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Author's Notes: Alright, so it's been a while since Inuyasha has seen the rest of the gang. He keeps having these weird dreams with Kagome in them. Little does he know that they're worlds have been connected by an outside force. It's clear that he and Kikyo have been living together for quite sometime w/o a very loving relationship. Anyways, Inuyasha and Kikyo discuss their past a little, before the topic of Rin comes up….

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Disclaimer: As much as I love Inuyasha, he's not mine.

THIRD TIMES A CHARM

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CHAPTER ONE: IN MY DREAMS AGAIN

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It was another one of those cool windy nights. He could smell the quickly approaching season. The flowers had begun sprouting in the fields releasing the most pleasant aroma. It drafted hazily in the air until it reached his nose. He inhaled a particularly large amount of the smell surrounded by pollen sending that familiar itch up his nose. He could feel it coming yet he knew it was inevitable to try and stop it. One...two…three…he counted in his head…four…it normally didn't take this long….five….six…seve-

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"ACHOOOOOOO!!!!!"

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A new record he thought as he rubbed his nose with his hand and carefully wiped it on his red loose-fit haori. He normally never got past five. A chilling gust of wind brushed gently through his long silvery hair that sent shivers up his spine as he sat perched on his favorite spot in his favorite tree. He stood straighter up on the branch flexing his legs and sharpening the claws of his feet against the smooth yet stern branch. Its irregular shape had always attracted him making it by far the most comfortable and relaxing place in the forest. The moon shone brightly through the densely covered forest and even brighter in the clearing that his branch overlooked.

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His focus was quickly reverted back to the object of suspicion that lay just up ahead. How could he have let his attention drift away from her for a second? How many times had he had this dream of her? It didn't matter if he sneezed. And it certainly didn't matter if he yelled and screamed at the top of his lungs for all that it was worth. She simply wouldn't respond. He had grown accustomed to her usual silence as she sat in the very center of the clearing. He didn't mind it. Even in her silence she could somehow speak to him. Tell him what she was feeling with the simple flash of those gorgeous sapphire eyes. He never dared to move when she gave him "the eye". Despite numerous attempts to reach her, he always ended up waking up from the dream the minute he made any sudden motion to climb down the tree and approach her.

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But the poor hanyou wouldn't learn- he couldn't learn. It was like teaching an old dog new tricks- it simply wouldn't work. He had to get to her. He needed to. His very existence depended on reaching her. The pale flowers that lay around her in the small field were in full bloom and contrasted to her dark hair that made the deepest night sky appear light. She was beautiful he admitted to himself. Her small form made her seem weak and frail, but he knew better. She was a fire burning strong. For this reason he had to have her, but he still couldn't figure out how to reach her.

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'That's it.' He said to himself when she turned to look at him with a slight smile on her mysterious face making her all the more desirable. He couldn't take this anymore. Like a cat, he dug his nails in the tree and made his way down with the utmost proficiency and prudence. As a half dog demon, he wasn't one to act like a cat, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Once reaching the bottom he felt a wave of dizziness overpower him, but he wouldn't stop. Not now. Not when he had actually reached the forest floor. His dreams normally ended when he tried to jump down. He had to keep going. Something was different this time.

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He walked cautiously over to her without making the slightest sound even though he knew it wouldn't make a difference if he tore up the entire ground. Sensing his presence, she turned swiftly to meet his intensive gaze. There it was again. That confused and sad look. Why couldn't she tell him what was troubling her- he knew he would do anything in his power to fix it.

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"Kagome." He breathed her name softly. She responded immediately to the sound of his voice by averting her eyes from his intensive stare. He continued to gaze at her longingly until she, feeling his eyes burn through her, curiously lifted her own to meet his.

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"What's wrong Kagome? Why won't you respond?!" He spoke again, this time more with more force. "Answer me!" He was ready to reach down and start shaking the poor girl when she spoke, her voice barely audible.

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"They're coming."

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Her voice caught him off guard. He was under the impression that she was either mute or incapable of making conversation. Then her words hit him.

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"Huh? What are you talking about? Who's coming?"

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"This is the only place I can hide. The only place I'm safe… is here… with you…" she trailed off.

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"You're not making any sense! Who's coming? What do you mean you're not safe?!" Inuyasha shouted. "I'll slay anyone who comes after you!"

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Inuyasha withdrew Tetsusaiga from its sheath as if to reassure her of his power and capability of protecting her.

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"Inuyasha…" Kagome smiled.

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"What?" He kneeled down until they were both at eye level.

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"Inuyasha…" She spoke more sternly reaching for the deadly weapon and pulling on it.

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"Ka..Kagome?" He leaned slightly back. "Let go."

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"Inuyasha!" She stood up this time from her sitting position, yanking the sword from his grasp. Once in her possession, she held it close as if it was her key to survival. Something shiny fell from her hand, but he paid little attention to it. "Inuyasha!" Her warm eyes became darker by the minute. A frown replaced her bright smile.

