Ugh, I can't believe I just posted another story, but I guess I can't help it. This one has been on my mind for quite awhile now and couldn't resist. Anyways I did this in a rush so sorry if there's any mistakes also I can't gurantee that I'll update soon 'cause I'll be concentrating on my other stories. So please understand if you find this fic interesting. PS: the cover pic. ain't mine i just borrowed it. I hope the artist doesn't mind.

Disclaimer: I do not own Nurarihyon no Mago, Shiibashi Hiroshi does.

Prologue

Many centuries ago, during a time when the Earth was still new, there lived the Primordial Gods.

They lived in an entirely different dimension which many would call Heaven.

Many of the Gods had taken residency on Earth and started to claim lands and created life to their liking. One of the first Gods, Izanagi and his sister Izanami were summoned into being and was tasked with the duty of creating land. To aid them, they were given a spear decorated with jewels named Ame-no-nuboko.

Standing on Ama-no-ukihashi, the floating bridge of the heavens, they plunged the spear into the ocean. When they pulled it free, the water that dripped from the spear coagulated and formed the first island of the Japanese archipelago. Here the first gods and humans were born.

Despite being siblings, Izanagi and Izanami wedded each other and had many children, all of whom would later become the Gods of Japan. Their married life however, came to an unexpected end when Izanami became ill. It turns out, she was pregnant with another child, however this child was special, for even before birth it was powerful. The longer the child grew in her womb, the weaker Izanami became, which caused great distress in Izanagi's part as there was nothing he could do. Until the day came when the baby was about to be born, but it was not a peaceful one. Instead, Izanami was burned to death as the child finally revealed himself to be Kagustuchi, the God of Fire.

Grief-stricken by his wife's death, Izanagi looked at the infant with rage in his eyes and chopped the child to pieces with a sword. However the child did not die, instead those pieces turned into living entities and spread all throughout Japan, becoming one with nature. After that, Izanagi would then venture to Yomi-no-kuni, the underworld, to retrieve his wife but would ultimately fail.

…At least, that's how the legend goes.

…But what if that wasn't the end?

…What if that child, Kagutsuchi survived?

…What if a part of him still remained?

Just like the myth of Pandora's box, Kagutsuchi's pieces had spread out all except for one.

And that piece, that one small piece, grew and grew that by the time Izanagi came back that small piece had turned into a child once more. Shocked by this discovery, Izanagi was about to strike the child but stopped when he remembered what happened before. So instead, he turned his back on the child and went back to his home where he mourned for his wife.

All alone with no one to care for him, Kagutsuchi lived a hard life. He was scorned and ridiculed for most of his life because the other gods knew of the crime he had done. Some would have even loved to kill him but the child was not weak. Despite being a fragment of himself, Kagutsuchi was strong, so strong that he was able to ward off even the strongest of gods away. And as he grew older the other gods started to fear him as well.

"He is just a fragment, yet he is already so strong! What will become of us if he ever becomes whole?" one god had said during one of their yearly meetings.

This cry had sent the other gods into a frenzy, and so they pleaded with Izanagi to do something about the child. Should he grow any further they feared that he would one day kill them all as the child was very wild and prone to attack others at the slightest provocation. The king however ignored them and continued to reminisce about the past where his wife was still alive. This was proof that the king had long ago abandoned the child and was indifferent about what happens to him. In the end, the gods had decided to keep their distance from the young fire god. They still hated him, but they also feared him.

Several decades later, Kagutsuchi had grown into a man. His powers were unparalleled, his exploits unbeatable and his rage unquenchable. The gods had started to fear him even more and had labeled him as the strongest god to have ever lived. But instead of gaining recognition from the others, Kagutsuchi was shunned. Many times the gods wondered what it would've been like if he was whole, would he be as strong as his father? Or even more?

Somewhere withing the darkness a pair of red eyes opened.

"Hmm…" an man hummed, as he turned from where he was sitting.

He was an old man, his form quite shrunken and his white hair shriveled but tied in a loose knot. A few strands of his hair fell away, framing his wrinkled face. The man was not quite human though, as his face resembled that of a turtle with his drooping but scaly skin and beak-like mouth. But one look at his eyes you would know that he was not weak. His eyes showed great wisdom and age that it would be best not to underestimate him.

It was the middle of the night, but the old man remained where he was. He had not moved from his spot ever since they finally found what they were looking for. It took them several years but it was all worth it. A sound was heard then, the kind where someone's foot would bump into a stray stone and send clattering down the path. The sound echoed all throughout the passage way until it reached the room where the old man was in.

"Hey old man, is there any change?" a man younger than the other by several years walked in. He was clad in armor with a sword strapped to his waist and a red tattoo marked the side of his face. Even though the warrior's tone was rude and his appearance sudden the old man didn't even react as if he expected him.

