Welcome to Gaia! ::

CHAPTER ONE
THE AGE OF THE GODS

Back in the Age of the Gods, when the universe was new and the gods were deciding who should rule each planet, there was trouble. An evil entity named Chaos had been discovered, and it was influencing some of the gods, causing darkness in their hearts. The gods decided that they should create weapons to protect not only themselves, but the universe, for the Balance was being disturbed.
Some of the Talismans, their abilities, and their original and current owners, are as follows:

Shadow Sword
Abilities:
Summon/control creatures of darkness (Daimon, lemures, Black Dragon, etc.)
Drain energy
Break/ create forcefields
Dark energy attack
Create dark crystal
Control shadows
Poison
Create bindings of darkness
Cast curses and spells
Owner: Susanowo
Light/Dark: Dark
Current Owner: Hiei
Planet: Tau, Nemesis

Mirror of the Heart
Abilities:
Break spells, illusions, and brainwashing
Create/break forcefields
Energy attack
Open/Close portals
Shows past, present, future, hopes, dreams, fears, and nightmares
Seal away evil
Owner: Inari
Light/Dark: Light
Current Owner: Kurama
Planet: Inarisei

Phoenix Rose Crystal
Abilities:
Healing (mostly physical)
Resurrection of the dead
Energy attack
Create/break forcefields
Seal away evil
Owner: Inazuma
Light/Dark: Mostly Light
Current Owner: Houou
Planet: Jupiter

Illusion Pendant
Abilities:
Create illusions
Invisibility
Long and short distance teleportation
Create/break forcefields
Enhance psychic abilities
Energy attack
Seal away evil
Owner: Tennue
Light/Dark: Mostly Dark
Current Owner: Kuronue
Planet: Tengusei

Spear of Creation
Abilities:
Create stars and other heavenly bodies
Energy attack
Seal away evil
Owner: Izanagi
Light/Dark: Light
Current Owner: Unknown
Planet: Izanagisei

Spear of Destruction
Abilities:
Undo work of other Spear
Break/create forcefields
Energy attack
Control the dead
Create zombies/undead
Owner: Izanami
Light/Dark: Dark
Current Owner: Unknown
Planet: Izanamisei

Silver Imperium Crystal
Abilities:
Healing (mostly spiritual)
Energy attack
Seals away evil
Teleportation and rebirth (think what Queen Serenity did)
Power to save everything
Owner: Queen Serenity
Light/Dark: Light
Current Owner: Neo-Queen Serenity, Chibiusa
Planet: The Moon

Golden Crystal
Abilities: Same as the Silver Crystal
Owner: Amaterasu
Light/Dark: Light
Current Owner: King Endymion
Planet: The Sun, Earth

Silence Glaive
Abilities: Power of death
Owner: ?
Light/Dark: Dark
Current Owner: Hotaru
Planet: Saturn

There are others, such as a bow and arrow, a bell, and a harp, but it would be impossible to list them all, as there are so many and some are not even in use today.

The Talismans were equal in power, but different in abilities. Each Talisman owner could sense the presence of another, and the Talismans would react to one another, glowing and giving off power. Each would warn its owner of danger, and could be summoned at will. Some had to be held in order to use their power, like the Mirror. If a Talisman was broken, it meant the end of that person’s life. The Mirror was handled especially with care-it was tied to the owner’s very soul. To use a Talisman’s ultimate power, an energy blast capable of sealing away/destroying evil, one would have to give all the energy one had. If the attack failed, it meant for sure that the person’s opponent would win-they would have no energy left for another attack. In many cases, using a Talisman was risking one’s life. It was considered a last resort weapon.

One day, Chaos tempted Susanowo with power, enough power to rule the entire universe-why should he settle for one planet? The deal was made, and Susanowo fused with Chaos. He attacked the Meeting Hall of the Gods, and challenged Inari to a duel. Susanowo, for reasons unknown, hated Inari and considered him his rival and enemy. It is speculated that it has something to do with their Talismans-the two are considered complete opposites. Inari managed to win, sealing Chaos away using the Mirror. However, before Queen Serenity could use her Silver Crystal to purify him, Susanowo cast a curse on Inari. This curse would lead to the fall of his kingdom and planet to invading forces.
Queen Serenity, even after using the Silver Crystal, could not completely purify Susanowo, and it is unknown what happened to him. He did, however, remain a god, and his Talisman was passed down to his descendants, like the others. His planet was given to another god to rule.
Inazuma, hoping to give hope to the situation, sent her Talisman into the far future, declaring that when the Sword, Mirror, and Crystal met again, the battle would begin again, and give Inari’s descendant a chance to win back the throne of his planetary kingdom.
It was rumored that Inazuma had a secret love for Inari, even though he was married to Benzaiten, the water goddess.
And her Talisman, traveling through space and time, ended up in her descendant Houou’s body, fusing with her Star Seed…
Our story now begins.

