Hey guys. I know I'm really, really mean for what I did in the last chapter, but I don't care. I enjoy doing that. Haha!

Chapter 21

"Stand aside!" yelled Miroku as they entered the mansion and the Lord came to him, with some of his servants.

"What's the meaning of this, monk?" asked the little man. "What's the matter with this boy?" Inuyasha carried the barely conscious Ikuto in his arms. Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Shippo didn't stop to answer questions like Miroku did. They rushed into the room where Miroku and Inuyasha were sleeping while Miroku began to explain. "You better start explaining yourself monk!"

"I'm sorry to alarm you, but the boy has been possessed by a demon. We have to get it out before..." Miroku didn't want to think about what could actually happen. "Just instruct your people not to go out alone and please stay in their homes at all costs until we perform an exorcism and then kill the opposing threat."

The lord looked worriedly at Miroku, but nodded his head in agreement. "Y-yes monk. I'll do that."

Miroku went into the room and looked into Ikuto's eyes. He was scared and confused. He had no idea of what was truly going on, but his eyes weren't completely his own. "I don't know what the demon's intention is."

"What could happen?" asked Sango.

Kagome was feelings Ikuto's head while he was laid out on the floor. He was running a very high fever and looked deathly pale. "Kagome" he said softly."

"Is it going to possess the kid?" Inuyasha asked.

"I don't know" Miroku replied. "It's possible that the demon could be using Ikuto as a host until..."

"Until what?" Shippo gulped.

Miroku sighed. He didn't want Kagome to hear this. "The demon could be using him as a temporary house. It could stay in him until it's ready to come out and when it does..." Miroku reached inside his robe "Ikuto will die."

"Die?" Kagome began to shake from fear. 'He can't die. Not Ikuto!' "How do we get the demon out?"

"Simple" Inuyasha held out Tetsusaiga. "We could just cut him open."

"Don't joke like that!" Kagome yelled. "What else?"

Miroku pulled out a sutra. "Inuyasha, I need you to hold him."

Inuyasha nodded and then picked Ikuto up with one arm. "What are you doing?" Ikuto asked wearily.

"Shut up and let us help you! Don't complain! You got yourself into this stupid mess!" Inuyasha put Ikuto in a full nelson and held him tightly to the point where Ikuto cried out in pain.

"You're hurting him!" Kagome screamed.

"This needs to be done" Miroku said. "We have no other choice. It will either grow inside of him or possess him. We've got to kill this demon now."

"But"

Sango took Kagome's hand. "Come on Kagome; let's step out here for a while. They know what they're doing."

Kagome looked at Ikuto's face. She could tell he didn't want her to leave, but she knew he didn't want to die either. "Okay." Kagome reluctantly followed Sango out, and Shippo and Kirara followed her. "Is he going to be okay?" Kagome heard a sudden burst of screams coming from Ikuto, not from a demon. It was so painful to listen to. She covered her ears and tried to block out the screaming. 'It's for his own good. He needs to get better. He needs to get better.'

"Ahhhhhhhhh!"

"Stop it!" She ran back into the room and gasped at the sight. Ikuto's body was smoking and racking in pain. "I...Ikuto!"

"Ka-Kagome!" he said quietly.

"No Kagome!" Miroku instructed. "Ikuto is still in charge but the demon has already started to slowly work his influence. Don't you see it? He's making a bigger deal than what it really is so you'll stop us, but what we're doing is right, Kagome. It needs to be done!"

"Kagome" Ikuto whispered once more.

"No" Kagome shook her head, and wiped a tear away. "You're hurting him. His body is burning! You're hurting him!"

"Miroku knows what he's doing!" Inuyasha yelled. "Let him do this!"

"You're just saying that because you hate Ikuto!" Kagome yelled.

"Kagome" Sango came and grabbed her shoulders. "Listen, this is what's best for Ikuto. I know it's hard, but you've got to let Miroku work."

