Thank you to all who stuck up for me. I thank you all so much. I feel so good now. I also feel good because I've been writing all morning trying to update today, but "Shattered Innocence" has a really good chapter up. This chapter of Irony is really good too, so I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 39

I don't own Inuyasha

"Hello Mrs. Hagurashi" Ikuto stepped inside of their home and handed the bouquet of flowers to Kagome's mother.

"Tiger lilies. How sweet of you?"

"I wasn't sure what her favorite was and Rina told me to give her this kind." He shrugged his shoulders. "Their Rina's favorite, so I went along with her strange idea."

"It's alright." Kagome's mother smelt the sweet scent of the flowers and smiled. "I'll put these in some water. You can go right up to Kagome's room, if you want."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hagurashi." Ikuto practically ran upstairs to Kagome's room, but before he entered, he heard Kagome's grandfather talking about something evil. Ikuto put his ear to the door, but grandpa opened the door as soon as his ear made contact. "Oh, hello."

"Were you spying on us?" Grandpa asked suspiciously.

"Chill out. I was only concerned for the well being of Kagome. Anything else is of no concern to me." Ikuto didn't like Kagome's grandfather much, so he said nothing more and stepped in Kagome's room. It looked like she had a fever. She was pale and lying in her bed. She seemed so weak and she had a rag on her forehead. "If you're hot, then you shouldn't keep your body covered in that blanket all day."

She was happy to see him. "How are you, Ikuto?"

"I'd be better if you took better care of yourself!" he practically barked.

'Man, when he acts like Inuyasha, he really does act like Inuyasha.'

"Now anyway," he walked over to Kagome's bed and pulled back the sheet that practically had her whole body covered, but as soon as he pulled it off a little bit, he realized that Kagome wasn't wearing her pair of usual pajamas, but a short gown that was above her knees, about the same length as her school uniform, but at the top, the gown was spaghetti straps and low cut, so he saw some cleavage. "Sorry!" He quickly covered Kagome back up. "I didn't mean to see all of that!"

"I was hot!" she admitted. "I didn't want to wear itchy and baggy clothing!" Kagome was blushing with embarrassment. "Thank you for stopping by." She wouldn't look at him. She was far too embarrassed.

"It's no problem. I wanted to talk to you and I didn't have to work until later today." 'You did a little growing up over the summer, didn't you Kagome?' He was smiling from the thought. 'I must have hung around Michael too much.' He sat down on the floor Indian style, just like Inuyasha would, and reached over to Kagome to feel her forehead. "Sarah was worried when you missed school yesterday. She thought that you might have gone back to the Feudal Era, and when I called, your mother told me you were sick and I had to see you." He sighed. "You were doing so well too. You were in school Monday till Thursday and Friday you get sick."

"Actually, I've been a little sick since the first day."

"Then why did you wear yourself out? Are you totally crazy, Kagome? Sarah said you didn't look well, and you kept pressing on. You're going to kill yourself one day. You should take better care, Kagome."

"I'm really sorry." Kagome started coughing again and Ikuto looked for a glass of water, but saw none in her room.

"I'll get some water for you."

"Please wait!" she reached out to touch him and grabbed his hand. It stopped Ikuto in his tracks, not just because he felt the touch of her hand, but because he also felt something else.

'What's this strange eerie feeling I'm getting from Kagome? Something is wrong. I can sense something, it's something terribly strange.' "Kagome, what was you grandfather babbling about when I came in here?"

She rolled her eyes. "He said he was going to get something out of the storage room that could lower my temperature. He said it could cleanse the evil or something like that."

"The evil?" Ikuto thought Kagome's grandfather was crazy, but he might be right about something. "Kagome, you don't think there's some demon inside of you or something weird like that, do you?"

Kagome chuckled a bit. "No Ikuto, it can't be anything like that. You're so paranoid." Kagome harshly began to cough and her head began to spin. 'Then again...'

"Your mother said that the doctor made a visit yesterday. What exactly did he say?"

"He's not sure what's wrong with me. He gave me some medicine and a doctor's note, but the medicine hasn't worked yet. I've been taking other medication a few days ago too. My mom even hadsaved some ofInuyasha's disgusting cold medicine and I took that yesterday, and I still don't feel any better. I actually feel a lot worse than what I should feel."