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"Ka…Ka…Kagome?" Inuyasha whimpered underneath her. "What are you doing?"

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"INUYASHA, WAKE UP!!!!!" Kagome bent down this time, picked up a nearby rock and hurled it at his head. The rock hit him square on the forehead making him kneel over. "WAKE UP!" He heard her shout again.

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"INUYASHA!!!!!!"

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Inuyasha screamed this time as he felt the ground beneath him give way. The familiar falling feeling that occurred at the end of all his dreams returned as Inuyasha slowly slid into darkness. Kagome face was the last thing he saw until she finally faded out of view. He could have sworn he heard her whisper,

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"Good-bye, Inuyasha."

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"OOOF," Inuyasha moaned as he hit the hard ground. Damnnit! Why did she always have to be so ambiguous. One moment she was actually on speaking terms with him, explaining what was troubling her. Then the next moment she was bitching at him like he'd actually offended her.

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"Inuyasha." A cold voice drawled out to him sending shivers down his spine. He became aware of his settings at once. His dream was quickly forgotten. This was the problem, he knew he kept having the same dream over and over again, but he could never retain it in his memory once he woke up. It was a hanyou disease: short term memory loss. The invisible wall around him that had come down with Kagome quickly rebuilt itself as he looked about the forest for the disturbing voice. He stared up at the comfortable tree that he had fallen asleep on, and then slowly let his eyes drop to the source of conflict that stood just at the foot of the tree. That stupid grin that constantly teased him lay on her face again.

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"You know, you and cows have a lot in common." Kikyo smirked at him. He despised that smile. "You're both lazy and thick-headed." She paused for a moment then continued her nagging. "I take that back. You're actually more like a log…or a rock."

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"Well, good afternoon to you too." Inuyasha stated with an annoyed tone. "You know, it wouldn't hurt if you actually grew up once in awhile, your jokes are uh… kinda lame." He smirked at her just to see her reaction.

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Kikyo rolled her eyes. "Would you like me to tell you the real reason why I threw a stone at your head?"

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"It wasn't a stone! It was more like a boulder!" Inuyasha cried as he rubbed his forehead.

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"Don't be a baby. Look, you've been sleeping a lot lately, Inuyasha. It's pathetic, you go around moping and sighing like a love-sick girl. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. I've been observing you every day."

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"I think you're crazy. You're miko powers are starting to go to your head. You think you know what's going on in everybody's head, but you really don't have a clue." He lifted himself off the ground and pretended to brush dirt off from his robes. His waist felt lighter- almost like something was missing. He slid his hand over the sheath of his sword and moved it upward waiting to feel the familiar leather grip of Tetsusaiga. But it never came.

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Inuyasha yelped. "Where is it?!" His voice cracked as he spoke. He bent down on the ground again until he was on fours and scanned the floor for his misplaced weapon.

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"Ahem. As I was saying before you interrupted me, you've been acting very strange lately. Before I woke you up, I heard you call out the name of my reincarnated form." A smile worked itself onto her face. "Is it really true Inuyasha? Do you miss the girl? Your old comrade and shard detector? By the gods! It's been almost nine years and you still can't get over her."

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"You." He turned his face to look at her ignoring her previous comment. He managed to throw her a deadly glare. "You took it. I can't believe you'd have the nerve to take it, bitch."

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He watched her throw her head back and start laughing- more like chuckling. Kikyo never laughed. And when she did, it was always cold; so you really couldn't call it a laugh. "Don't be ridiculous Inuyasha. What would I want with your puny toy? Speaking of missing items, something of great importance to both me and you has also gone missing." Her expression became more serious. "The real reason why I came to you today was because I can't find the Shikon no Tama that you gave to me."

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Yes, he had given the jewel to her some nine years ago, right after the defeat of Naraku. At first he thought it was a bad idea to trust her so openly, especially when she had once yearned for his death, but over the years she had proven her loyalty to him. She protected the jewel as he had asked. And she always wore it around her neck to ensure that it was with her at all times.

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Kagome had left him when she learned of his decision to let Kikyo protect it. He didn't blame her though. It wasn't the first time he hurt Kagome by choosing Kikyo over her. Even if his decision wounded her, he couldn't have let Kagome hold onto the little pink marble or demons would always be chasing her. The Shikon no Tama granted enormous power to whoever possessed it. The only problem was that it never provided happiness. He admitted that at one point in his life he wanted to use it to become a full-fledged demon. The idea however, was eventually tossed aside when he learned that he wouldn't be able to control his thoughts or his actions. For this reason he couldn't hold onto it for fear that he might one day be tempted to use it on himself.

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It's not that he actually loved Kikyo. In fact, the only reason why he gave the precious gem to the evil witch was so she would bear its burden. He couldn't stand to see Kagome become obsessed over its power. He didn't want that. Perhaps Kikyo understood it too. She knew what Inuyasha was doing to her the minute he presented it to her as a gift. Instead of thanking him for his generosity, she treated him like shit. She antagonized him on a daily basis and acted like it was a privilege for him to be insulted by someone as noble as herself. After all, he was half-demon. Something that should be condemned and banished from the face of the earth. Nobody wanted anything to do with half breeds.