Kagome had to do the hardest thing she had ever done in her life and she walked away from Ikuto and out the room with Sango. "Kagome, it's okay." Sango said. "I know it hurts, but you've got to do what's best." Sango herself understood her own words. She had to go through so much with Kohaku. She had even decided that she was going to kill him once, and she would have, if it wasn't for Inuyasha. "It'll work out in the end, Kagome."

"Yeah" she said meekly.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

Kagome flinched at the sound of his pain. She covered her ears again. 'It's for the best! It's for the best! They're helping him!' She heard him scream, not just a yell. It sounded so horrible. She could tell he was in so much pain, and tears started to come to her eyes and roll down her cheeks. 'Please be strong Ikuto!'

"It's okay Kagome" Sango said.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Stop it!"

"Kagome no!"

Kagome ran back inside and grabbed a hold of Ikuto. "Please stop it!"

Miroku was just about to place another sutra on his head, and Inuyasha grunted when he saw her. "Let go Kagome!" Kagome held on to Ikuto with one arm and pushed on Inuyasha's shoulder with the other.

"Leave him alone!"

"Stop this Kagome!" Miroku put the sutra back into his robe, but Inuyasha wasn't letting go.

"Quit playing around Kagome!"

"Sit!" she yelled. Inuyasha tried with all his might to stay up and he could feel a breaking somehow. "Sit!" She yelled again. Miroku tried to pull her away, causing her to slip a little bit and her fingers got caught between the beads on the rosary. "Sit!" The beads began to shriek and glow, and then suddenly, fell...separate, as single beads.

Miroku finally pulled her off, and they both fell down. She was lying on top of him, and he wasn't complaining about that. Ikuto's body was so thrashed that he suddenly fell to the floor, unable to move. Inuyasha, however, was in a sudden daze. He would have usually started yelling at Kagome, but he felt around his neck, and began to smile. He looked down at his feet and saw the broken rosary, and he smiled fully. "I'm free" he said quietly. He laughed to himself and then patted the shaking Ikuto on his shoulder. "You're actually the best thing to ever happen to me! Way to go kid!"

Kagome looked at the beads and realized what she had done. "No" she said silently. 'Well, there goes my safe plan!' She suddenly didn't care anymore. She looked at Ikuto's face. He was in so much pain that it began to break her heart. "I'm not going to let you guys do that anymore. You've hurt him more than you've hurt the demon!" She stroked his warm face. "Don't worry. We'll get it out of you."

Inuyasha was too busy celebrating to actually realize the look Kagome had in her eyes. "I'm free! No more sit for me!"

Miroku sat beside Kagome. "Then what do you suggest that we do, Kagome? This won't turn out pretty."

"I know, but there's got to be another way, one that won't cause him that much pain!"

Inuyasha got back to his sense and said "Why don't you just shoot him with your sacred arrow? That'll kill the demon in no time."

"No way am I hurting Ikuto anymore like that! You must be insane!" She sighed. "There's got to be a reason why all of this happened. Why did it have to be Ikuto? I would have been happier if it was me."

"The demon must still be around." Miroku stood to his feet. "Sango and I will go after the demon. The rest of you can stay here and keep Ikuto watch." Miroku left out the room, and Shippo walked in.

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"Could you get him some water, Shippo?" Kagome continued to stroke Ikuto's face. "He has a very high fever, and he really doesn't look good."

Shippo nodded. "I'll be right back!"

Inuyasha sat beside Kagome and couldn't help but be a little jealous of Ikuto. "Do you have to do that?"

Kagome gently lifted Ikuto's head and sat it on her lap. "He needs my help, Inuyasha. It's my fault that he's like this."

"We told him to stay home!"

"Yeah, and we both know that he wouldn't have done that. He's just as stubborn as you!"

"We'll it's not my fault!"

"K-Kagome?" Ikuto barely opened his eyes. He sounded so fragile, as if he was about to break. "I...I don't wanna be a demon. I don't want to be..."

"Shhh. Ikuto, you're not going to be a demon."

"That's what they called me" he said quietly. "They called me demon child."