CHAPTER THREE
PRESENT DAY AND 30TH CENTURY

Makoto had forgotten all about Sapphire…until the Black Moon came to Earth. The Senshi, except for Sailor Moon, were captured by Rubeus and taken to Nemesis. Sapphire, the only one who remembered some of his past (and thus had not fallen to Wiseman’s brainwashing), opposed the plan of revenge. When Sailor Moon came to rescue the Senshi, he told her how she could transform and rescue her friends. When the Senshi were freed, Jupiter felt a strange jolt in her heart when she caught a glimpse at Sapphire. She wanted to talk to him, but knew that it wasn’t safe for her to stay on Nemesis.
A few days later, she would get her chance to see him. Sapphire had been sent to take a look at present-day Earth, and then report back to Diamond on the Black Moon’s progress. He was also told to try and determine the weakness of the Sailor Senshi. Sapphire approached Jupiter, and the two began meeting secretly. Makoto began to remember her past, and her love for him. To the Black Moon, it would look like he was using her, pretending to fall in love so he could get information out of her. But in reality, he had defected from the Black Moon and was hoping the Senshi and Four Sisters would help him hide. He wanted to stay in the present day, where he was supposed to have been reincarnated, and help his brother break the influence of Wiseman.
It wasn’t long before Wiseman, Diamond, and Wicked Lady came after Sapphire, labeling him a traitor. Sapphire tried to warn Diamond about Wiseman’s evil plan to destroy the universe, but he was attacked. As he lay dying, Makoto prayed to her ancestors to unlock the healing power that she had sealed away so long ago. The prayer was answered, and the power flowed out of her to save Sapphire’s life, something she had not been able to do during the time of the Silver Millennium. Seeing Sapphire nearly killed at the hands of Wiseman made Diamond realize that what he was doing was wrong. He joined the Senshi in the fight against Death Phantom.
After the defeat of Death Phantom, Sapphire and Diamond stayed in the present day, and the relationship between Makoto and Sapphire grew. They were married in the 30th century, after Serenity and Endymion’s wedding, and Makoto was crowned Queen of Jupiter. The two moved to the planet to start a family and revive the Kingdom of Jupiter. The Moon Kingdom, which had been restored after the battle with Queen Metallia, became the home of Neo-Queen Serenity, King Endymion, and their daughter, Chibiusa AKA Small Lady. They did not live on Earth, but they did have a palace there and went there frequently.
One day, Makoto became pregnant, and she gave birth to a baby girl. She was named Houou, after the oriental phoenix. The first thing that the new parents noticed was that their daughter had wings already. They were multicolored and beautiful--like that of the phoenix from which she got her name. Another noticeable thing was that she did not bear the sign of Jupiter on her forehead. She instead bore the sign of Sailor Cosmos, in a deep/dark pink color. They figured this was because of the combining of the two forehead symbols.
Inazuma and Bennu came to see the newborn Houou, just as Queen Serenity was present at the birth of Chibiusa. It was then that they explained that this child was different.
(A/N: I did not know that Sailor Cosmos had this mark when I created Houou.)
They told Makoto and Sapphire of the Talismans, and how the Phoenix Rose Crystal had ended up in their daughter’s body. Houou would find this to be both a blessing and a curse. The Crystal would give her great power, but to use it while it was still inside her body could endanger her life—it could rip her body apart. They likened it to when Chibiusa had the Silver Crystal disappear into her body. Houou would have chest pains due to the Crystal striving to come out, and its power would be released when it was near at least two other Talismans. The Royal Family of the Moon Kingdom was concerned that Houou would not be able to have contact with them and their daughter because of this, but the gods reassured them that everything would be fine. That is, until the Sword and Mirror were awakened and came in close proximity to Houou.
And on a distant planet, the awakening of the Phoenix Rose Crystal was detected…

