A/N: Guys, thank you for your reviews, and please enjoy this new chapter!
Kagome's POV
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Chapter-Twenty-Eight: Kagutsuchi
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From the beginning, I knew I wasn't going to like this conversation. In fact, I was regretting even mentioning anything about it.
It was an exquisite day. Truthfully, there was rarely unpleasant weather in Sesshoumaru's dominion, but it was uncommon for me to be able to spend such a splendid afternoon with my now-sulky husband.
"Why won't you talk with me about him?"
Brooding amber eyes glanced at me. "Simply because I have nothing worth telling, aside from what occurred those eight days you weren't here."
Oh, I absolutely hatedit when he used that tone. "And you refuse to tell me what happened when you released him?"
He was noticeably exasperated with me, but I could not help my raging curiosity. "Again, there is nothing to tell, koishii. You needn't fret over Kagutsuchi."
I arched a brow at him over my teacup. "Then what of your father? Why are you afraid of him?"
"Kagome," he said tiredly, "I would prefer not to burden you with my family history, if it's all the same to you."
I sighed inwardly. So overly dramatic, I thought with a fond smile. "How is it a burden if I want to know? I will keep asking until you tell me, Sesshoumaru. You're much too mysterious for your own good."
Judging from the resigned set of his shoulders, he knew I was right, and I silently cheered.
"What, precisely, do you want to know?"
I tapped my chin lightly and contemplated his question. "I suppose . . ." I began uncertainly, "I suppose I want to know why your father mistook me for Izanami."
If it had been in his nature, I'm sure Sesshoumaru would've groaned in frustration. However, he instead leveled me with a fiercely serious stare, his bright gaze narrowed gravely. "Before I begin, you must promise to remember that you asked for this, Kagome, because once I start to tell you, I will not stop."
Nervous anxiety clenched my stomach, but I nodded. I wanted to know, no matter how terrible it was.
He took a settling breath, and then he began. "My birth was unplanned," he started softly. "My mother bore me during her death throes, while her body was ravaged by Kagutsuchi's flames. She had only time to look upon my face and name me before death claimed her."
I couldn't stop myself from interrupting. "Is it so easy to kill a god?" I asked hesitantly.
He smiled sadly. "No," he answered. "She combusted from within, and burned from the inside out." I choked down a breathless gasp as he continued. "Needless to say, she suffered, and Izanagi, having witnessed such a horrific end for his beloved wife, decided to deal the same suffering on Kagutsuchi a thousand-fold."
"But," I interjected, "it wasn't as if it was intentional. I've never understood how a father could harbor such loathing for his son over a tragic accident."
Sesshoumaru cast me an unreadable look. "I can."
This completely threw me. "You . . . what?"
"I can," he repeated solemnly. "I can understand how my father feels whenever he looks at Kagutsuchi. He sees not his son, but his wife's murderer."
Though I had never thought of it specifically that way, I still couldn't quite grasp what Sesshoumaru meant. To try to kill your son for something beyond his control . . . it seemed unnecessarily cruel. "Sesshoumaru . . ."
"You must also understand how emotionally and mentally unstable my father is," he said before I could finish. "Watching the woman he loved incinerate into nothing . . . he could not bear it, and his mind snapped. He has never been the same."
Silence weighed heavily until I finally whispered, "And the reason he called me Izanami?"
Sesshoumaru reached across the table and clasped my hands. His beautiful face was drawn, pained, and heartbreaking. "You must know," he murmured, stretching towards me so our foreheads touched. "You must know that what I am to tell you is not the reason why I wanted you so desperately, Kagome."
Disquiet churned within me and I swallowed uneasily. "All right."
His large hands released mine to frame my face. When he spoke, he sounded almost choked. "The reason my father called you Izanami," he said harshly, "is because you look like my mother."
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A/N: A little bit of drama to stir the pot, so to speak. Hope you liked it! Please review!