"There's no sickness going around the school, according to Sarah. When did you start getting sick?"

Kagome had to think back to a while. "Well, I didn't start feeling sick until a few days ago..." That wasn't quite right. She had to think even farther back than that. "Well, I did develop the cough when I came back from the Feudal Era." She noticed the sudden look of anger in Ikuto's eyes. "Well, we fought Naraku just before we left. Something strange was going on with Naraku. We beat him way too easily and his miasma was so strange. I accidentally breathed it in and..."

"That blasted Inuyasha!" Ikuto stood to his feet. "This is all his fault you're sick! It has to be Naraku! If the doctors don't know what's going on, then you might be cursed!"

"But Ikuto..." she couldn't argue with him. She was already lightheaded. She might pass out if she wasn't careful.

"He keeps putting you in danger, but I won't let him! He's not going to get away with this anymore, Kagome!" Ikuto wanted to hurt Inuyasha for his ignorance. Now Kagome was sick. 'If the doctor's medicine isn't working, then what will happen to her?' His thought was interrupted by Kagome's coughing. This time it was harsher. He didn't know how to help her. He hadn't really ever gotten a cold before, so he didn't know how to react to Kagome's coughing. "Just hold on, Kagome!" He tried to lift her up so he could pat her on the back, but by the time he was able to sit her up, she had stopped. "Kagome?" She said nothing as he held her in his arms, but then he finally realized that she had lost consciousness and blood had managed to trickle down both of her nostrils. "Kagome?" He tilted her head back and reachedfor a tissue out of the tissue box on her desk. As he wiped the blood away from her nose, he knew what he had to do. 'I can sense something horrible going on in your body, Kagome. I don't know how I can feel it, but there's something wrong, and I'm going to make it right.'

A half hour later, Kagome was still passed out, but Ikuto held her in his arms as he stood in front of the well. Kagome's mother, Souta, and grandpa were behind him, eager to see him pass through. Kagome's mother had dressed Kagome in her school uniform and prepared her daughter to make the departure back into the Feudal Era. She packed a back pack full of supplies, but Ikuto assured her that it was unnecessary. He only needed to bring her to that old woman Kaede that he met once. She could help Kagome, and then they could leave. 'I never wanted to come back to this place, but they're the only ones who can take the curse off Kagome.' "I'll be back before sundown" he told Kagome's family. 'Hopefully anyway. I can't be late to work or Suno will kill me!'

"Goodbye" Souta told him.

"Bye kid." Ikuto held Kagome tighter and jumped through the well. Ikuto still thought going through the well was so strange, especially as he fell through time, but he didn't let it bother him. He needed to save Kagome. When he landed, he could see the bright morning sun. "Hold on Kagome." She couldn't hear him. She was still unconscious. He couldn't hold her and climb at the same time,so he gently tossed her on his shoulders and began to climb up. Climbing with Kagome over his shoulders reminded him of a fireman. He admired them greatly, but had to push the thought out of his mind before he started thinking about fires and lost his concentration. 'I've got to take care of Kagome now.'

When he got out of the well, he placed Kagome back into his arms and began to carry her again. 'I don't think Inuyasha's around. Good. If I saw his idiotic face, I might have to hurt him for being so foolish. He let Kagome get so sick.' "Hold on Kagome." He hadn't realized how long of a walk it was to Kaede's. It probably seemed so long because he was holding Kagome. She was a light girl, but she was beginning to get heavy after a while. He was glad once he finally got into Kaede's home. "Kaede?"

She was surprised to see him step in her doorway. "What a surprise. Are ye not Inuyasha's reincarnation, Ikuto?"

"Uh…I am." He confessed. He laid Kagome down, making sure he rested her body down as gently as possible. "She needs your help" Ikuto told her desperately.

"What happened to Kagome? I sense a great evil."

"She's not possessed is she?"

Kaede felt her head. "Nay, child. She is not possessed, but I fear that Kagome has been cursed."

"You can do something about that, can't you? Can you take the curse off?"

Kaede nodded. "Stay with Kagome and I shall seek out some special herbs." Kaede wandered out of the room and off to the forest.

