From GrayCougar@aol.comThu Jul 13 19:18:46 1995
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 1995 23:44:23 -0400
From: GrayCougar@aol.com
Reply to: b5-creative@best.com
To: b5-creative@best.com
Subject: New Story "Kosh Thoughts" very short

Hi all! This is my first posting to this mailing list (in fact,
my first posting anywhere). It's just a pointless little piece
about what Kosh might think about B5, humans, and life in
general. I wrote it up in my spare time to get that little voice
in the back of my head that wonders about such things to shut up,
so it's a little rough and confused. Anyway, all comments and/or
criticisms are welcome and actively sought after. Please write
me. Oh yeah, the disclaimers...neither Kosh nor Babylon 5 nor
anything else herein belongs to me...I would never dream of
claiming them for my own...sue if you want--all I have is a
computer that doesn't work half the time and a lot of bills.
There. Now that I'm done ranting about myself and have
(hopefully) covered my butt...on with the show.


KOSH THOUGHTS


     I have watched them now for a hundred hundred years. I
saw their first halting steps toward civilization, their first
tentative reachings toward the stars. I saw them as they had
their first meetings with other peoples besides themselves. I
have seen their triumphs, and their tragedies. I have seen their
successes and their failures. They are a young race, brash and
unskilled. Like the young everywhere, they are passionate and
full of vigor. Their dreams burn brightly within them. I saw them
five times attempt to build a dream. A noble dream of peace and
cooperation. Four times their attempts failed, but the fifth
endures. For now.

     I walk among them now, though they know not who I truly am.
My appearance is hidden from them, for though they are young,
even they would recognize me if they saw me. I would frighten
them. They would not understand. They are not yet ready to
understand.

     I speak to them sometimes. But again they do not understand.
They never understand. They say I speak in riddles. But the
riddles are more understandable to them than the truths I know would 
be. Truths about themselves and the universe, about the past and the future, 
about what was and what must be. Truths that cannot be put fully into any 
language they understand. The truth of what I know would frighten them 
even more than the truth of what I am. For there are terrible times ahead. 
Times of darkness and shadows and much death. Times of war and loss 
and sorrow. Times where all their hopes and dreams will end in fire.

     Some have an inkling of the darkness that is rising. Some
work towards a joining of races, an alliance against the
darkness. A few I have tried to prepare for the times which are
to come. I have tried to teach them, because before they can face the 
Shadows they must first face themselves. Their own greatness--their 
hopes and dreams and loves--and their own shadows--their fears and hates. 
I strive to prepare them as much as I can in what time is left. But the
Shadows 
have influenced some of them as well. A greater number than I could hope 
to reach without revealing my true nature swarm to the darkness to serve 
the Shadows knowingly or unknowingly. Many there are who willingly sow 
seeds of discord, hoping to gain from the war that soon must be fought. And 
others sell their souls to the darkness for power or prestige or greed.

     This young race that I have so long watched is fast
approaching their coming of age. I would have wished an easier
trial for them than the war they must fight. If they lose, all
their bright potential will be snuffed out. But even if they win
against the darkness and the Shadows they will have lost much.
They will have suffered and sorrowed and mourned. Their victory
will be bought with sweat, and blood, and tears. And I wonder if
their bright dreams and great ideals can survive. But no growth
comes without pain. If they are strong enough to survive the
darkness with their souls intact they will have been tempered in
fire, stronger and wiser than they were before. And they will be
one step closer to the great destiny that awaits them. If they
survive.

     If they survive. That is the question. Will they survive?
Are they strong enough to face what is to come? Can they put
aside their differences and unite with the other youngling races who 
share their pligth to fight the darkness? Or will their smaller fears and 
hates blind them to the Shadows which come at them, in secret, from 
all sides? They will have to be both brave and clever to recognize both 
the Shadows without and the shadows within. The challenges they are 
about to face would be formidable even to an older race. And they are so 
very, very young.

     I am old, yet I will fight the darkness one last time. And
the time for fighting will soon be here. For the lines are being
drawn, and sooner or later everyone must choose their side. Choose 
whether they will fight for the light...or the Shadows.


FINI.

So what do you think? Once again, any comments you might have are
welcome. Gray.

****************************
* "I to my perils            *
* Of cheat and charmer *
* Came clad in armor    *
* By stars benign.         *
* Hope lies to mortals    *
* And most believe her,  *
* But man's deceiver      * 
* Was never mine."        *
* --A. E. Housman         *
******************************