The warm weather was welcoming to Grus, who appeared among the trees in her Eternal fuku. The ribbons from her last visit were still attached to the tree trunks, a path that the blonde senshi quickly followed to the Grucian castle. The moat was as murky as ever; there were fewer lily blooms than before, but none of this interested Grus at the moment. Only the giant decrepit trees behind the broken walls was on her mind.

During her last visit, she had seen a vision of herself. Well, not herself per say, but of someone she used to be, unimaginable years ago. The thick leaves covered the pathway, and she found herself stumbling over upturned cobblestones as she approached the main doors of the castle. The great trees presided over her; they loomed upwards with striking branches that were laden with vines. The main doors were in equally poor shape; one lay in shards on the ground, while the other hung limply from a hinge. She touched the wood, and felt a tingle, almost as if a ghost had passed through her.

"Close your tired eyes, relax and then, count from one to ten, and open them." she sung quietly, doing as the lyrics said. Her nerves settled, and after releasing her breath, she opened her eyes.

"Let's see what's around." she said, walking into the entrance hall.

It didn't seem to be made of a tree trunk. Somehow, the ceiling rose above her in sweeping arches of wood, lacework carved into them. Chunks were missing; an entire archway had fallen to pieces in the middle of the room. Columns in four rows went in straight lines from the main door. They were simple compared to the arches. Solid wood for a solid purpose. Dust scattered from her boots as she walked, and motes of debris flickered in the broken light from destroyed windows and collapsed ceiling. The entire left wall was made of windows; great expanses that almost went from ceiling to floor and reminded Grus of the old cathedrals in Europe. Much of the glass was gone, it lay in fragments around the sills and outside in the courtyard. What remained sparkled with color, it drew designs on the ground in the midday sun.

The whole space was quiet. So quiet. Grus shivered, then took off the backpack she'd been hauling. Ignoring the food for now, she pulled out a water bottle, and her Ipod. It was too quiet.

She found a playlist, and let the music flow from the device, giving life to a place long since dead. After downing a good portion of the water, she resumed her journey into the castle with the Ipod tucked into her sash. Music gave her comfort, aided her in thought. Music made her ok.

She paced the walls on wither side of the entrance hall, eyeing things littered about while the beat dictated her thoughts. There were benches and abandoned paper that crumbled to dust when she touched it. Places in the wall had given way to plant life, allowing vines to thread their way into the cool air.

Once Grus was satisfied with the room (for now), she walked more confidently into the next hall, where more benches chair remains lay like corpses. It was very similar to the entrance hall, but it lacked the light oak-y color on the walls. These were layered with tattered fabric; tapestries being consumed by nature one thread at a time. She figured this a reception hall, a place for those who sought audience with the ruler to wait their turn. She came close to one tapestry in particular, a swatch of color catching her attention. It was a lady in crimson, towering over her.

As the song changed, her vision shifted, overlaying her own eyes with brightness that wasn't there before.

"Svelte, come away dear!" came a kind, but sharp voice. A young girl of maybe six ran from Grus's exact spot, giggling and spinning. Her hair was done in light curls, brown locks glistening with beads.

"But Mama, it's her! It's a picture of the Queen when she was a senshi!" The young girl's bright green eyes sparkled as she pointed with fingers still chubby with baby fat. Grus turned to the tapestry, and found it complete. The woman in the image had long strawberry blonde hair that fell to her knees in a tight braid. She wore a fuku similar to Grus's own, though this one was longer , almost touching the ground. Feathers wound their way around the bottom hem and through the bright red sash. Her sleeves were short, but white gloves covered most of her arms from the elbow down. Her blue eyes were kind as she stared at the great eagle like bird on her arm.

"So it is Little Bird." came Svelte's mother's voice. "Maybe someday you'll be a senshi like her." There was a longing in that voice that caught Grus's attention from the tapestry. She realized that they weren't the only parent and child in the hall; there were families scattered throughout the hall, which hummed with vibrant energy.