'Demon child?' thought Inuyasha. 'People used to call me a half breed. They still do.'

"You're not turning into a demon. We're going to make sure of that." She smiled sweetly, while Ikuto closed his eyes and began to rest. "I'm glad he's getting some sleep. I don't think it's going to be easy for him."

"You're right" Inuyasha said. "I don't honestly think he's going to make it, to tell you the truth. He doesn't look like he's going to survive the night."

Kagome didn't get angry, she just smiled brighter. "Inuyasha, do you remember when you go sick and I held you in my lap?"

"Uh..." he blushed. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing, it's just that you started to be a lot nicer to me afterwards. You started to open up to me and then I finally knew you didn't hate me. You said that I smelled nice, and when I confronted you about it, you told me that you had been lying all along."

"What about it?" he blushed harder.

"Nothing. I was just remembering. Right now kind of reminds me of then. That's why I know we'll get through this. Ikuto is your reincarnation after all. You're so strong Inuyasha. That's why I know I can count on Ikuto to be strong too."

"Keh," Inuyasha turned his head, still blushing "we are two different people if you haven't noticed."

"I noticed." 'But you two still are the same, just in two different situations.' "Inuyasha, it's because I can depend on you to be there for me that I can find comfort in the fact that Ikuto is your reincarnation. You'd never let me down, so I know he'll pull through." She blushed, just as much as Inuyasha. "I can always rely on you."

"Don't get all mushy on me Kagome" Inuyasha tried to stop blushing. He was glad that she was complementing him, but he was also upset that she was complementing Ikuto and comparing the two of them. They were two different people, with two different personalities. It wasn't fair for her to put them as the same person. He didn't consider her and Kikyou to be the same. He did when they first met, but now was different. He knew better, and so should she.

"Momma" Ikuto said gently while closing his eyes even tighter.

"He's dreaming."

"Momma!" Ikuto was a small boy, with cuts and bruises on his face, but he was strong and decided that he wouldn't cry. "I'm home!" He closed the front door behind him and he looked around for his mother. "Momma!"

"I'm in the kitchen!"

Ikuto ran to his mother and smiled. "I got an A on my spelling test."

"That's good sweet heart." She looked down at her son and gasped. "Baby, what happened?" She immediately started to cry, seeing the cuts on his face. "Baby, what happened?"

"Oh, I got these during gym. I'm okay."

She held her son tightly. "You were fighting again, weren't you? What have I told you about fighting? Don't scare your mother like this! I don't want you to be hurt. Don't scare me anymore!"

He began to cry as well. "I'm sorry momma!"

"Momma" Ikuto said. When he opened his eyes and saw Kagome, he felt foolish, but then grew hysterical. "I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

"No you're not." Kagome rubbed his cheek. "You're going to live a long and healthy life."

"No I'm not" he said. "I'm going to die and go to Hell and I'll never see my mother again."

"That's not how it works" Inuyasha said.

"Yes it is!" Ikuto yelled with as much strength that he had. "Isn't that where people who don't believe anything go? It doesn't matter if you're a good person. If you don't believe, you die and go to Hell. I'm going to Hell, because I don't believe in anything!"

"Calm down Ikuto!" Kagome had to stop herself from crying. "Calm down. You're not going to die! You're not going to Hell!"

"Yes I am. I'm gonna burn in Hell forever, and I'm going to be alone. I'm going to be so alone."

"What's he muttering about?" asked Inuyasha.

"He's scared" Kagome said. "He scared of fire and think he's going to burn in Hell for forever."

"I am" Ikuto said. "I don't believe in anything."

A tear slipped down Kagome's cheek, and she wiped it away. "But you do believe in something, Ikuto. Don't you remember?" She stroked his forehead. "You do believe in something, and I believe in it too."

Ikuto began to calm down a little. "You do." he whispered quietly. Those were the words that he had been dying to hear since the first time he stared into her beautiful eyes. 'She believes in us?' "Kagome...if I die, will you tell my brother that I'm sorry and that...I don't really hate him."