CHAPTER 5
THE TAU SYSTEM

The Tau System, the solar system home to the Death Busters, was still their home after they were banished back. After the destruction of Nemesis, they and other surviving villains moved to a planet called Inarisei. They took over the planet, and renamed it Neo Nemesis. The planet was plunged into perpetual darkness, and Dark Crystal monoliths littered its surface. The original ruling family had lost power years ago, but still remained wealthy and influential up until the invasion.
Mistress 9 declared herself Empress. Her search for a suitable King led her to the holders of the Talismans. Arashino Hiei, who sought more power, accepted her offer, and he awakened his Talisman, the Shadow Sword. Minamino Youko-Kurama, the true heir to the throne, declined and started a rebellion. It was then that he gained his reputation as King of Thieves. However, this reputation did little to help him save the planet. The rebels were few, for most people were afraid to stand against the evil ones. Yukina, Hiei’s sister, joined the group, as well as Kurama’s best friend, Tsubasa Kuronue. Kuronue was on the run from his family on Tengusei, especially his cousin Karasu. Kuronue was another overthrown heir, incidentally.
The rebellion did not have much success, and the group suffered many losses. Half were killed in a single mission. One of them, Yomi by name, was a spy for the enemy. He committed much sabotage, including tampering with a project to create a communicator that would allow them to ask for help from other planets and possibly even the Sailor Senshi, who they had heard of. Yomi’s betrayal led to the capture of Kuronue, who was taken back to Tengusei to serve as Karasu’s slave. Kurama was so angry that he struck Yomi in the eyes with his famous Rose Whip, blinding him. Without the use of his eyes, Yomi could no longer work as a spy. He became a wanderer and eventually ended up on the planet Gandara, becoming stronger and eventually taking over that planet.
Eventually, the Galaxy Police took notice of the situation on the planet, and Chief Koenma sent special detectives to investigate. During this time, Kurama had been captured by Hiei, and under the influence of Hiei’s Jagan Eye, was made to acquire his Talisman, the Mirror of the Heart. Hiei planned to take it from him as soon as he got it, but the Mirror broke Hiei’s control, and Kurama got away.
Kurama ended up running into Urameshi Yuusuke and Kuwabara Kazuma, the detectives sent to investigate. Because of his reputation as a thief, he was mistaken for an enemy. Once Hiei showed up to fight, this was cleared up. Unfortunately, the detectives were inexperienced, and had to retreat from the planet. Kurama was badly wounded, and the detectives took him back to Earth, where he recovered. He changed his appearance, and began his search for the Sailor Senshi. With the alias Minamino Shuuichi, he enrolled in Mugen Academy, where Houou was now in 10th grade.

CHAPTER 7
POWER OF LOVE

When the Neo Sailor Team found out about Kurama’s capture, they went with Yukina to Neo Nemesis to rescue him. Houou was especially worried. She’d developed a relationship with Kurama during the time he’d been on Earth. Yukina was equally worried. She’d known Kurama since childhood and had even been his girlfriend for a time.
The battle against Mistress 9 and Hiei was not going well, even with the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal and the Phoenix Rose Crystal. It just wasn’t enough. Yukina had even awakened as a Sailor Senshi, Sailor Koorime. The Senshi were giving their all, but it just seemed hopeless.
Houou decided that, even though it could kill her, she would use the full power of her Crystal. This was enough for the Senshi to gain a draw, even if they might not be able to win.
However, Kurama had other plans. Though near death, he summoned the power of the Mirror by sheer will, and lent its power to the battle. Mistress 9 was defeated, disappearing into a black hole, seemingly destroyed. Hiei’s sword protected him as he fell, raising a shield of Dark Crystal to encase him. The battle was over. Now all that was left was to save Kurama.
This would not be an easy task. Houou and Yukina barely had enough energy left to heal him, and he was dying. Houou did not want to give up, and prayed for a miracle. Slowly, from her chest, the Phoenix Rose Crystal emerged. A strong light came from it, surrounding her and Kurama. As Houou took her princess form, the Crystal’s healing power did its work, and Kurama’s life was saved. There wasn’t a scratch left on him.
But the war wasn’t over yet, for Hiei wasn’t dead. Once he emerged from the crystal shield, they would have to face him yet again.
Yukina stayed on Neo Nemesis to make sure her brother would be all right, and the others went back to Earth to plan how they would win the final battle.