Kagome finally opened her eyes and reached out to touch Ikuto's hand. When he felt her hand, he wasn't so worried anymore. "Don't worry Kagome, Kaede is going to help you get better, and then I promise we'll go home."

"Kaede?" her voice was weak and fragile. "How did we get back to the Feudal Era without the jewel?"

"I don't know" he confessed. "We just jumped through together."

'He never ceases to amaze me. What makes him so special?' Kagome's grip on Ikuto's hand withered away and she closed her eyes again and rested.

'That's right Kagome, you just sleep. You'll be good as new in only a matter of hours.' He sighed. 'I hope Suno understands that I have a responsibility to protect Kagome at all costs.'

"Excellent" Naraku was watching his target through Kanna's mirror. "I have been waiting for him to appear. I knew once Kagome would fall ill, he would appear again. Now my plan can continue."

Ikuto watched Kaede as she applied various herbs to Kagome's body and said a few prayers. He didn't really notice a change, but he could sort of feel one. The evil that was around her body was beginning to go away. He was thankful for that, but it did take hours. The evil was strong and Kagome was close to death. He was thankful that he acted so rash and quickly returned her to the Feudal Era. If he didn't, Kagome could have been dead. 'I love you Kagome. I just want you to stay safe.'

"Would ye mind stepping out for a moment?" Kaede asked.

Ikuto could take a hint. Kaede needed to apply a mixture of herbs on her body, and there were certain places that Ikuto didn't need to see. "I get it. I'm going for a walk anyway." Ikuto stepped out of Kaede's and he decided to take a walk. We went around the village and the people stared at him strangely. 'Well, my clothes and my complexion are strange to them' he admitted in his mind. He decided not to become angry about it.

He just continued walking along until he was out of the village and went back into the forest. He kept walking until he spotted the sacred tree. 'This creepy place.' He rested his back against the tree and slide down until he was sitting down on the grass. It was soon to be night. The sun was going to set in another hour or two. He hoped Kagome would be better by then. 'Suno is going to flip when I get home.' Ikuto couldn't blame his brother. He wondered if he'd get fired. 'If he couldn't understand that I had to save Kagome, then I don't want to work for him.' Ikuto looked up at the sky and his eyes began to become heavy. 'I'll just take a quick nap, and then I'll go check up on Kagome.' He closed his eyes and began to slumber.

"What's the matter?" Sango asked Inuyasha, who had stopped in his tracks all of the sudden.

"Everyday he becomes even stranger than the day before" Shippo said.

"Yes" Miroku agreed and nodded his head. "He is quite clueless without Kagome."

"Kagome" Inuyasha muttered. His nose wasn't lying. He could smell the sweet scent of his lovely Kagome. "Kagome is here!"

"Wake up."

Ikuto felt the touch of a woman's hand opened his eyes. He didn't feel like he had slept too long, but the temperature had begun to lower. "I must have had a nice and effective nap." He stretched and yawned. "You okay now, Kagome?"

She sat beside him and had a bottle of something in her hand. She looked better. "I think I'm ready to go whenever you are." She rested her head on Ikuto's shoulder.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Something seemed to be wrong.

"I was just thinking about this spot. I have a lot of memories of this spot. It's ironic that I find you sleeping here."

"I suppose so." Kagome handed Ikuto the bottle and smiled gently at him. There was a cork on top of the lid, but when Ikuto pulled it off, he could smell something foul about it. It seemed so strange. "Kagome, you don't want me to drink this, do you?"

"Of course I do. It was a spell cast on me, but I was still sick and Kaede doesn't want you catching the illness."

"Come on Kagome…" he moaned in agony. He didn't want to drink it, but he couldn't take the chance of getting sick. "Okay, you win" he told her. He swallowed his pride and began to swallow the disgusting liquid. The more he swallowed, the more he wanted to throw it up. Whatever it was, it was thick and was the worse thing he had ever tasted. It wasn't easy going down and it tasted rotten. It began to make him feel sick. As he was drinking, he saw a very pale young girl begin to walk towards him. She appeared to be a ghost carrying a mirror. "Who is that?" he asked after his last swallow.

Kagome smirked evilly. "That is my good friend, Kanna."