"You're not going to die!" Inuyasha barked.

"Please, Kagome, please tell Suno the truth."

She nodded hesitantly. "I'll tell him."

"Kagome..." he gasped for air and then passed out.

"I thought Ikuto was stronger than that. If he doesn't get his act together, then he's not going to make it."

"He's just so scared that he will die and go to Hell. You see, his parents died in a horrible fire when he was just a boy. He was actually in the fire, and he almost died from it. He's been traumatized ever since. He has a fear of fire, so the thought of going to Hell scares him. He doesn't want to burn forever."

"Kagome" Inuyasha pouted and crossed his arms, not really wanting to admit to what he was about to say. "The truth is that I don't like Ikuto and to tell you the truth, I don't trust him, but he's not a bad person. He's not going to Hell unless he's done something that we don't know about."

"From what I know, he hasn't. It's just the fact that he believes you have to do more than just be a good person. You have to believe in something, and...and so he's scared." 'He does believe in love...in loving me. I don't know if I completely believe in loving him back. I still love Inuyasha, and that's not going to change. I don't know if I could ever truly be with Ikuto, and it's not right for me to lead him on like I would, but I needed to tell him something. If I didn't, then he would have just been hysterical all night. He should have some peace of mind. He deserves it.' "I hope Miroku and Sango are having progress. We need to do something for Ikuto and find out who did this."

"Keh," Inuyasha began to grumble "I've got a pretty good idea who it could be." Inuyasha began to sniff the surrounding air. "I'm picking up Naraku's scent." He stood to his feet and began to growl. "This is something he'd do. It's dirty enough to be Naraku. I'll kill him for this." 'Naraku, you're going down. You're not getting away for what you're doing to Ikuto.' "But I wonder what he's really up to. I don't think his plan may be over. Whatever that slime ball in planning, it's sure to be a lot bigger than sticking a demon inside of the boy. It's probably a lot more complicated than that."

"But why would you say that? Naraku hasn't seen Ikuto!" The thought of Ikuto being pulled into Naraku's web of cruelty was too much for the burdened Kagome to bear. It was bad enough that he had a demon living inside of him. Now she had to hear the news that there might possibly be another part to his scheme? 'But how?' "How could have Naraku find out about Ikuto? Ikuto doesn't even know what Naraku looks like."

"Naraku must have seen us somehow. Remember when you told him to go home and when Kouga met him? Remember, you turned into a blubbering idiot and he left to calm you down."

"I was not blubbering."

"Yes you were. Anyway, I picked up Naraku's scent that day. It's possible that he saw Ikuto then. Maybe Kagura or Kanna saw him and told Naraku. It could have even been Naraku's poisonous insects." Inuyasha gazed at Ikuto's face. He looked like he was fighting so hard, but he was losing. He couldn't keep up the battle with the demon much longer and soon he would be possessed or dead. "If this truly is Naraku, then Ikuto's brought more trouble than what we've asked for." Inuyasha stopped looking at the doomed Ikuto and on to Kagome's worried face. 'He's probably figured out that Ikuto is my reincarnation as well, and if that's true, then he could be planning…'

Inuyasha looked at the Sacred Shikon jewel in his hand and then leaped forward once again in an attempt to escape the village before Kikyou slay him. He was going to be human and live his life out with his love, but then when she was to bring him the jewel, Kikyou attacked him. "Ugh!" Inuyasha felt the sacred arrow pierce his body and the tree behind him. He looked ahead to see Kikyou, the woman he promised to love, still in the proper position for firing a perfect shot. "Ki-Kikyou." He reached out to touch her, one last time before he would say goodbye to her forever, even though he thought she had betrayed him. He just wanted to touch her warm, soft skin once more, but he could not. His eyes closed and his hand dropped.