History of Houou and Kurama’s Relationship

Houou and Kurama met at Mugen Academy, where they had classes together. It was Houou who first had the attraction, though at first it stemmed from the aura she felt around him—the Talisman owners have a special aura that other Talisman owners can pick up. They talked often about plants, in which they held a mutual interest, though Houou was more interested in their beauty than she was in actually planting them. Kurama would sometimes help her out in the areas of science and math, subjects that did not come easily to her. A friendship soon developed. However, both were reluctant to get too close.
When Kurama revealed his true nature, they became closer through battle. Now that they had revealed their true identities to each other, they were no longer reluctant to develop the friendship further. As the months passed, Houou’s feelings grew, and she eventually confessed that she liked him more than a friend. Kurama had sensed this, but he wasn’t yet sure what he felt for her. It was when Houou’s life was in danger that he realized that he felt the same way she did. After the final defeat of Hiei, their relationship was able to continue growing, and Houou ended up moving to Inarisei after Kurama’s coronation ceremony. She became an unofficial guardian of the planet, and married him years later. She had two children with him, the fraternal twins Kisei and Kitsu.

A/N: For those of you that may think I created Houou simply as a love interest for Kurama, this is not true. I created her before I even knew about Kurama, and originally she was going to end up with Emer or Sapph. Obviously, her story has changed and developed dramatically.

CHAPTER 9
THE PHOENIX OF THE BLACK ROSE

Things were not happily-ever-after for long. Tsubasa Karasu, cousin of Kuronue and the sadistic ruler of the planet Tengusei soon set his sights on Houou. He had heard of the legends of the phoenix, and wanted to see if they were indeed immortal or able to resurrect themselves. He also wanted to see Kurama suffer. Initially, he’d had an obsession with Kurama, but the fox had been able to escape his clutches every time.
Karasu slipped into the Kingdom of Inarisei, and found Houou alone in the palace garden. Using a hypnotic ability, he caused her to fall asleep, and he took her back to Tengusei.
When Houou awoke, she tried to fight him and escape, but for some reason, she was unable to. Karasu knew how to plant doubt into her, and play on her low self-esteem. Before she knew it, he was kissing her, and forcing a deadly poison down her throat.
She began to feel dizzy. The whole world began to spin, and she fell down onto the bed, her breathing shallow, and her pallor deathly white. She closed her eyes, and all went black.
The next thing she knew, she was a spirit, floating above her lifeless body. But this wouldn’t last for long. Her body burst into flames, and turned to ash, leaving only her crystal behind. An enormous dark pink rose grew out of these ashes, and shortly after it bloomed, lightning struck it, scattering the petals around the room.
And in the center of the petals on the floor, there was an infant body. This body grew into Houou at her proper age in the span of a few minutes, and her spirit reentered this newly reborn body.
But Karasu wasn’t done with Houou yet. He had more plans for her, now that he knew that the legends were true.
And with an infusion of dark energy, so was born the Phoenix of the Black Rose. Her forehead symbol became that of the Black Moon. She was clothed in a black dress, long-sleeved and a skirt that ended like pointed crow feathers (if you’ve ever seen Karasu’s coat, it’s like that). The dress was adorned with tiny red stones. For shoes, she wore black pointed boots. Her wings turned to the color of ashes, and blackish-purple flames surrounded them. She wore a crown of black roses on her head and a silver ring with a ruby on her finger. This ring was responsible for the dark energy flowing through her body.
Kurama, by this time, had come to rescue Houou, but he had come too late. Houou and Karasu attacked him before he could use his Mirror, and he was soon at their mercy. But he wasn’t going to give up, not even after torture in the dungeon, not even when Houou decided to keep him as a caged pet in her new room. He devised escape plans, and soon an opportunity came when Houou made the mistake of opening the cage. He was able to take youko form again, and while he was still too weak to summon his Mirror, he did have enough energy to summon a plant. This plant wrapped its vines around Houou’s wrists, waist, and ankles, and held her down as it began to feed off the dark energy in her body. Unfortunately, Karasu came in and destroyed the plant before the process was finished. Houou had only been partly purified, and the ring was still pumping dark energy into her system.
Kurama decided that his best option was to retreat for now, until he had recovered all the energy he’d spent healing his wounds. He hid out in a cave, and in a few hours, he was ready to face the two again. This time, he had a strategy. He summoned the Ojigisou to keep them busy while he summoned his Mirror. He then had another plant pick Houou up and force her to look into the Mirror. As Houou remembered her love for Kurama, the ring cracked and broke, falling off of her finger. The plant released her, and she began to collapse onto the floor. Kurama caught her in his arms.
Houou used her healing power on herself to replenish her lost energy, and together she and Kurama defeated Karasu. They returned to Inarisei, and celebrated Houou’s safe return.
However, Karasu would continue to cause trouble, as he wasn’t dead yet…

