Five escaped their fate,
Their doomed destiny.
But you cannot outrun what is woven
Into the strands of time.
When five return,
When five are reunited,
Such a thing as that the earth has never seen before
Will happen.
There is no escaping destiny.

Something about the ancient Japanese proverb made Serena shudder. She pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled it down, then thrust it into her pocket just as the bell rang. What if the proverb were true? What would happen then? "Such a thing as that the earth has never seen before," she whispered, shivering again.

"Hey, meat-ball head!" a familiar voice yelled cheerfully.

"Mina!" Serena smiled and turned to face her friend. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." Mina linked elbows with her and tugged her down the hall, giggling furiously. "There's a new senior. My God, Serena, he's so hot!" Not getting the usual response of, 'Where, where?!', she spun her friend around playfully and faced her. "What's wrong, Serena? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Just a proverb we had to read in literature. It totally freaked me out." Serena fought down yet another shudder.

Mina's happy-go-lucky smile and expression vanished. "You too?"

Serena looked at her friend painstakingly. "Something's wrong, Mina. Something's going to happen."

*

Trista stared out the window silently. "Exactly one thousand years ago tomorrow's eve," she murmured, watching the almost-full moon appear in the early evening sky. Tears threatened her eyes, but she blinked them back. She began to hum unconsciously, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

She hadn't been back long - she, Amara, and Michelle had just recently received their talismans. It was odd, living amongst the senshi again. She was fairly happy for the first time in a long time. But there was still a piece of her heart missing, a piece she knew that could never be replaced.

And yet, 'the girl' had said they were coming back. Autumn. She had only been a baby when it had happened, and Trista had thought her dead - just as she had her best friend. She was there, however, and they were coming back. But what about the other three? Where they alive as well? Or had they perished in the Battle?

Standing, she rubbed her arms as a chill cracked itself against her. A sudden tumble of black clouds marched across the pale white moon, blocking its encouraging light for a moment. Trista looked up, frowning a little. Grey clouds, yes; white clouds, yes; but black? With no storm? Its dark shadow fell across her, and the Guardian suddenly found herself seeing nothing but black. Voices, familiar and non, buzzed in her ears, whispering in a language she refused to allow herself to remember.

Then, just like that, it was gone.

Red eyes narrowed, she stared up into the sky. It seemed normal for those not looking, but she was quick to detect a shimmering haze that covered the atmosphere. After a moment, it disappeared. The night birds sang their never-ending songs, cars buzzed by on the road behind her, and her TV screen glowed different colors in her living room.

Her hand reached for the cell phone on her hip reflexively; maybe she should call the other senshi. Halfway there, it stopped as her eyes caught something unusual in the night sky. Trista dropped to a knee, staring at the planet Saturn. It flashed and blazed furiously, then ceased, boasting its orangish hue proudly.

A calm feeling washed over her, and she smiled. "You're back."