Inuyasha shook his head. "No" he whispered under his breath. 'Naraku's tried to make history repeat itself once before. I can't let him do it again. He's gotten Kagome possessed before by Tsubaki and tried to shoot me with her scared arrow. That was Naraku's plan, no doubt in my mind about that. He's going to try something like that again, only this time, it'll be Ikuto and Kagome.' "Kagome, I'm picking up Naraku's scent, but I don't want you to be in here with Ikuto alone. It's not safe."

"What do you mean it's not safe?" She gently took his head off from her lap and set it down on the hard floor. In a pang of anger, she stood to her feet and pointed her finger at Inuyasha. "Listen mister! It's your fault that Ikuto left out of here and got possessed. He knows that you don't trust him, and you've gotten everyone else to believe your conspiracy theories!" She suddenly sighed and put her head down. "Even me" she said sadly "even I thought something was wrong, and there is. There's something strange about him. I've always known it, from the first time I saw him. I just didn't pay much attention to it, because I was so excited that you had a reincarnation. It was just amazing to me." She placed her hands at her sides and began to shake as tears formed in her eyes. "I knew no one trusted him. He ran away from home because he thought no one loved him, and he slept outside thinking no one trusted him." A tear came out of her eye. "It's all my fault. He wanted my help. That's what he needed, and I let him down." She covered her face and began to sob. "All he wanted was to be accepted, and we all rejected him, even me!"

"Kagome, it's not your fault!" Inuyasha yelled. "There's something wrong with him. It's not our problem if he can't live with that."

She wiped her tears away and was overcome with a sudden burst of anger. "Inuyasha, you of all people should know what it feels like to be rejected by people! Didn't you want to fit in?"

Ikuto's consciousness began to return to him, but he was too weak to say anything. 'What are they…what are they talking about?'

"Fit in for what?" Inuyasha yelled back. "It's not like I was ever going to be accepted! I'm not full human, and I'm not a full demon. From what I understand, there are people who don't like Ikuto because of what his mother was or something like that. I don't know for sure to tell you the truth, but what I'm trying to say is that I didn't let that bother me, and he can't let that bother him either!"

"But…" Ikuto said faintly, causing a surprised reaction from Kagome and Inuyasha, who thought Ikuto, would be done for the rest of the night. "Isn't that why you want to become a full fledged demon? Isn't it because you want to belong somewhere?"

Inuyasha was left speechless for a moment. Of course that wasn't why…or was it? "Shut up, stupid! I want to become a full fledged demon so I can be stronger. Mortals are weak, and I don't want to be one, even if it is for once a month!"

Ikuto shook his head lightly "No, you're lying to yourself. You want to belong somewhere. You want to be something, more than what you are. I know this…I know this because I too want to belong somewhere, and I want to be more than what I am now. That's why I want to go to America. That's where people who don't belong, came together, and formed a place to live, a place where anyone could belong. That's what I want to do. That's where I want to be. I want to escape from the prejudice people around me, and go somewhere where people can love who they want, and their children can live their lives happy, because they have that right, the right to the pursuit of happiness." He smiled. "Happiness: something that I'm utterly lacking." His smile fell and his eyes grew dark. "I tried, but they…they wouldn't play with me, they wouldn't talk to me, they'd talk about me."

"Yuck, look its Ikuto!"

"My mother said that Ikuto's mother is a whore who only married his father for money."

"Ikuto's a freak!"

The insults of his childhood began to come into his mind and torment him. He couldn't take it. It was too much! "I just wanted to belong, and you do to, Inuyasha. You want to be stronger, who doesn't? That's not the reason though. You want to belong. I know, because that's what I want." Ikuto got into a fit of coughing after his little speech.

"It sounds like he's hysterical again." Kagome got on her knees and began to rub his head. "Inuyasha, we'll be okay. I know you want to go after Naraku more than anything. Ikuto's going to be strong and hold on while you're gone."

'I want to belong? That's not the reason. He's such a stupid fool! One thing we don't have in common is the fact that I have to change into a human, with no power. I can't do anything in that form. I don't want to live that way. Being a mortal has caused me nothing but trouble. Having power and then losing it all of the sudden is too much.' Inuyasha's train of thought was interrupted and he growled like a dog before it defends its territory. "Naraku is near." Inuyasha ran out of the room, just as Shippo was walking into the room with a very heavy bucket of water, but Inuyasha was in such a rush that he knocked Shippo down, spilling the water.