CHAPTER 11
THE RETURN OF EMER

The mysterious group that resembled the Black Moon Clan was plotting once more. Dia, Sapph, Emer, and Rubia had hidden themselves in a cave, along with the mysterious incarnation of Chaos that they worked for. This entity turned out to be Pharaoh 90, who had survived, and merged with a remaining piece of Death Phantom to strengthen itself. It had created these minions shortly after.
Emer, of course, wanted Houou back, especially now that her Talisman had fully awakened. To do this, he planned to lure her to them by taking Kurama hostage. This would not be an easy task. Kurama rarely lost to anyone. The first attempt failed, and Houou now knew that she had to be on her guard now that Emer was back. She and Kurama made sure that they weren’t alone as much as possible. However, the villains were persistent. They made another attempt, and this time, they succeeded.
Houou went to face this enemy, enlisting the help of Hiei, who was now on their side, and Kuronue. They would need their Talismans, as this enemy was strong enough to have stolen the Mirror.
The enemy had told Houou to come alone, but of course she wasn’t about to do such a reckless thing. She would pretend to be alone, going in before the other two. After all, Kurama’s well-being was at stake. Once inside the cave, Emer told her to surrender herself and the crystal, and then they would consider releasing Kurama. This was not good enough. She gave the signal for Kuronue and Hiei to come in and attack.
During the battle, Emer tried to infuse the Mirror with dark energy. This proved to be a terrible mistake. Not only did it backfire, the glass began to crack and shatter. Since the Mirror was tied to Kurama’s soul, it left him in a comatose state, and if the Mirror was not repaired soon, he would die.
Houou, enraged, was about to use her full power, but Hiei stopped her, telling her that if she did that, she wouldn’t be able to help Kurama when the battle was over. Together, the three were able to defeat all four of them. The incarnation of Chaos was sealed away. (A/N: Yes, the Talismans are insanely powerful.)
They took Kurama to the hospital. He seemed to be getting worse by the minute, slipping further and further away. Houou called Chibiusa and Neo-Queen Serenity, knowing that the Silver Imperium Crystal and Pink Moon Crystal, objects of pure light like the Mirror of the Heart, would be helpful in restoring Kurama’s shattered Talisman. In the meantime, Houou used her healing power to keep Kurama alive. Once they got there, the combined power of the three crystals restored the Mirror to perfect condition. And so everything was good and happy once again. With peace restored, Houou and Kurama went on a second honeymoon.

CHAPTER 13
OTHER MISSIONS/ADVENTURES

Throughout the years, Houou, her friends, and her family kept peace in the galaxy. Other missions and adventures included:

-Overthrowing an evil ruler of the Western Phoenix Kingdom
-Defeat of the Amazon Huntresses
-Defeat of Chaos/Sailor Chaos and prevention of the end of the universe
-Resurrection of the rebels who fought for Inarisei, Eris (Hiei’s wife), and the people that died when Kagehi awakened as the Death Goddess (Kisei awakened as Life Incarnate)
-Defeat of a group of vampires
-Defeat of evil Talisman holders, such as the woman who held the Spear of Destruction
-Defeat of Yomi, ruler of the planet Gandara
-Eradication of Team Rocket
-Defeat of the evil members of the Tsubasa family, including Karasu’s wife Lead Crow and their son Yorukage
-Defeat of Mistress Nine’s daughter and Kagehi’s half-sister Kuhina
-Defeat of villains such as evil versions of Sailor Senshi, Neo Dark Kingdom and Neo-Queen Nehelenia

Allies made throughout the years included:

-The planets of the Solar System
-The Solar Asteroids
-Galaxia, Jurai, and other planets in the Jurai System
-Mau, Tau, Tengusei, Izanagisei
-Western Phoenix Kingdom
-Pokemon Kingdom

It could be said that they ushered in the true new era of peace, a new Age of the Gods, for they and their children endured no more battles after Chaos was destroyed. Chaos and every other evil being were gone forever, never to return. Balance had been restored. Paradise was finally achieved.

THE END