In the days that followed their journey, Houki acknowledged that she had never been this happy in any of her lives. She and Hotohori were practically inseparable from each other and Houki was determined to get every moment with him that she could. Knowing that it would end in death didn't particularly surprise her–she was the Sailor of Death after all–but hearing Chronos' words spoken in such a manner had sent a chill through her heart. The thought of never loving Hotohori or feeling his strength had chilled her even more and she knew that she would risk everything for a moment of his love. Setsuna's memory would help she knew. There was little that the Sailor of Time forgot, which is why Houki's heart ached so much for her.

She could see the sadness deep in Setsuna's eyes as she and Mitsukake almost desperately clung to each other. Setsuna would live on until Time ended, if it ever did, but Mistukake would only live for a short lifetime, leaving Setsuna alone with the memory of him and nothing more. Together, Houki thought, we'll make it without the love of our men with us constantly. The memory is good enough for me.

She and Setsuna had quit traveling in their fuku's after the seventh or eighth attempt at slavers to capture them. It was too dangerous to wander in their battle gear, so they wore some of Chiriko and Miaka's clothes, since they had the closest fit to the two of them. The attacks had decreased dramatically, she thought wryly. Not that Hotohori would ever have allowed her to be taken.

She glanced at Hotohori and found herself smiling. Marriage. The mere thought filled her with excitement. She had never imagined that it would come for her. She usually died before she was old enough to even consider having a boyfriend, much less a husband. Hotohori suddenly turned and placed a flower he had found in her hair, smiling at her. They stood a moment, gazing at each other. It felt like an eternity to Houki. A blessed, happy eternity. Miaka's cry interrupted them.

"What is that? Tama! Help!" Houki turned to look and gasped. The darkness had come from nowhere. Black vines had sprung up from the ground and where lightning struck more sprang up, seeking the people coming nearer. Insane laughter began to echo in the wind, even as Tamahoma leapt forward and cut the vines, grabbing Miaka's wrist and freeing her. They jumped back in a group, watching as the darkness surrounded them and began to encroach on them.

"The Dark Goddess," Setsuna whispered. "Pluto power make-up!" she cried immediately.

Houki followed suit. "Saturn power make-up!" she cried as well. Their respective colors glowed around them and the clothing they had been wearing disappeared as they were wrapped in ribbons of light ad color which transformed into their battle fuku. Her Glaive appeared next to her, and she came out of the transformation to see Sailor Pluto already holding her Glaive and gathering her power to fight. Pluto glanced at her and she nodded in agreement. She would not fight until they had no choice but to bring her in.

"Dead Scream!" Pluto whispered. The ball of energy ripped through the vines and clouds, allowing a momentary gleam of light Tasuki had caused several of his fans to beome more warriors to assist them and was fighting alongside Nuriko, Tamahoma, Hotohori, Chichiri, Chiriko, and Mitsukake. They were making no headway against the darkness.

Miaka huddled back beside Saturn, crying out every time that Tamahoma was injured. Saturn could empathize. She felt the same watching Hotohori fight. A vine suddenly sprang up beside Pluto ripping through her right shoulder. She cried out and fell back, dropping her Glaive. "Mama-Setsuna!" Saturn cried! Mitsukake turned and saw that Pluto had fallen.

"SAKURA! NO!" He left the battle and ran to Pluto, only to be stopped by lightning suddenly striking down around him, throwing him from his feet. The battle was rapidly disintegrating into something that could easily become a slaughter.

"Hotohori," she whispered, pain lancing through her. 'Only through death may we find peace and love,' she remembered. There was no way they could win this battle, not against a Goddess. No way except for one. She closed her eyes, tears building behind her eyelids and stepped forward, raising her Glaive. She looked to Hotohori again, who had turned and seemed to be frozen watching her. She had told him of her attack and what would happen. "I love you, Hotohori," she cried to him.

"Houki, no! Don't do it!" He began to run towards her. "My Sakura, I cannot live without you!" He was at a full sprint, but would never reach her in time.

"Death." Her arm shook as she watched Hotohori coming and saw Mitsukake shaking his head to clear it and struggling to his feet. "Rebirth." Setsuna had not moved from the moment she had fallen. Appropriate, since she was about to end the time of this earth, and the short time of happiness they had each enjoyed. "Revolution." She lowered her Glaive, touching the tip of it to the earth. Where the Glaive touched, the earth ripped away from it in a straight line, destroying everything in its path. Miaka screamed again at the sight and she heard the Dark Goddess cry out angrily as the destruction reached to the sky and began to tear her apart.

Somehow, Hotohori reached her. As she slowly began to fall to the trembling earth, he caught her and feel to his knees, crying. "Do not cry, my love," Houki whispered. "You don't look nearly so good when you are crying." She smiled even as she felt the life ebbing from her.

"Houki, love, do not...why did you...I cannot..." Hotohori sobbed and pulled her close, cradling her body against his. "I love you too much. You cannot die! I order you not to!"

She smiled against his chest. "You know me better than that. I'm far too stubborn to obey..." Her body shook and she closed her eyes, breathing shallowly and feeling the world around her crumbling away.

"NOOOOO!" Hotohori screamed at the failing sky. He clutched her to him tightly, nearly crushing her in his embrace. "HOUKI!"

"STOP! TIME STOP!"