"Inuyasha, you're such a jerk!" Shippo was soaked in water and tired from carrying all that water, and frustrated for losing it all. "Kagome?" Shippo walked inside and heard Ikuto's babbling. He wasn't making much sense. He was blabbering about random things. Shippo took a seat next to Kagome. "What's the matter with him?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know. I think he's hallucinating, or maybe he's just reliving his painful memories." She played with his hair. It was thick and at the roots in the back, it was a little curly. 'His hair is so much different than mine. It looks a little different than the last time I saw him. It's not as straight as before.'

"Needs to be washed…" he said quietly.

"What?"

"I need to wash it." He began to cough a bit, and then moan in pain. He hated feeling like that. He felt so helpless. He felt like he was dying, and he had felt that way before. It frightened him, even though he didn't want to admit it. He wouldn't admit it, if he wasn't hysterical. He could feel all of his childhood trauma coming to haunt him. He could feel it all. His body felt horrible as well. He felt the demon, moving around, screwing around with his insides. Things were beginning to look blurry, and when he could see clearly, it was something from the past, something he knew wasn't real. He saw his mother crying, he saw his brother's anger, and his father's grave. 'What's wrong with me? This is the past? I have to focus on the present. I have to live.' "I need to press it too" he added in.

"What?"

"Hair."

"Oh." He started coughing again. "Shippo, where's the water?"

"That stupid Inuyasha made me spill all of it!"

"Shippo, I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you could get me some more? I've really got to help Ikuto out. Please!"

Shippo sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll be strong Kagome." Shippo walked away, leaving a trail of water behind.

Kagome began to stroke Ikuto's forehead. "Don't worry, you're going to be fine."

"Why?" he asked gently.

"What? Why what, Ikuto? What are you asking?" A trickle of blood began to run down one nostril, and then the other. "You're bleeding, Ikuto!" She grabbed her bag and reached for a towel and began to wipe the blood away. "You're going to be fine. You just wait." His noise wouldn't stop bleeding. He was beginning to look even worse. He was even paler then before and his eye lids were pink. His fever had risen and he was shaking from the pain.

"Why?" He asked again, a little louder. 'Why didn't you save her?'

"Ikuto, you're not making any sense." He started to lose consciousness and she patted his face to keep him awake. "Ikuto, please wake up! What's the matter? Please tell me!" Ikuto began to cough harshly, worse than he had ever before, and his body began to jerk violently with each cough. "Ikuto!" He continued to cough, and in a panic, Kagome did the one thing she knew she could do. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha was outside, watching Kagura fly over head. As soon as she arrived, she immediately turned around and started to leave. 'What's her deal? If she didn't come here to fight, then what did she come here for?' Inuyasha's ears twitched, hearing Kagome's voice scream his name. "I knew I couldn't trust that Ikuto! I'm coming Kagome!" He ran back inside to see what was the problem was.

'The kid is still alive and he's not been taken over by the demon. This isn't some regular kid.' She looked back to see Inuyasha was gone. 'There's something more to this boy if he's still holding on.' She grunted. 'I have to report back to Naraku before he suspects something.'

"Kagome" Inuyasha entered the room and Kagome was holding the coughing Ikuto. "What's going on?"

The more he coughed, the worse he got. Soon, specks of blood began to come out, but then it got worse and even more came out. "Please be strong, Ikuto!" Ikuto began to yell because of the throbbing in his gut, but then the yell turned into a cough again. "Come on Ikuto!" Kagome cheered. "You're strong enough to handle this!" She told herself that she wouldn't cry. "You're going to make it! Don't worry." She held him tighter and said softly "I'm right here with you."

Inuyasha's ears slumped. He understood that Ikuto was hurt, but the way she said that. 'I'm right here with you.' There was something more than concern in her voice, and it bothered him. It tore him apart.

