic out there written that takes place during the Silver Millennium?
"Kitto daijoubu da yo." - Sakura Kinomoto