Suddenly, the doors at the other end of the hall flew open, and someone descended the stairs beyond. It was an aged version of the woman from the image. She wore a long dress of silver; a red braided cord wrapped loosely around hr waist. Her arms were adorned with bracelets of every color imaginable; her earlobes sparkled with pale pink gems. Her hair was in the same braid, though feathers were woven around the streak of silver that traced its way through her locks. On her brow rested a tiara of red gold with the astrological sign for Grus etched into it. She looked...regal. And short. Grus realized that the women wasn't much taller than herself, and if she stretched, she could probably see right over the Queen's head.

The room went quiet at the Queen scanned her assembled court of families and young children. No one seemed to pay any attention to the baby bump that stretched her torso outward, pressing against the soft-looking gown.

"My dears!" she said, spreading her arms wide with a smile. "I am so pleased to see so many of you. This role is not to be taken lightly, yet there is much enthusiasm within this room."

There was murmurings, and a few kids fidgeted.

"As is very clear by my appearance." she went on to say, placing her hands on her stomach "I will be bearing a child soon."

"I am in an unusual place with this child. It is not often that someone of the Royal House is chosen as a Sailor Scout. And while I was able to protect this world, and combine my diplomatic visits as a young girl, I can no longer make those trips that ensure goodwill between worlds. I can not longer channel the power of this planet without running the risk of harming the future ruler of Grus."

Now every eye, including Grus's was plastered to the Queen's stomach, thinking of the child within, and what it meant for the planet.

"The Scout of Grus is first a diplomat." she said, waving away offers of a chair from her handmaidens. "He, or she, will spend the beginnings of their training travelling to other worlds, familiarizing themselves with the current scouts of those places, and creating friendships that will inevitably come into fruition should danger arise."

"Second, they are a protector. The power this star holds is great; it takes time a patience to understand it. Should a threat come forward, it will be Sailor Grus's duty to protect everyone that falls under their wings using the powers that they will learn to channel. Since I will soon give birth, I cannot undertake training at first; the previous Scout before me will oversee training until the child is old enough that I may take over training."

"Finally, The Scout of Grus is a symbol of hope to their people." The Queen smiled warmly at the children throughout the room, gauging their reactions. "They are to act as a symbol of our home, and never do anything to dishonor the title of Sailor Scout. This, I find, is the hardest part of being a Scout. Everyone's eyes are on you, looking to you for guidance when those who would normally offer council are unable to do so."

Grus felt her heart beat faster in her chest. To hear her duties as a Sailor Scout so plainly laid out, it sparked something in her, an excitement. Everything placed before her in neat piles. She could almost see the words laying there. The excitement wasn't only felt by her; the children were beginning to fidget even more than before, tugging on their parents' clothing and whispering. Svelte herself was bouncing on the balls of her feet, and hr mother placed a gentle hand on the top of her head.

"So who of you will be my replacement?" The queen asked. "Who of you will undertake the great, but exciting burden of being a Sailor Scout?" She cast her eyes among the crowd again, resting them on some longer than others.

"Now is the time to tell your families goodbye. For until the child is chosen, you will all stay here in the Great Grove to undergo testing. I wish you luck." And with that, the tired Queen turned from the crowd, leaving up the stairs with a little less spring in her step. It was evident that the pregnancy was taking it's toll on her stamina.

As children hugged their parents, some smiling, some crying, Grus's vision began to fade. The last thing she saw before it turned to dust motes was Svelte's mom crouched to her daughter's eye level, holding her hands and speaking to her seriously. Svelte had tear streaks on her tanned cheeks; but she nodded at her mother's words and raced forward for one last hug before joining a line of children leaving the room through a corridor.

The vision left Grus feeling anxious. She knew that somehow, her fate was tied to Svelte. Why else would her vision focus on her, rather than some other child? She found herself wanting to see more, see who ended up getting picked. Was it the dark haired girl with the tanned skin? Or perhaps another child that she had overlooked?

Grus let go of the tapestry, realizing that she was clutching it with tight fingers. Her time here was running short, and there was much more to explore before she needed to go home.

WORD COUNT: 1775