"Kanna?" Ikuto began to choke and his nose began to bleed. He couldn't really breathe. 'What's happening to me?' He started to breathe once again, but he had no will. His eyes were dazed and he couldn't really move or speak how he wanted to.

"Good" Kagome said to him. "Now I am going to ask you a few questions, and you are going to answer them like a good boy." She placed her hand on Ikuto's back. "Now, I want you to tell me all of Inuyasha's secrets."

"I don't know any."

"You don't?" She wouldn't accept that for an answer. "Then I need you to remember. Go back to being Inuyasha. Search your soul and mind until you are him!"

"I can't remember" Ikuto claimed.

"You can't remember for Kagome?" she asked. Kanna stepped in front of Ikuto and held her mirror towards him. "Then show Kanna who you will remember for. What person have you always loved and held in utmost regard for? Who is that person who lies deep within your heart?" Kanna's mirror began to glow. In the mirror appeared an image. It was the image of a young woman, who was unlike any Japanese woman. Her skin was warm like coco and her eyes were chocolate brown. Her hair was long and as black as as night. Even her clothes were different than anything Kanna had seen. She was wearing a blue sundress and was holding what appeared to be a young version of Ikuto. They were together happy, in a garden.

"It is his mother, Naraku."

"Yes I see" answered Naraku, still using Kagome's voice. "What a strange woman." Naraku easily enough was able to transform himself into this figure though. His ability to shape shift did come in handy so much. "Ikuto?" Naraku changed his voice as well. Kanna moved back so Naraku could come in front of Ikuto. He grabbed Ikuto's face and stroked his cheeks, just as a mother would do to her son. "You've showed Kanna your desire to see me."

"Mother?"

"Now will you remember for me? Tell me all of Inuyasha's secrets. Tell me, when does Inuyasha become a human?"

Ikuto couldn't stop himself from speaking since he took that potion, but he couldn't deny his mother anything. "The night of the new moon" he told her, still in a daze.

She smiled greatly. "The night of the new moon? Good boy. Now I need you to tell me where the remaining jewel shards are."

"The jewel shards?" he asked. "I can't remember."

"You must remember. You are Inuyasha's reincarnation, meaning that Inuyasha must die. You have to remember his full life. If you don't, then you must remember. You have to try for your mother. You have to. Do it for your mother."

Ikuto couldn't deny his mother anything. He had to try. He could have possibly given up if Kagome asked him to remember, but it was his mother. Deep down inside, he knew it really couldn't be her, but he couldn't fight off the effects of the potion he had taken. So, Ikuto began to try. He began to try harder than he ever had in his whole life. He began to grunt, because it mentally hurt him so. He kept going though. He kept trying to remember, for his mother.

'Almost there' Naraku thought to himself. "Come on Ikuto, I believe in you. Your mother is very proud of you." Suddenly, the strain of Ikuto began to leave, and his eyes didn't seem to recognize the form that Naraku had taken. Naraku looked behind him and into Kanna's mirror.

"The image has changed" said Kanna.

This time, the woman was very beautiful, but her skin was not like the other woman's. It was a woman with the same eye color, but her skin was that of any other Japanese woman. Her hair was long and black like the other woman's, but it was much longer and thinner. Her garments were normal, unlike the other woman. Her kimono was pink and beautiful, and she seemed dressed like a princess. This time, she was holding what seemed to be a smaller version of Inuyasha. "Good, you remember now" Naraku changed his form into the person in the mirror. "Now that you are Inuyasha, tell me all of your secrets, son. Tell me where the remaining jewel shards are."

Ikuto's eyes didn't seem so dazed anymore. They were angry. He leaped out at Naraku and began to choke him. "Do you think I would be foolish enough to fall for the same trick again? My mother has been dead for years, and I will not be tricked twice!" Ikuto looked around him in a panic, trying to find Jaken or Sesshoumaru, or whoever was responsible for releasing his mother's look alike on him. "You're not her!" he told Naraku. Ikuto saw Kanna. "Naraku is responsible for this!"

Naraku was surprised that he had the strength to act out like that, since he had taken in so much of his potion, but Naraku had ways to counter. 'If his own mother won't work, I know what will.'

