Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha. This is just me having my pathetic fun.

[Author's Note] Ai! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! I just started my final quarter in school, so things have been pretty hectic.

kyanos-about Kagome not being able to travel through times-- She isn't able to any more, period. At least, not by herself, since the Shikon no Tama was purified. However, some youkai (including Inu Yasha, and hmm, remember Yura?)can still pass through. So in order for Kagome to travel between times, she needs an escort: namely, Inu Yasha. Hope this clears things up!
mvdiva- True, true, one little lick, and it's all over. But maybe there are some rules for when she says the magic words....Hmmm....hehe!
NightRain- thanks for the feedback!


I hope you all enjoy this chapter!!

Chapter 5: Themes and Dreams

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'Dance theme, dance theme,' Inu Yasha said to himself as he roamed around the school, looking for posters and fliers. 'Ah, jackpot!' He found several posters and hand drawn pictures concerning the upcoming school dance at the front entrance of the school. 'Hmm,' he said, scrolling down the characters. 'Here it is. All eras of Japan… History Dance? Well, whatever works. Guess that means I'm in luck." Just then, the school bell rang, and all the students began rushing out of the building. He scanned the crowd using his keen eyesight and sense of smell to find his girl. He quickly ran to where he smelled her scent.

"Ah, Inu Yasha, good to see you," she said smiling, when she saw him. "Let's go home. I have a lot of studying to do." Inu Yasha nodded, and began to escort her home when a young man stepped in her path.

"Kagome, there you are." Inu Yasha let out an audible growl. He did NOT like this guy. Or his smell. Or his smile. OR his name.

"Oh, hi Hojou."

"We're still on for the dance next week, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Eight o'clock."

"I'll be there. By the way, what era are you going to be modeling?"

"I'm thinking Sengoku Jidai. For some reason, I feel really drawn to that period." Inu Yasha smiled (as much as a dog can smile), and looked up happily at Kagome, who smiled down at him and gave his ears a gentle tweak.

"Alright, then, me too." Kagome nodded.

"Riiight. Well, I've got to go. I have a lot of studying that needs to get done. Later!" And she was off, with Inu Yasha by her side, before Hojou could even say..

"Go-" Hojou watched Kagome take off. "-odbye, Kagome."

***

'Way to go, Kagome!' Inu Yasha mentally cheered at her as they began their trek through the park.

"Ugh. That boy. Sometimes…" Kagome sat down on a bench. They needed to walk through the park on the way home from school, but this time Kagome seemed to want to talk rather than study. So she found a bench underneath a shady tree, and leaned forward on her knees to be almost face to face with Inu Yasha, who sat on the ground before her. "Sometimes, he just… he's so dense, Inu Yasha!" She laughed when she saw him cock his head to one side as if in disbelief.

"You know," she continued, "I've been thinking about Inu Yasha as well." Inu Yasha put a silvery paw on her knee to show her he was anxiously listening. "More and more, I've been having dreams about him… it's almost as if they weren't dreams at all!" She looked down into his golden amber eyes. "I really think I loved him. But how can that be, if he was only a dream? It doesn't make any sense." Inu Yasha whimpered as she rose from her seat, ready to resume the walk home.

"I'm so glad I have you around, though. You make me feel protected. It's .. you're… just like the Inu Yasha of my dreams." Inu Yasha looked up with loving doggy eyes at Kagome. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just being stupid. Maybe I just need to move on, and into the real world." Inu Yasha whimpered.

'Oh, Kagome. If only you knew.'

"Truth be told," she said, as they walked up the stairs to the shrine, "I really don't want to go to the dance with Hojou. I know it's mean, but you know, I kind of wish that someone else will take me."

'Like Inu Yasha?' Inu Yasha barked. Kagome looked at him, wondering if she really heard what she thought she heard. The syllables and intonation of the bark made it sound like he actually said "Inu Yasha." She shrugged, and replied.

"Yeah. Exactly. Inu Yasha." Inu Yasha felt his heart leap. He'd have no problem brushing by Hojou on dance night. Now, he had to get back and tell Sango what he needed for the dance next Friday. As soon as they arrived at her door, Kagome bid Inu Yasha a farewell, and turned to enter the house. She opened the door and looked back, to give him one last smile before she entered, but he was gone. "Hm, that's strange. He usually waits around." Kagome shrugged, "Well, I guess he had things to do today," and with that, she entered the house.

*****

Things progressed normally for the next week, and finally, it was Friday. Sango and Miroku went shopping with Inu Yasha to find the perfect outfits for himself and Kagome. And here was the plan. Just before sundown, Inu Yasha would head through the well with the clothes. Once on Kagome's side, he would get dressed, and wait until he transformed into a full human. Then he would exit the well-house, carrying Kagome's kimono, and ring her doorbell, asking her to go to the dance with him, and giving her the kimono as a gift.

"Remember, don't tell her she died. That will just make her think you're loony," Miroku told him. "Only tell her what she needs to know."

"Right." Sango added, "Only tell her what to say to Inu Yasha the um, yeah." Sango and Miroku had gotten a lot nicer to Inu Yasha, and more understanding to his situation once the novelty of imagining Inu Yasha as a full-on dog wore off.

After a nice bath in the hot spring, and using Kagome's battery powered wind-blower to dry his hair, Inu Yasha was ready to go. It was just about time. The whole gang accompanied him to the well.

"Good luck, Inu Yasha," Miroku slapped Inu Yasha on the back. "I hope this works." Inu Yasha nodded solemnly, praying that it would.

"Yeah. I know she'll like the kimono, either way. And just think, maybe it will jog her memory- err, dream memory even more!" Sango offered.

"Make her remember, so she can come back with you," Shippou pleaded.

"I will say a prayer for ye," Kaede told him quietly. Looking around at all of them, he heaved a sigh, and in the blink of an eye, he was down the well.

******

"Please work, please work, please work," Inu Yasha said softly to himself from the bottom of the well. He had made it to Kagome's time with a few minutes to spare before he transformed into a full human. He had to travel through the well as a half demon, because he wasn't strong enough to do it with only weak human blood running through his veins. But now, he had to wait until after sunset, or he would be transformed once more into a dog. He quickly changed into his outfit, and prepared himself to climb to the top of the well. Within minutes, his hair was black, his claws retracted, and his ears moved to the sides of his head.

"I'm ready." Heaving a sigh, he began the climb up the well. He reached the top, and sat on the lip of the well. "This is it." Adrenaline rushed through his body as if he was up to fight Naraku once again. He cringed, and pushed himself off of the lip, landing both feet on the floor of the well-house. He waited. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and looked down at his hands. Hands! HANDS! "YES!!!" He cried, feeling like he was home free from here on out. "Now, its time to get to business." And not wasting any more time, Inu Yasha emerged from the well-house in his human form, and headed toward Kagome's front door.

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[Author's Note] I forget who it was that wrote this, but it was someone on ff.net. And they said something like, "Why does Kaede talk like a pirate? Just because she has an eye patch doesn't make her a pirate!!" I got such a kick out of that, so whenever I think about Kaede in my stories, I can't help but laugh. Anyway, please review!


yeah, I know, its short. But just to make up for it, maybe I'll get the next chapter out sooner. eh? hm. yeah, it doesn't really make up for it, does it? *sigh*