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The reason why he stayed with her after Naraku's death was an entirely different issue though. He guessed the right word to describe his relationship with Kikyo was obligation. It was simple, he had wronged her by falling in love with her in the first place and had let her become a victim to Naraku. She gave up her life because she wanted to be with him all those years ago and he was solely responsible. Okay, maybe it wasn't entirely his fault, Naraku was one jealous bastard, but he still felt guilty. So, although his love for Kikyo had died the moment she sealed him to a tree with her sacred arrow, his life still belonged to her.

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How could he have possibly explained that to Kagome. She wouldn't have understood. The whole ordeal was so complicated. She like always, ran off to the well and told him she wasn't coming back. After all, how could she? She didn't have the Shikon no Tama. Without it she would be trapped in the modern era for all eternity. He could have borrowed the jewel from Kikyo to visit her once in awhile, but what would that prove? It's not like it would bring her back. Her purpose in his world had been fulfilled. They had collected all of the shards of the Shikon no Tama as they first set out to do.

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So after she left, the rest of their little group had disbanded. Sango and Miroku of course got married. They were happy together living back in Sango's old village of demon slayers. Miroku's curse had been lifted with Naraku's death and Sango's brother, Kohaku had finally been restored to her. It took him awhile to regain all of his old memories, but at least he was safe and free from Naraku's mind games. Inuyasha occasionally visited Sango and Miroku as old friends. But it seemed unfair that his life was so messed up when theirs was working out perfectly. He admitted that he felt a tinge of jealousy.

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When he learned of their inability to have children though, he was shocked. Surprise, surprise he thought, nobody's life is perfect. Poor Sango just couldn't get pregnant. It was especially sad for Miroku who had wanted to be a father so badly. After all, with his curse lifted, he wanted nothing more than to watch his children grow up free from any liabilities. But that wasn't how fate wanted it.

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Shippo ran off to god knows where. He was probably so upset with Kagome's departure that he couldn't hang around with them anymore. Inuyasha guessed that he went to search for that girl with the fake shikon shard. Inuyasha had forgotten her name, but he clearly remembered her intentions. She had wanted to use a shard of the jewel to wish her brother that had died in a civil war back to life. Shippo was so pathetic. He fell for anyone who suffered from similar problems that he experienced in his life.

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So that was the end of that. Inuyasha furrowed his eyebrows in manner of concentration before remembering the problem at hand.

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"What do you mean you can't find it?" He blinked at her dumbfounded.

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"As I said before, it is not with me."

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"Now you're being ridiculous. How could you have lost it when you keep it with you all the time?! Don't you realize what would happen if someone with the wrong intentions got their hands on that thing?! I can't believe you could be so careless and forgetful! That's just not like you. You must be losing your touch Kikyo."

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"Don't overreact Inuyasha, I'm sure we'll find it. In the meantime, why don't you figure out what happened to your little toy. I'm going back to the village. Now that Kaede's dead, you know I'm responsible for taking care of all the villagers by myself. I'm going to need you to protect this village and you can't do that without your sword." Kikyo stopped leaning against the tree as she turned to head back. "And you're accusing me of losing my touch. At least I haven't become obsessed over someone that left me nine years ago." She smiled dryly.

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"I'm not obsessed!" Inuyasha snapped back. His cheeks turned a light shade of red. "I'm just concerned, that's all…" He muttered those last words.

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"Whatever," she scoffed. "Just keep fooling yourself. I'll be leaving now." As she started walking down the long dirt road towards the village, he heard her call back, "My reincarnated form has probably forgotten all about this place along with that strange girl she took with her. I don't expect they even remember you, Inuyasha."

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He watched her graceful form fade from sight, and felt relieved when she was gone. She loved being annoying. It was her favorite hobby. Damn, where is it? He turned his attention back to the lost item. Now that she wasn't around to bother him he could continue his search for the weapon without being disturbed. Walking around the tree a few times was fruitless. He scanned the area around him for another five minutes, but it was to no avail. He finally settled down at the base of the tree feeling defeated. He knew he had it on him when he went to sleep so he couldn't have lost it. Someone must have stolen it while he was sleeping! That had to be the answer. But wouldn't he have sensed their presence with his sensitive nose? No, this was a very unusual. He let his mind wander back to Kikyo's last words. The small girl that Kagome allowed to come back with her to the modern era was very peculiar indeed. Now that he thought about it, wasn't she the girl that his brother had always protected? Yes, that sounded right. She was Fluffy's human child.

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Oooooooh, where's Tetsusaiga? Hmmm let me guess…

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Well, there you have my first chapter. For those of you dying to see Rin and Kagome again, don't worry- they're coming!

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