"…No." the old man eventually replied, his black beady eyes still fixated on the area before him. "But I felt a brief stirring." His voice was hoarse as he spoke. He took a step forward, the long robe he wore trailing behind as he stood a few feet away. In front of him was a huge pool of lava, the volcano they were staying in was dormant until a few years ago it had started to react. The air was dry and hot causing any exposed skin to burn and dry. If they weren't ordinary beings they would have died from dehydration or suffocation, but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

"Oi, are you serious?" the other said excitedly.

"Yes." The older said as he took another step forward. His eyes narrowed as he searched for the source of power he felt. The lava betrayed nothing at first, only bubbling and broiling as it has been for the last fifty years they've been there. Curios, the other man also stepped forward until he was standing beside him and that was when it happened. The lava in front of them exploded. The force knocked them off their feet and sent them smashing against the wall. Disoriented, the men watched in both fear and awe as a figure started to appear from within the lava.

First it was just a hand, followed by an arm and then the shoulder, then finally the head. It was difficult to see the face as everything was covered in molten lava but strangely the figure inside didn't seem to be hurt. In fact the lava seemed to be caressing him, enveloping him inside an embrace the same way a mother would do to her child. The hand that was raised clenched into a fist and brought itself down on to the floor, creating a crack in the process. The lava covering it splashed everywhere as it finally released the figure of it's burning embrace revealing smooth skin. Another hand was raised from within the lava and planted itself next to it's partner and together they worked to get the body out of the pool. Once it was halfway through, the lava dripped down to reveal a man. A man with tanned skin, a muscular body and red hair that stuck to his face. He was panting slightly, his mouth open as he took in deep breaths. Once he had calmed down, that's when he noticed that he wasn't alone. Slowly, he raised his head, his long hair covering most of his face but it did nothing to hide his eyes.

The two men flinched as they felt an overwhelming fear consume them as those deep red eyes stared at them from the fire. He radiated a power that was like no other that it sent them trembling in their seats, but the older of the two managed to move. His entire body was shaking but the old man managed to kneel without breaking eye contact with the being in fire.

"Lord Kagutsuchi…" he faltered. He licked his lips and tried again. "We have been expecting you." And with that, he put his hands in front of him on the ground and bowed low.

Still submerged into the lava, the man didn't say anything instead he felt a cold breeze. It was only for a moment, but he still felt it and he turned his head to the direction of where it came from. The passage way from where the warrior had walk through was dark but in the distance he could see something. Outside the sun had started to rise, so from his spot all he could see in the tunnel's opening was a small speck of the sky.

In the legends, Kagutsuchi was scorned by all and hated by the rest, but unknown to most he wasn't alone. No, there was someone who always stood by him.

Someone who always cared for him and never left his side.

A goddess that was always overlooked.

The last child of Izanami.

The water goddess.

"Hair as black as night, but stained in blue…" he murmured, as he stared at the small opening.

"Waka! Wake up you're going to be late!" a cheerful voice called out from outside the young master's room.

"H-Hai! I'm coming."

"Skin as white as snow…"

"Waka, don't forget your lunch." The yuki-onna said, handing the boxed lunch to the boy.

"Thanks!" the boy said said gratefully as he placed the lunch into his bag. "But didn't I tell to stop calling me that?"

"Ah! That's right, sorry Rikuo-sama."

"Eyes…a neverending blue…"

"Oi! Wait for me!" a large, bulky person said as he ran outside the house.

"Hurry up Aotabo!" yuki-onna said as she and the other boy were already standing in the treshold.

"Let's go Tsurara." Rikuo said.

"Hai!"

That person's name was…

"Mizuhame…" the man said.

"Huh?"

"Tsurara? What's wrong?" Rikuo asked.

The aforementioned girl was standing a few feet behind them, her body twisted a bit as she looked over her shoulder. "Hm?" she snapped out of it once she heard her master's voice and turned to see them looking at her strangely. "Oh nothing, it's just that I thought…" she stopped when she realized how ridiculous that sounded. "Nothing." She said, shaking her head. "Probably just my imagination."

"You sure?" Rikuo asked with slight concern in his voice. "Hai!" the yuki-onna said cheerfully as she raised her hands to prove it. "If you say so." He said.

"Earlier you were naggin at us to hurry it up, now you're one who's taking up time." Aotabo complained.

"Ah! You're right!" Tsurara shouted as she realized that they were going to be late.

"If we run we'll make it." The taller man said. "Then let's go, go, go!" yuki-onna shouted as she and the other two ran. Trailing behind them, Tsurara couldn't help but look back again. Seeing no one, she just shook her head once more and caught up with the the other two. But still, she couldn't shake off this feeling that something was going to happen.

"Strange." She thought. "I thought for sure someone was calling me."

Ok, that's it for the prologue. Please review! Depending on how many viewed this i just might update sooner, well, that only depends on my mood though ;)