Ikuto's grip loosened once he saw that he was choking Kikyou. He let her go and backed away, from her. His eyes went into a daze again. "Kikyou…"

"I see that you also remember the love you harbor for me. That is good, Ikuto. It pleases me so." Naraku smiled. "I am sorry that we could not be together. What happened fifty years ago was tragic, but if we collect all of the jewel shards, then perhaps we can be reunited. Tell me, where are all of the fragments of the Sacred Shikon Jewel?"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha ran inside Kaede's hut, just in time to see her sitting up. "Kagome!" He was happy to see her, but hid it with anger. "You're not supposed to be here."

"I know" she had trouble standing, still feeling a little weak. Inuyasha helped her stand though. "I became sick and Ikuto took me back here." She looked around. "Where is he?"

"Knowing him, that idiot is in danger! I can smell Naraku, and he's near by!"

"So that is where I must go next" Naraku said to Ikuto, still in the form of Kikyou, still using her voice.

Ikuto fell on his back, unable to remember any longer. He had worn himself out and he barely had any strength left. His mind now wandered in confusion. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. He could no longer move, and could not remember.

"You must be so strong, since you were able to survive after drinking so much of my potion."

"Naraku!"

He turned around, just in time to have his arm blown off by Kagome's sacred arrow. She was still tired, but she pressed through.

"What have you done?" Inuyasha yelled. Miroku was ready to use his wind tunnel at any moment and Sango was prepared to throw her Hiraikotsu in a hot second. Kirara had even transformed, and Inuyasha was holding on to the fully transformed Tetsusaiga with the wind scar twirling around it. Even Shippo looked prepared to do something, even though he was frightened. "What did you do to him?"

Naraku already had a full grown smile on his face, but it turned into laughter, sadistic and pleasurable laughter. His form of Kikyou began to wither away and warp into his normal state.

Inuyasha was so disgusted that he would take Kikyou's form. "And what's so funny?" Inuyasha asked.

"The night of the new moon" Naraku said to Inuyasha. "The night of the new moon."

Inuyasha's mouth dropped. Now his number one enemy knew the secret he wanted to keep hidden from all. Inuyasha glanced over at the snitch, Ikuto, and saw his eyes dazed and almost lifeless. "No"Inuyasha seethed. "You'll pay for this, Naraku!"

"You're not getting away this time" Miroku said.

"We'll finish this here and now" Sango told him.

"Wait until we get Ikuto away from Naraku" instructed Kagome. "He can't move." 'This is all my fault. I've dragged him back into trouble.'

"I won't miss!" Sango threw her Hiraikotsu at Naraku, but Kanna was able to reflect it back with her mirror and hurled it right into Kirara, knocking Kirara down and out.

"Kirara!" Miroku was about to suck Naraku up in his wind tunnel, but then he realized Ikuto still lying down. 'I'd suck him in too.'

The miasma that had begun to pour out of Naraku once his arm was blown off began to surround Kanna and Naraku. "The night of the new moon, Inuyasha. I shall pay you a visit then." Naraku and Kanna began to take off into the sky.

Inuyasha wanted to badly chase after Naraku, but when he looked behind him to Kirara; it all began to make sense. 'They purposely hit Kirara so I couldn't chase after them.' Inuyasha attempted to run after him, but Naraku completely disappeared. "Nooooooooo!"

Kagome ran over to Ikuto and held him in her arms. "Ikuto, it's going to be alright."

Inuyasha walked over to them and grabbed Ikuto by his shirt and lifted him up into the air. "You little worm!"

"Stop it Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled. "Stop it right now! He doesn't deserve this!" She told him. "It was all probably an accident."

"Inuyasha!" Shippo yelled.

"You've got to stop it!" Miroku told Inuyasha. "Let him explain."

"He told Naraku the most important secret of me life! He deserves to die!"

"What? Who?" Ikuto began to ask, so confused.

"You've got something to say you maggot? Well speak! What do you have to say for betraying us all?"

"Who are you?" Ikuto asked.

"What?" Kagome couldn't believe her ears.

"Who am…I?"

TO BE CONTINUED….

A/N: Uh oh! Something bad has happened! What will become of Ikuto's memory and what about Naraku and his plot? I won't say unless you review!