Ikuto calmed down and stopped coughing and yelling. "It's stopped hurting so much."

Kagome was so happy that she let out a short burst of laughter. "I'm glad to hear that."

Inuyasha's ears rose up and his eyes widened. "Kagome, the demonic aura, it just got a lot bigger."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked while setting Ikuto down. She stood to her feet and crossed her arms. "What do you mean it got bigger?"

"Kagome, it's gotten bigger. I can even smell it. Ikuto barely smells human anymore."

"So what are you trying to say? Are you telling me that he's…changing?"

"No, not at all, I just think…this demon; it's growing inside of him. Maybe the plan was just to get the demon inside of him. It doesn't seem like that would be all that Naraku wanted to do, but it looks like it's going to kill him. It wasn't Naraku outside. It was Kagura. I'm guessing we haven't seen the end…" Inuyasha crossed his arms. "Man, I don't know what to do! What is that snake planning?"

"We've got to help him Inuyasha!"

"I know Kagome. We've got to get it out now, before it grows too large and kills him."

"Inuyasha" Ikuto said gently. "There…there was a man outside. He said he used to be possessed. He" Ikuto coughed once more "he told me that there was a priestess in a village a day's journey headed south from here. He said the priestess got the demon out of him. Maybe she…can help..." He got into another coughing fit and began to cough up blood like before.

"That's great news. She can help him. He can live." Kagome turned away from Ikuto and grabbed Inuyasha's hands. "He won't survive the night. You've got to get him there."

"Me? You're not coming along?"

Kagome shook her head. "The sooner, the better. I need you to carry him. I'll slow you down. He doesn't even look like he'll survive another hour, Inuyasha. You can get him there. You can save him, and I need you to do that. Can you?"

How could Inuyasha look into her eyes and deny her that? How could he look into her desperate eyes and deny her anything? He couldn't let Ikuto die. He had seen Kagome cry so much. He couldn't bear to see her weep for his death, nor could Inuyasha let Naraku have the satisfaction of killing his reincarnation. "Okay Kagome. I promise you that I'll get him there safely."

Kagome leaned closer to Inuyasha and kissed him on his cheek. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha began to blush. "Come on Kagome."

Ikuto noticed Inuyasha's childish reaction to her peck on the cheek. 'He's so immature.'

"I promise you, Kagome." Inuyasha walked over to Ikuto, but he was too weak to hold on to Inuyasha's back, so Inuyasha placed him over his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll be back."

She nodded. "I believe in you Inuyasha, in the both of you."

Inuyasha nodded as well. "Relax Kagome, I'm not going to let Naraku win."

"Yeah, I know." They smiled at each other and then Inuyasha left out of the room with Ikuto on his back, just when Shippo came in.

"Where is he taking Ikuto?"

"He's getting him help."

Shippo sat the large bucket of water down with an attitude. "I got this water for Ikuto!"

"Sorry Shippo, I completely forgot."

Shippo noticed the blood on the floor. 'What happened?'

'Please live Ikuto!'

Just when day break approached, Inuyasha arrived in the village with Ikuto barely hanging on to life. Ikuto opened his eyes and smiled. "We're here."

Inuyasha began to sniff the air around him and he set Ikuto down. 'She's…she's here!'

"I sense something." A woman came out of a shrine that she had been diligently working in for the past few days. She wasn't there for pay, but just because it was something that she used to do, something that she felt obligated to do, now, and when she was alive.

Inuyasha put Ikuto's arm on his shoulder. "Come on, can you walk?"

"Sure" Ikuto said. "Just give me a second."

Inuyasha looked ahead and gasped and let go of Ikuto, making him fall flat on his face. "K…Kikyou!"

Ikuto was unable to get up without Inuyasha's help, even though he did try. "Uh…a little help here!"

To be continued….

A/N: Oh you know she had to show up sooner or later! Review and I'll update. Remember our deal? It's still on if you guys are willing.